Beyond Layoff

 The concept of gig work has long been associated with platforms like Uber, Upwork, or Fiverr — digital marketplaces that connect people to short-term, task-based jobs. But a new company called Mercor is pushing this idea far beyond its traditional boundaries by enabling highly specialized professionals to perform knowledge-intensive work, primarily to help build and refine artificial intelligence systems. Founded in 2023, Mercor’s mission is to create a marketplace where domain experts — from lawyers and bankers to scientists and programmers — can earn premium wages by completing structured tasks that feed into AI training workflows. In less than three years, the company has grown explosively, attracting tens of thousands of contractors and securing funding that recently placed its valuation in the multi-billion-dollar range . What sets Mercor apart from most gig platforms is its focus on white-collar expertise rather than generic freelance gigs. Instead of posting a broad men...

A recent survey of 10,000 people across India has revealed that many borrowers are struggling to manage their loan repayments because their monthly EMIs take up too much of their income. This imbalance between what people earn and what they have to pay each month is pushing them to borrow more — and, in many cases, face aggressive tactics from loan recovery agents. According to the findings, most people in financial distress are paying more than 40% of their monthly income toward EMIs — far above what is considered manageable. This means many families have too little left for basic needs like food, utilities, transport or children’s education. Because basic expenses eat up most of their money, many borrowers fall into a cycle of taking new loans or using credit cards to cover costs. Some are even forced to borrow from friends and family. The survey shows that about 65% of these borrowers have cut essential expenses — including delaying medical treatment or cancelling insurance — ju...