Fortune op-ed: The monthly jobs report doesn’t capture all work. This is the data we should collect

In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how Americans are engaging with work, with more people opting for self-employment even amidst a global pandemic. Despite this rise in entrepreneurship and supplemental work being done around full-time obligations and employment, quantifying and understanding the economic realities of these so-called “gig workers” remains elusive.

That’s because the government, for the most part, does not consider this type of work in its ongoing labor surveys. Consistent and accurate data is critical for the government to make informed policy decisions. Without accurate data, policies could have a negative impact for years to come.

Setting aside arguments over the value of app-based work, we should all agree that collecting better data about the size and impact of this rapidly growing sector of our labor market is a worthwhile endeavor.

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