Job quality and the platformisation of regular work: A cross-country analysis of digital monitoring and algorithmic management in the EU

Alvaro Mariscal De Gante Martin (), Ignacio Gonzalez Vazquez () and Enrique Fernandez Macias ()
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Alvaro Mariscal De Gante Martin: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Ignacio Gonzalez Vazquez: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Enrique Fernandez Macias: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en

No 2026-01, JRC Working Papers on Labour, Education and Technology from Joint Research Centre

Abstract: Digitalisation and the increasing use of digital platforms for the coordination of work processes in an algorithmic way can have deep implications for the world of work. While digital monitoring and algorithmic management have been a paradigmatic feature of work in the gig economy, they are increasingly permeating the regular economy across sectors and occupations, a phenomenon that can be termed the 'platformisation' of regular work. Besides potential efficiency gains, these new data-driven managerial and control structures can have implications for workers' well-being. The AIM-WORK survey, conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 2024-2025 in all EU Member States, is currently the most comprehensive representative survey on the issue. This paper uses this novel evidence to examine the implications of the platformisation of work for job quality across EU countries. Our findings show that some forms of platformisation are associated with reduced worker autonomy and work intensification. In contrast to intellectual jobs, platformised workers performing manual routine tasks are more commonly routinised and monitored. These negative associations are almost exclusively concentrated in Central-Eastern Member States, with Western EU countries generally showing neutral job quality outcomes. We argue that this stark contrast suggests that labour market institutions are key in preventing detrimental effects of platformisation of regular work on European labour markets.

Date: 2026-02
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