Labour Transitions that Lead to Platform Work: Towards Increased Formality? Evidence from Argentina

Sonia Filipetto, Ariela Micha, Francisca Pereyra, Cecilia Poggi and Martin Trombetta (mtrombet@ungs.edu.ar)
Additional contact information
Sonia Filipetto: Universidad Nacional General Sarmiento
Ariela Micha: Universidad Nacional General Sarmiento/CONICET
Francisca Pereyra: Universidad Nacional General Sarmiento

No 154, Working Papers from Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE)

Abstract: The recent growth of the platform economy as a tool for labour exchanges has brought about concerns on the overall quality of jobs created. As labour platforms leave a digital trace, this paper assesses whether platforms can help to increase registered labour in contexts of extended informality as the one for Argentina, asking what does formalization via registration - if any - actually imply for workers and how do they perceive it. The article inspects three on-demand occupations in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area: private passengers’ transportation (Uber), domestic work (Zolvers) and home repair services (Home Solution). The main results show that platforms “formalization effect” is dependent on several factors: a platform’s business model, or the company’s interest and need to promote or encourage such process; the pre-existing occupational dynamics in terms of formalization; and general labour market conditions. In the context of an Argentine labour market harmed by a prolongued recession, most transitions to formality via the platform occur to previously unemployed workers who join them.

Keywords: Digital platforms; Informality; Registration; Labour transitions; Decent work. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J46 J60 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2022-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-iue, nep-lma and nep-pay
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Working Paper: Labour transitions that lead to platform work: Towards increased formality? Evidence from Argentina (2022)
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