Who do you think are the largest employers in America? General Motors, McDonald’s, maybe Starbucks?

Just 14 years since the launch of Uber, gig work platforms are now 3 out of the top 5 employers in the country.

Here’s Forbes’ list of America’s largest employers:

1. Walmart
2. Amazon
3. Home Depot
4. Fedex
5. Target

Let’s add gig work. The list now looks like this:

1. Walmart
2. Doordash
3. Amazon
4. Uber
5. Instacart

For an entry level job, gig work pays a decent wage. A typical rate is around $15-25 an hour, higher than entry level jobs at McDonald’s or Walmart.

Is it any wonder you can’t get a waiter today? Who’s going to work for a server’s wage of $5.26 an hour when Uber is paying $20?

Gig work can be flexible with good pay, but it can also be unstable. And depending on where they live, gig workers may not be eligible for unemployment insurance or worker’s compensation benefits.

Over time, gig work may take over more and more fields. Last mile delivery and food and beverage jobs could be prime candidates.

As more Americans depend on gig work for their living, I expect to see unions try to organize these workers. Governments may also regulate the sector more heavily.

Politicians in California tried to get gig workers reclassified as employees. So far, their efforts have failed.

But more states are likely to do the same. This could upend the business models of companies like Uber and Doordash, raising costs and limiting flexibility.

On the whole, I think platforms like Uber are a great thing for workers. If your job is treating you like crap, you can always walk out and fire up the app.

What’s more, massive new employers means lots of demand for workers. No wonder wages for low skilled employees are rising fast, even after inflation.

The era of big plants, lunch pails and the noon whistle are over. Today, work happens when and where you want.

I call that freedom.

Is gig work good or bad for workers? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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*One caveat is that some gig workers work for multiple platforms. A driver might do Instacart during the week and Uber on busy weekend nights out. But even with some overlap, app-based platforms would be some of the nation’s largest employers.