# Professor Arun Sundararajan comments on how workers impacted by the government shutdown have turned to the sharing economy to earn money

1 Faculty News January 16, 2019 ![NBC logo](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/con_031344.jpg?itok=IYZi1zrg)>

Excerpt from [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/shoveling-snow-walking-dogs-furloughed-workers-turn-odd-jobs-gig-n959501?cid=public-rss_20190117) -- "'If we look at the past, a lot of the growth of the gig economy about 10 years ago was a consequence of weak job numbers and the recession,' Sundararajan said. 'So I think it’s well accepted that during times of economic downturn, whether it’s nationwide or within a particular sector, people do turn at increasing rates to the gig economy to try and make ends meet.'"

[Read more](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/shoveling-snow-walking-dogs-furloughed-workers-turn-odd-jobs-gig-n959501?cid=public-rss_20190117)