Gig Work Panel Discussion Raises Concerns About Job Security in Toronto

 A recent virtual panel on the future of work is sparking important conversations for communities like Regent Park, where many residents rely on app-based jobs to make ends meet.

Held on April 14, the event “Gig Work – Delivering an Insecure Future for Many?” brought together researchers, organizers, and policymakers to examine how platform-based work is changing employment across Ontario. The discussion was moderated by Jessica Bell and featured economist Jim Stanford, gig worker organizer Jennifer Scott, and policy researcher Deena Newaz.

The conversation focused on a growing shift: stable jobs with benefits are being replaced by short-term, app-based work with fewer protections.

“This isn’t a new system,” said Stanford. “Telling poor people to do low-paid tasks for others is as old as capitalism.” He challenged the idea that technology is driving these changes, arguing instead that it’s about “how the work is organized and who benefits.”

For workers on the ground, the reality is immediate. Jennifer Scott, who has delivered food across Toronto, described long hours of unpaid waiting time and little control over income.

“My choice is to take the order and make some money, or sit on the side of the road making nothing,” she said. “I control none of those things.”

She also highlighted how workers organized to fight back. In one major victory, gig workers in Toronto successfully unionized, with nearly 89 per cent voting in favour. “Workers who come together can win real changes,” Scott added.

Panelists raised concerns about how companies use algorithms to control wages and assign jobs, often without transparency. Workers are also responsible for covering their own costs, including bikes, cars, fuel, and phone data.

Newaz pointed to a broader trend affecting public sector jobs. “What we’re seeing is the replacement of stable, unionized jobs with more precarious alternatives,” she said, linking gig work to ongoing privatization in healthcare and education.

She warned that this model is already expanding beyond food delivery and ride-hailing. “Gig work is not just about apps anymore—it’s moving into sectors people may not expect, including public services.”
For many in Regent Park and across Toronto’s downtown east, these issues are not abstract. App-based work is a key source of income, especially for newcomers, youth, and workers facing barriers in the traditional job market.

The panel also touched on rising youth unemployment and the increasing pressure to take on multiple jobs to survive. In communities already dealing with affordability challenges, the shift toward unstable work adds another layer of uncertainty.

Despite the concerns, speakers emphasized that change is possible through organizing, policy reform, and stronger labour protections.

As Jessica Bell noted during the discussion, “We need an economy where people can earn enough to live—and where it’s easier to organize and have a voice at work.”