Juan Solano is one of 80,000 delivery workers powering a gig economy that profits from their labor while offering them no benefits, protections, or safety net. For Juan and his fellow deliveristas — most of them immigrants who speak little English and came to America seeking opportunity — the work is both a lifeline and a trap. The apps are easy to access but nearly impossible to survive on. And the physical dangers are staggering. One in five workers is injured on the job, colleagues are robbed and killed, and the relentless demand for speed turns every red light into a calculated risk. To cope and fight back, Juan helps build an online community which grows into a grassroots movement demanding justice in the streets. HIDDEN COSTS reveals the human toll concealed behind every doorstep delivery.

Published by Switchboard Magazine