Etsy, Airbnb, Eventbrite, Thumbtack and Upwork join together to call for COVID relief for the self-employed

Today, we’re proud to stand with Airbnb, Eventbrite, Thumbtack and Upwork, calling for Congress to pass targeted COVID relief for the self-employed, sole proprietors, and microbusinesses. See our joint letter here.

Over the last month and a half, the Etsy community has advocated for COVID relief programs to help our most vulnerable businesses — the self-employed, sole proprietors, and independent contractors — weather the economic crisis. All told, over 30,000 Etsy sellers reached out to their elected officials in the past month to call for meaningful relief.

We were heartened when the CARES Act included many programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which explicitly included the self-employed and microbusiness, in many cases for the first time.

Unfortunately, the promise of these programs hasn’t matched the reality. Not only were the self-employed prevented from applying for PPP loans until a full week after employer businesses applied (when the funding had nearly run out), but the rules were written in a way that disadvantaged them relative to larger businesses.

The truth is, the self-employed and microbusinesses aren’t receiving the promised relief they desperately need, and that Congress intended to give them. It’s no surprise, then, that 64% of sellers who rely on their Etsy income feel the government doesn’t understand the needs and challenges of their business.

That’s why we’re joining forces with other companies who serve the smallest of small businesses, to call on Congress to fix the programs they created through the CARES Act, and create new dedicated funding for our smallest entrepreneurs.

Together, we can ensure that the microbusinesses who power our economy today will be in business tomorrow.