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Working Conditions on Digital Labour Platforms: Evidence from a Leading Labour Supply Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Aleksynska, Mariya

    (OECD)

  • Bastrakova, Anastasia

    (Kiev International Institute of Sociology)

  • Kharchenko, Natalia Nikolaevna

    (Kiev International Institute of Sociology)

Abstract

Online labour platforms matching labour supply and demand are profoundly modifying the world of work. Businesses use them to outsource tasks to a world-wide pool of workers; while workers can access work opportunities transcending national boundaries. Increasingly, workers are located in developing and transition economies. This paper is based on survey of online workers of Ukraine, which in 2013-2017 occupied the first place in Europe, and the fourth place in the world in terms of the amount of financial flows and the number of tasks executed by workers through online labour platforms. Focusing on working conditions of digital workers, the paper shows that while the majority of these workers are satisfied with their online work, a sizeable proportion faces risk of being in disguised or dependent employment relationship, works informally, and has a poor social protection. The earnings through the platforms are generally comparable to the earnings in the local labour market, but they do undercut payments for equivalent work that could have been performed in other countries. There is an important gender pay gap in online work. The paper also shows how these working conditions are shaped by both local and international business practices of posting tasks on such platforms. Based on these findings, it presents a set of policy reflections, both for Ukraine and for the future global governance in the world of digital work.

Suggested Citation

  • Aleksynska, Mariya & Bastrakova, Anastasia & Kharchenko, Natalia Nikolaevna, 2019. "Working Conditions on Digital Labour Platforms: Evidence from a Leading Labour Supply Economy," IZA Discussion Papers 12245, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12245
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    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp12245.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ximena Del Carpio & Olga Kupets & Noël Muller & Anna Olefir, 2017. "Skills for a Modern Ukraine," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 25741.
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    4. Kässi, Otto & Lehdonvirta, Vili, 2018. "Online labour index: Measuring the online gig economy for policy and research," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 241-248.
    5. Linda McDowell, 2015. "Roepke Lecture in Economic Geography—The Lives of Others: Body Work, the Production of Difference, and Labor Geographies," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 91(1), pages 1-23, January.
    6. Greene, Laura & Mamic, Ivanka., 2015. "The future of work : increasing reach through mobile technology," ILO Working Papers 994867513402676, International Labour Organization.
    7. repec:ilo:ilowps:486751 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Linda McDowell, 2015. "Roepke Lecture in Economic Geography—The Lives of Others: Body Work, the Production of Difference, and Labor Geographies," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 91(1), pages 1-23, January.
    9. De Stefano, Valerio., 2016. "The rise of the "just-in-time workforce" : on-demand work, crowdwork and labour protection in the "gig-economy"," ILO Working Papers 994899823402676, International Labour Organization.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Davide Arcidiacono & Giorgio Piccitto, 2023. "Assessing Inclusivity Through Job Quality in Digital Plat‐Firms," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 239-250.
    2. Maria Cesira Urzi Brancati & Annarosa Pesole & Enrique Férnandéz-Macías, 2020. "New evidence on platform workers in Europe: Results from the second COLLEEM survey," JRC Research Reports JRC118570, Joint Research Centre.
    3. Lars Hornuf & Daniel Vrankar, 2022. "Hourly Wages in Crowdworking: A Meta-Analysis," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 64(5), pages 553-573, October.
    4. Maciej Berk{e}sewicz & Dagmara Nikulin & Marcin Szymkowiak & Kamil Wilak, 2021. "The gig economy in Poland: evidence based on mobile big data," Papers 2106.12827, arXiv.org.
    5. Duygu Özlük, 2023. "Next Stage of Global Capitalism: Digital Platforms and Rentier Capitalism," Journal of Research in Economics, Politics & Finance, Ersan ERSOY, vol. 8(4), pages 681-695.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gig-economy; online labour; digital labour platforms; working conditions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior

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