'Marketplace For The Gig Economy': Jobble Lends Helping Hand To Gig Workers, Struggling Businesses

Last week, 3.8 million people filed for unemployment benefits, bringing America’s total claims number to over 30 million.

These numbers come as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus which prompted mass layoffs and business closures across the entire country.

Despite the global economic shutdown, the pandemic created a demand surge amongst delivery and online shopping services, increasing the need for hourly workers restocking superstores, pharmacies, and distribution centers.

As part of the development, Jobble, a marketplace for the gig economy and hourly workforce, is helping put people to work and businesses overcome the overburdened supply chain problem with its platform of over 500,000 workers that can be deployed anywhere in the United States.

Creating An Efficient Job Market

“We’re a two-sided marketplace that links up temporary workers with actual shifts,” said Jobble’s VP of Strategy, Nick D’Ascensao.

According to Jobble, businesses come to their marketplace, list requirements, and put up the rate they want to pay.

Once the posting is in the ecosystem, Jobblers -- prospective employees -- make bids on the shifts. If the employer and employee come to an agreement on the rate, the shift or work offering is filled.

“When businesses hit submit, the advertisement gets blasted through a 30-mile radius,” said D’Ascensao. “The Jobble, which is the job, gets blasted to the Jobblers, and then the business gets to go in and select the applicants they want.”

Businesses can view the reputations of Jobblers, helping improve the reliability and efficiency of the market.

“It is sort of like Tripadvisor when the business is coming to a sea of a hundred people. They can see their reputations across all jobs they’ve done. They’re able to select the best 10 out of a pool of 100, for example. So, a process that used to take hours now takes 5 minutes.”

Additionally, if a business was to permanently keep a Jobbler, Jobble does not charge a finder fee like typical staffing agencies.

“You’re able to offer Jobblers full-time with no penalty,” added D’Ascensao. “Our mission is to put people to work, and we’re 51% biased to the Jobbler.”

Life After The Coronavirus

Prior to the mass business closures and layoffs caused by the nationwide stay-at-home orders, Jobble’s business was 30% events, 60% light industry, and 10% retail merchandise.

“Events went to zero, while shipping and retail merchandising exploded,” said D’Ascensao.

In the near term, Jobble expects a gradual reopening in which some businesses or employers are reluctant to return full operations.

“I think businesses will want to get back to business, but won’t commit all the way,’” said D’Ascensao. Instead many will adopt solutions such as Jobble because they don’t want to go through another run of layoffs or furloughs.

“We’re designed in a way that when it’s time, we don’t stand in the way of that person becoming an employee.”

To learn more about Jobble’s unique ecosystem for the gig economy, please visit jobble.com.

Photo by Jopwell from Pexels.