Decent Work in the Platform Economy

The “platform economy” emerged in the early 2000s alongside the growth of the Internet, providing opportunities for the production and delivery of a range of services through online marketplaces (platforms). Digital labour platforms take a variety of forms, although it is useful to distinguish between crowdwork and work on demand via apps (De Stefano, 2016). Crowdwork usually refers to activities or services that are performed online, irrespective of the location. Although some of these jobs entail the movement of work from the offline to the online economy, in other instances they are new tasks that permit the smooth functioning of web-based industries, such as content moderation on social media sites, the cataloguing of online products of e-commerce enterprises, and the transcription of YouTube videos. Work on demand via apps refers to physical activities or services that are performed locally; typical activities include transportation, delivery and home services. In these cases, an app is used to match labour demand and supply, usually within a geographically defined area.

This technical note provides a brief overview of recent developments in the platform economy in terms of employment, the nature of work and job quality and then outlines major policy issues. The review draws on the existing empirical literature and the ILO’s recent research findings.