The E-Commerce Window for Economic Development: Analyzing the Earning Capacities for Low-Income Households

The United States has a long-standing history of income and wealth inequality that create barriers for individuals to escape from poverty. When a family is in poverty, children in the household are likely to grow up experiencing educational and skill inequity. This establishes the beginning of the cycle of poverty which is a complex issue that is caused by a combination of factors or events which can affect all aspects of an individual’s life. Research suggests poverty is driven by the following root causes: family breakdown, educational failure, worklessness and dependency, addiction, and personal debt (The Centre for Social Justice). While these factors can be seen as interrelated factors affecting a family’s socioeconomic standing, this paper focuses specifically on addressing the worklessness and dependency aspect of poverty.
Work is recognized as one of the most effective routes out of poverty. I set out to research how side hustles or gigs can impact the financial standing of low-income families and get a better understanding of requirements to engage in these types of work. The research conducted in this project aims to identify potential side hustles that low-income earners can engage in without needing to make a large capital investment. The project findings will help readers get a better understanding of various side hustles available and learn how additional earnings can help individuals build, grow, and maintain capital.