On-Demand Digital Economy: Can Experience Ensure Work and Income Security for Microtask Workers?

Fuente: Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
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Autori principali: Uma Rani, Marianne Furrer
Natura: Artículo científico
Pubblicazione: International Labour Organization 26/07/2019
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author Uma Rani
Marianne Furrer
author_facet Uma Rani
Marianne Furrer
Uma Rani
Marianne Furrer
contents On-Demand Digital Economy: Can Experience Ensure Work and Income Security for Microtask Workers? Uma Rani Marianne Furrer Digital labour platforms have been increasingly gaining popularity over the past decade. In particular, there has been much debate about workers’ motivations and working conditions on microtask platforms. There exists little evidence on whether dependence on digital microtask platforms provides workers with work and income security in the long term and whether it provides opportunities for skill development. This paper explores the extent to which the seemingly flexible platform work ensures work and income security and provides opportunities for skill development for workers with different levels of experience, based on novel survey data collected on five globally operating microtask platforms and in-depth interviews with workers. The findings show that despite high financial dependence on this work, returns to experience on the platform are meagre in terms of earnings, and highly experienced workers face the same risks as new entrants with regard to discrimination, high work intensity, lack of autonomy and control over work, and social protection. There is also a skills gap between the nature of tasks available on these microtask platforms and the workers’ education levels. Finally, experience does not ensure that workers have the opportunities to undertake complex and challenging tasks, and the possibilities to develop their skills and improve career prospects are limited. 10.1515/jbnst-2018-0019 DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2018-0019 publication.journalArticle
format Artículo científico
id ilo_995268387702676
institution Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
publishDate 26/07/2019
publisher International Labour Organization
spellingShingle On-Demand Digital Economy: Can Experience Ensure Work and Income Security for Microtask Workers?
Uma Rani
Marianne Furrer
On-Demand Digital Economy: Can Experience Ensure Work and Income Security for Microtask Workers? Uma Rani Marianne Furrer Digital labour platforms have been increasingly gaining popularity over the past decade. In particular, there has been much debate about workers’ motivations and working conditions on microtask platforms. There exists little evidence on whether dependence on digital microtask platforms provides workers with work and income security in the long term and whether it provides opportunities for skill development. This paper explores the extent to which the seemingly flexible platform work ensures work and income security and provides opportunities for skill development for workers with different levels of experience, based on novel survey data collected on five globally operating microtask platforms and in-depth interviews with workers. The findings show that despite high financial dependence on this work, returns to experience on the platform are meagre in terms of earnings, and highly experienced workers face the same risks as new entrants with regard to discrimination, high work intensity, lack of autonomy and control over work, and social protection. There is also a skills gap between the nature of tasks available on these microtask platforms and the workers’ education levels. Finally, experience does not ensure that workers have the opportunities to undertake complex and challenging tasks, and the possibilities to develop their skills and improve career prospects are limited. 10.1515/jbnst-2018-0019 DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2018-0019 publication.journalArticle
title On-Demand Digital Economy: Can Experience Ensure Work and Income Security for Microtask Workers?
url https://researchrepository.ilo.org/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/On-Demand-Digital-Economy-Can-Experience-Ensure/995268387702676