Measuring the platform economy: Different approaches to estimating the size of the online platform workforce

Agnieszka Piasna

Chapter 4 in A Modern Guide To Labour and the Platform Economy, 2021, pp 66-80 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The potential transformation of labour markets by the emergence of online labour platforms has triggered an intense academic, media and policy debate, but its true scale remains speculation. To understand current trends and formulate meaningful policy recommendations we need good quality data on the prevalence of platform as well as other forms of internet-mediated work. This chapter provides a critical review of different approaches to measuring platform work; that is, estimating the scale of engagement in platform work in the general population. The aim is to examine the main obstacles encountered in previous studies, the reasons for surprising or contradictory results and possible sources of error, but also the lessons that can be learned for future research. This is illustrated with key research in this area, ranging from large projects conducted by national statistical offices to smaller scale independent research, from national to (nearly) global scale.

Keywords: Business and Management; Economics and Finance; Innovations and Technology; Sociology and Social Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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