Platform economy

Decent work in the platform economy in the Caribbean

The study examines the emerging landscape of platform work across eleven Caribbean countries, finding that its prevalence is currently limited and uneven, concentrated primarily in urban centers and the tourism sector, and dominated by location-based services like transport and delivery. The study highlights that the sector is largely driven by global platforms, with local platforms struggling to scale due to inadequate infrastructure and policy gaps.

The study presents an overview of constituents’ perspective on platform work in the region alongside a summary of economic and labour market trends. A total of 33 in-depth interviews were conducted, with tripartite representatives from 11 countries, drawn from the ministries responsible for labour, as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations. The interviews were guided by a semi-structured questionnaire to explore constituents’ familiarity with platform work, their perceptions of its opportunities and challenges, the existence (or absence) of legal and policy frameworks, sectoral trends, and issues related to workers’ representation and organization.

This study is particularly significant as it addresses a critical data gap, providing a foundational, evidence-based analysis of the platform economy's current state and future trajectory across Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

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