In the News
Fredericksburg Today: Sen. Warner Visits Fredericksburg Co-working Space to Discuss the Gig Economy
Sep 14 2015
U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) was In Fredericksburg September 11 to hear from some 20 local entrepreneurs and business leaders about the new gig economy.
When Lauren Ricci was laid off last summer — the second layoff in as many years for the nonprofit administrator — she found herself doing a lot of soul searching.
The front lines of Richmond's on-demand economy
Aug 18 2015
On Tuesday, Senator Warner stopped in Richmond to have lunch with more than a dozen local workers who are part of the "on-demand economy" to learn more about their experiences working as freelance workers and independent contractors. Over sandwiches and coffee at the Greenbriar Café & Coffeehouse, Senator Warner had a lively discussion with Virginia workers who make a living or supplement their income as part of the on-demand economy.
At a Senate Banking Committee hearing on July 15, Senator Warner questioned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director, Richard Cordray, about CFPB's role in mortgage rules and retirement savings given the growing workforce of part-time workers and independent contractors.
This initial exchange doesn't offer much optimism for a serious discussion through 2016 of how to balance the opportunities and risks these dynamic new companies are creating for workers. Which is why both sides would do well to consult Senator Mark Warner of Virginia.
He sees a growing number of sharing-economy companies such as Uber, TaskRabbit and AirBnB transforming employment. About half of all American workers will be freelance or contractual workers by 2020, some economists predict.
Warner: Making the on-demand economy work better for more people (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Jun 30 2015
Remarkably, Washington mostly has remained on the sidelines as the U.S. workforce and the very concept of the workplace have undergone the most dramatic transformations in decades. By my count, almost 25 people are running for President in 2016, and almost none of them are talking about these issues.
Senator Warner visited WeWork in Washington D.C. to meet with members of the gig economy and to hear about their experiences as freelance workers and entrepreneurs.
Whether by economic necessity or by choice, as many as one-third of U.S. workers now find themselves piecing together two, three or more on-demand work opportunities to make a living. This is often called the gig economy or the sharing economy.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner today delivered perhaps the first significant speech of any Washington, D.C. policymaker on the potential impact of generational and technological changes on the American economy.
