Retailers across the U.S. often hire additional workers this time of year to help get them through the busy holiday shopping season. Allowing employers to bring in extra help during busy times is likewise the idea behind Moonrise, a Chicago-based startup that recently exited stealth mode. According to its website, Moonrise is wholly owned by Madison, WI-based American Family Insurance.
Moonrise says its mission is to connect employers with workers who want to make extra money, and allow participating organizations to hire people on a shift-by-shift basis. The concept fits in the broader trend of on-demand jobs in the “gig” economy, where companies like Uber give workers the opportunity to make money on the side and the flexibility to set their own hours.
Workers can sign up for Moonrise on the startup’s website, and create a profile with information on their job skills and availability. Once a new user has completed interviews and undergone a background check, he can start receiving text messages with information on shifts offered by employers that work with Moonrise. A worker can then review information about the shift—its date, time, and location, as well as how much it pays—and decide whether to accept or decline it. Moonrise says most shifts pay between $11 and $16 an hour. (The minimum wage in Wisconsin is currently $7.25 an hour; in Illinois, it’s $8.25 an hour.) Read the full story here.
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