Gig economy

Andrea M. Herrmann

Chapter 26 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Business and Government, 2026, pp 143-148 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The gig economy, in which service providers are hired through internet platforms to carry out a one-off job, represents a new labour market that is challenging established forms of work. Its emergence can be seen as the culmination of two longer-term trends – labour market flexibilization and digitalization. This entry explains the phenomenon of the gig economy and the concepts underlying it. It also illustrates the historical development of the gig economy and how to assess its size. Furthermore, it highlights the four main regulatory debates surrounding the gig economy and how they have been addressed so far through regulatory approaches, in particular the new EU Platform Directive of March 2024.

Keywords: Digital work; Flexibilization of labour; Internet platforms; Two-sided market; Future of work; Regulation of labour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035307777
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