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Beckmann, Fabian, Sabrina Glanz, Fabian Hoose & Serkan Topal (2026): Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 55, H. 1, S. 100-118. DOI:10.1017/s0047279424000217

Abstract

"The social protection of platform workers is considered one of the most precarious features and political challenges of this new form of employment. Still, there have only been a few empirical investigations on this issue to date. This article presents an explorative empirical analysis of the social protection of platform workers in Germany – a conservative welfare regime with a strong link between standard employment and institutionalized social protection. On the basis of an online survey amongst 719 self-employed platform workers, we examine how different employment patterns correspond to institutionalized protection against sickness and old age. We empirically explore different protection types and analyse how they differ regarding working conditions in platform work and individual social policy preferences. Findings reveal that conditions of platform work and social protection as well as demands and regulatory preferences vary notably across different clusters of platform workers. Still, the vast majority votes against obligatory social insurances for platform workers and favors self-employment over dependent employment. Against this background, we discuss challenges for future attempts aiming at improving social protection for platform workers. This study adds to the literature by empirically exploring platform workers’ social protection and social policy preferences, which have been overlooked to date." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Benzell, Seth Gordon & Kyle R. Myers (2026): Automation Experiments and Inequality. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34668), Cambridge, Mass, 26 S., App. DOI:10.3386/w34668

Abstract

"Many experiments study the productivity effects of automation technologies such as generative algorithms. A key test in these experiments relates to inequality: does the technology increase output more for high- or low-skill workers? However, the theoretical content of this empirical test has been unclear. Here, we formalize a theory that describes the experimental effect of automation technologies on worker-level output and, therefore, inequality. Worker-level output depends on a task-level production function, and workers are heterogeneous in their task-level skills. Workers perform a task themselves or delegate it to the automation technology. The inequality effect of improved automation depends on the interaction of two factors: (i) the correlation in task-level skills across workers, and (ii) workers' skills relative to the technology's effective skill. In many cases we study, the inequality effect is non-monotonic --- as technologies improve, inequality decreases then increases. The model and descriptive statistics of skill correlations generally suggest that the diversity of automation technologies will play an important role in the evolution of inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Büchter, Karin, Tobias Schlömer, Frank Kleemann, Martin Krzywdzinski, Marcus Eckelt & Jiayin Li-Gottwald (Hrsg.) (2026): Crowdwork als Beruf? Subjektivierung, Kompetenzerwerb und Lernen in der digitalen Plattformarbeit. Verlag Barbara Budrich: Berlin, 314 S. DOI:10.3224/84743131

Abstract

"Crowdwork ist eine junge Arbeitsform, bei der einzelne Arbeitstätigkeiten über Online-Plattformen an externe Arbeitskräfte vergeben werden. Der Band präsentiert Erkenntnisse aus einem breit angelegten Forschungsprojekt, in dem arbeitssoziologische, berufs- und wirtschaftspädagogische Perspektiven auf das Tätigsein, auf Lernpraktiken von Crowdworker*innen und auf die individuelle Bedeutung plattformbasierter Arbeit eingenommen werden. Die Beiträge setzen sich mit Aspekten wie Subjektivierung, Wissensgenerierung, Kompetenzentwicklung, Beruflichkeit und Lernen in der plattformbasierten Arbeit auseinander." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Crespy, Amandine, Bastian Kenn, Matteo Marenco & Slavina Spasova (2026): The EU compromise machine and the politicisation of social policy: Lessons from the regulation of platform work. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 36, H. 1, S. 18-33. DOI:10.1177/09589287251345912

Abstract

"Over the past few years, the legal status and the working conditions of platform workers have been among the most debated manifestations of the digital transformation of work. Tense negotiations on the EU platform work directive (from 2021 to 2024) epitomize long-standing conflicts in EU social policymaking, namely the opposition between capital and labor, on the one hand, and resistance to EU involvement or impact on Member States’ social arrangements, on the other. This paper provides an in-depth inquiry of the policy process by focussing specifically on the presumption of employment in platform work, which was first proposed as an EU-wide provision and eventually nationalized with its definition left to national arrangements. Drawing on this case and mobilizing the literature on positive integration entrepreneurship, and politicization, we shed light on the ‘drivers’ and ‘inhibitors’ of EU social regulation. On the one hand, we provide evidence that joint entrepreneurship of the European Parliament (EP) and the European Commission is a primary driver and argue for acknowledging the role of the EP as a key entrepreneur of ‘Social Europe’. On the other hand, divisions in the Council, underpinned by domestic politics, hinder ambitious social policy regulation at EU level in several respects. Furthermore, we tease out the role of politicization and theorize its ambivalent role as both a driver and inhibitor, depending on contingent party political orientations, contextual factors, but also the role played by Council presidencies, so far overlooked in the literature. We conclude that the drivers and inhibitors we identify, and the resulting dynamics of compromise, are relevant beyond the case of platform work. While stressing the crucial, yet ambivalent, role of politicization, our findings cast a shadow on what has recently been described as a great come back of ‘Social Europe’ with the European Pillar of Social Rights." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ihl, Andreas & Anne-Sophie Mayer (2026): Online platforms' organizational resources and gig workers' self-leadership. In: Journal of vocational behavior, Jg. 166. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2026.104214

Abstract

"An increasing number of gig workers turn to online gig work platforms to pursue potentially boundaryless and protean careers outside traditional organizational settings. Proactive career self-management and related self-leadership are essential to succeed in such careers. However, while traditional organizations facilitate self-leadership by providing traditional organizational resources, such as supportive human resource practices, gig work lacks these important resources. As a result, cultivating self-leadership among gig workers remains a considerable challenge. This study addresses this challenge by investigating how online platforms that centrally shape work environments may provide a resource-related context that facilitates gig workers' self-leadership strategies. Using a contextual and systemic approach to career self-management and inspired by the conservation of resources theory, we draw on insights from a 14-month field study of an online gig work platform, involving data collected from multiple sources. The findings show how platforms offer various types of platform-embedded resources and how workers utilize these resources to engage in behavior- and cognitive-focused self-leadership strategies. This study thereby contributes to the literature on careers in gig work by theorizing the role of online platforms in shaping gig workers' careers from a proactive and agentic perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Külpmann, Inga (2026): Gestaltungsprinzipien individueller Beruflichkeit am Beispiel von Crowdworker:innen. Theoretische Ansätze und empirische Ergebnisse zum Zusammenhang von Arbeit, Beruf und Subjektivierung. (Berufsbildung, Arbeit und Innovation. Dissertationen, Habilitationen 92), Bielefeld: wbv, 352 S. DOI:10.3278/9783763979080

Abstract

"Die Studie untersucht, wie Crowdworker:innen in Plattformarbeit individuelle Beruflichkeit entwickeln und wie Arbeitserfahrungen Subjektivierung prägen. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Frage, welche Gestaltungsprinzipien Lern- und Entwicklungspotenziale in Crowdwork unterstützen. Aus berufs- und wirtschaftspädagogischer sowie arbeitssoziologischer Perspektive verbindet die Publikation theoretische Ansätze zu Arbeit, Beruf und Subjektivierung mit empirischen Ergebnissen aus Untersuchungen von Crowdwork-Plattformen in Deutschland. Die Ergebnisse werden im Kontext des Forschungsprojekts CKoBeLeP (2021-2024) eingeordnet und auf Implikationen für lernförderliche Plattformgestaltung bezogen. Geeignet für Studierende und Forschende der Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, Arbeitssoziologie und Digitalisierungsforschung sowie für Akteur:innen in Arbeitsgestaltung, Weiterbildung und Plattformregulierung." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

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Liu, Cathy Yang & Rory Renzy (2026): Good Jobs or Bad Jobs? Immigrant Workers in the Gig Economy. In: International migration review, Jg. 60, H. 1, S. 114-138. DOI:10.1177/01979183241309585

Abstract

"New work arrangements enabled by online platforms, or gig work, saw substantive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Various estimates have suggested the wide participation of workers in the gig economy, with minority and immigrant workers well represented. The quality of work is a multi-dimensional concept that goes beyond earnings. One framework of good jobs and bad jobs centers on control over work schedule, content and duration, stability, safety, benefits and insurance, as well as career advancement opportunities. Using a newly released national survey focused on entrepreneurs and workers in the United States, we find that about 18.5 percent immigrant workers and 21.1 percent native-born workers participated in the gig economy as their primary or secondary job. In terms of job quality, immigrant gig workers work shorter hours and have significantly less fringe benefits than non-gig workers as well as U.S.-born gig workers, reflecting a double disadvantage. However, they tend to have higher entrepreneurial aspirations, suggesting the transient nature of gig arrangements and potential for career advancements. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics and implication of immigrants’ engagement with the gig economy and offers policy and theoretical discussions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Maffie, Michael David & Hector Hurtado (2026): The Enshittification of Work: Platform Decay and Labour Conditions in the Gig Economy. In: BJIR, Jg. 64, H. 1, S. 5-20. DOI:10.1111/bjir.70004

Abstract

"This study investigates the mechanisms by which gig platforms degrade labor conditions over time, building on the concept of platform decay, or ‘enshittification’, initially developed in the context of social media platforms. In this article, we draw on 30 interviews with long-term gig workers in the ride-hail and grocery delivery sectors, offering insights into how these companies shift from offering attractive working conditions to exploiting labor as these services develop market power via network effects. We identify three mechanisms through which gig companies claw back value from workers over time: burden shifting (transferring operational costs to workers), feature addition and alteration (increasing the demands on workers), and market manipulation (reducing worker bargaining power). We then explore how workers respond to platform decay, finding that workers adopt three responses: effort recalibration , multi-homing and navigating the changing conditions through what we term toxic resilience . This study contributes to the gig work literature by developing a framework to explain how working conditions in the gig economy improve or degrade over time. In doing so, this article provides a framework for organizing the growing constellation of labour research on gig workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Pouliakas, Konstantinos & Giulia Santangelo (2026): Human-centred digital transitions and skill mismatches in European workplaces. (CEDEFOP working paper series / European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training 2026,01), Luxembourg, 163 S. DOI:10.2801/9894877

Abstract

"New digital and artificial intelligence technologies are fast reshaping skill requirements in the EU labour market, fostering skill mismatches. There are marked concerns about the potentially adverse consequences of automation and AI on employment, as well as the lagging competitiveness of EU economies as individuals’ upskilling or reskilling is failing to adapt. To deepen understanding of how digitalisation is affecting the nature of work and skill mismatches in EU labour markets, Cedefop carried out the second wave of the European skills and jobs survey in 2021. In this special edition of Cedefop’s working paper series, ten original, short contributions have been drafted in which researchers explore in depth, for the first time, the ESJS2 microdata. The publication presents a wealth of focused and robust empirical analyses, covering a wide range of different issues on how the digital transition is affecting jobs, skills and training in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schadow, Sophia-Aileen & Sandra Wolf (2026): Effective Leadership, Teamwork Quality, and Their Association With Employees’ Perceived Digital Stress. A Multilevel Analysis. In: Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, Jg. 70, H. 2, S. 43-54. DOI:10.1026/0932-4089/a000461

Abstract

"The ongoing digitalization of work environments poses increasing challenges for employees, including heightened levels of digital stress. This study enhances our understanding of how leadership and team processes relate to employees’ experiences of digital stress. Specifically, we examined associations between effective leadership (EL) and perceived digital stress as well as whether teamwork quality (TWQ) moderates this relationship. We collected the data from a German IT service company ( N = 12,862, 1,207 teams). Multilevel analyses indicated that EL was linked to lower levels of digital stress at both the individual and team levels. This association was stronger in teams with high TWQ, particularly at the team level. Moreover, gender differences in perceived digital stress emerged. The findings provide initial evidence on contextual factors associated with digital stress and suggest directions for future research on leadership and team dynamics in increasingly digitalized work environments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Veen, Alex, Tom Barratt, Caleb Goods & Marian Baird (2026): ‘Woeful Pay, But Still, I Enjoy It’: Refining Subjective Job Quality in Ride‐Share Work. In: New Technology, Work and Employment, Jg. 41, H. 1, S. 15-26. DOI:10.1111/ntwe.70001

Abstract

"Workers who experience structural barriers in the labor market are overrepresented in the gig economy. There is limited research on how the broader context of labor markets and welfare systems shapes workers' motivations for, and subjective understandings of, ride-share work. Using established concepts of ‘constrained agency ’, ‘labor market objectives’ and ‘life stories’ from labor geography, this study develops a conceptual framework to advance subjective understandings of job quality. Drawing upon 59 interviews with workers from three distinct but overlapping disadvantaged groups (workers with disability, caring responsibilities and/or aged 45 and over), we focus on the experiences of and motivations for the work on a market-leading platform in Australia. Our findings highlight that subjective job quality perceptions are a complex mesh of individual circumstances and multi-layered social structures. Our framework helps to better understand why the work organisation and technology of the platform are valued by some yet loathed by others." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zeyer-Gliozzo, Birgit, Carolin Kunz, Jakob Schwerter & Martina Brandt (2026): Changing Job Tasks as Risk or Chance for Employees’ Perceived Job Quality? A Longitudinal Analysis. In: Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, Jg. 78, H. 1, S. 61-86. DOI:10.1007/s11577-025-01043-8

Abstract

"In den letzten Jahrzehnten haben sich Arbeitsaufgaben erheblich verändert, was in erster Linie auf den technologischen Wandel zurückzuführen ist. Einige Tätigkeiten können von Maschinen übernommen werden, während andere an Bedeutung gewinnen. Dies kann sich auf zweierlei Weise auf die Beschäftigten auswirken: Einerseits können veränderte Tätigkeiten die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität verringern, beispielsweise durch kognitive Überlastung. Andererseits können Tätigkeitsveränderungen eine Chance sein, beispielsweise durch die Automatisierung unerwünschter Tätigkeiten wie schwerer körperlicher Arbeit. Diese Studie analysiert anhand von Daten des Nationalen Bildungspanels, wie sich Aufgabenänderungen auf individueller Ebene auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit als Maß für die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität auswirken. Fixed-Effects-Modelle zeigen, dass weniger manuelle sowie mehr analytische und autonome Tätigkeiten die Arbeitszufriedenheit signifikant verbessern, was auf positive Auswirkungen vergangener Aufgabenänderungen hindeutet. Allerdings beobachten wir auch altersbedingte Unterschiede, wobei ältere Beschäftigte eine geringere Zufriedenheit angeben, wenn sie weniger Routineaufgaben ausführen. Diese Ergebnisse liefern wertvolle Erkenntnisse über die Auswirkungen sich verändernder Arbeitsaufgaben und zeigen Bereiche auf, in denen weitere Forschung und politische Maßnahmen erforderlich sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Ametowobla, Dzifa & Stefan Kirchner (2025): Varieties of platform capitalism? Competition, regime types and the diversity of food delivery platforms across Europe and North America. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 23, H. 2, S. 899-931. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwae079

Abstract

"This article challenges the idea of platform capitalism, that digital platforms implement a uniform model based on a self-employed labor force. Expanding on empirical evidence of a diversity of platform models, we theorize expectations about platform diversity from competition and comparative capitalism research. Using a unique cross-national dataset of leading food delivery platforms in 32 countries across North America and Europe, we compare platform models and competitive relations across national institutional regimes. Our analyses uncover a considerable diversity of platform models across Europe, in contrast to a clear uniformity in North America. We also find that the use of self-employment varies across and within large multinational corporations and is most prevalent in countries of the lightly regulated regime type. Our results call for an economic sociology perspective on the platform economy that integrates a general concept of platforms but allows for diversity stemming from competition and different national regimes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arntz, Melanie, Myriam Baum, Eduard Brüll, Ralf Dorau, Matthias Hartwig, Britta Matthes, Sophie-Charlotte Meyer, Oliver Schlenker, Anita Tisch & Sascha Wischniewski (2025): Low Barriers, High Stakes: Formal and Informal Diffusion of AI in the Workplace. (Ifo working papers 422), München, 28 S.

Abstract

"Artificial intelligence (AI) is diffusing rapidly in the workplace, yet aggregate productivity gains remain limited. This paper examines the dual diffusion of AI – through both formal, employer-led and informal, employee-initiated adoption – as potential explanation. Using a representative survey of nearly 10,000 employees in Germany, we document a high extensive but low intensive margin of usage: while 64 percent use AI tools, only 20 percent use them frequently. This diffusion is strongly skill-biased and depends less on establishment and regional characteristics. While formality is associated with more frequent usage, training, AI-based supervision, and higher perceived productivity gains, it does not broaden access. These patterns suggest that widespread informal usage can coexist with limited productivity effects when complementary investments and organizational integration lag behind." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aroles, Jeremy, Aurelie Leclercq-Vandelannoitte, John Hassard, William M. Foster & Edward Granter (2025): Won’t Get Fooled Again? Theorizing Discursive Constructions of Novelty in the ‘New’ World of Work. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 4, S. 882-903. DOI:10.1177/09500170241300948

Abstract

"This article outlines how notions of novelty define today’s work practices and debates what the discursive construction of work as ‘new’ means. On the one hand, we highlight a misplaced emphasis on change and novelty that can lead to unnecessary dichotomization in the characterization and discursive construction of work practices and organizational phenomena. On the other, we specify substantive continuities in a range of strategic, organizational and employment arrangements. As such, we contend that a critical evaluation of key characteristics of contemporary work reveals that they are often not unique. Instead, these characteristics reflect the extending, rebranding or reshaping of measures and processes fashioned in earlier forms of value production. Ultimately, we theorize how the promotion of the ‘new’ world of work reflects structures and practices somehow altered in appearance, yet still analogous in substance, to those found in the traditional employment and production fabric of organizations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Badura, Bernhard, Antje Ducki, Markus Meyer, Johanna Baumgardt & Helmut Schröder (Hrsg.) (2025): Fehlzeiten-Report 2025. KI und Gesundheit - Möglichkeiten nutzen, Risiken bewältigen, Orientierung geben. (Fehlzeiten-Report 27), Berlin: Springer, 735 S. DOI:10.1007/978-3-662-71885-8

Abstract

"Der jährlich erscheinende Fehlzeiten-Report informiert umfassend über die Entwicklung des Krankenstandes von Beschäftigten in Deutschland. Neben detaillierten Sekundäranalysen von Versichertendaten werden empirische Studienergebnisse, zeitgemäße methodische Herangehensweisen und Leuchtturmprojekte der Betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung vorgestellt. Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller technischer Entwicklungen beleuchtet der Fehlzeiten-Report 2025 schwerpunktmäßig Chancen und Herausforderungen des Einsatzes von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) in der Arbeitswelt. Er bietet einen orientierenden Überblick zu den Auswirkungen des Einsatzes von KI auf die betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung, Arbeitsumgebungen, Führung und Beschäftigte in Organisationen und erörtert aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven u.a die folgenden Fragen: - Wie kann KI so zum Einsatz gebracht werden, dass die menschlichen Fähigkeiten erweitert und gleichzeitig die Gesundheit der Beschäftigten und die individuelle Privatsphäre geschützt werden? - Wie gelingt die Entwicklung von KI-Systemen, in denen Mensch und Maschine produktiv zusammenarbeiten? - Welche wissenschaftlich fundierten Lösungsansätze zum menschen- und gesundheitszentrierten Umgang mit KI gibt es im Arbeitsschutz und der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung? Darüber hinaus liefert der Fehlzeiten-Report 2025 in gewohnter Qualität Daten und Analysen zu Fehlzeiten von Beschäftigten in Deutschland: - Aktuelle Statistiken zum Krankenstand in allen Branchen - Vergleichende Analysen nach Berufsgruppen, Bundesländern und Städten - Die wichtigsten für Arbeitsunfähigkeit verantwortlichen Krankheitsarten - Detaillierte Auswertungen u.a. zu Arbeitsunfällen, Langzeitarbeitsunfähigkeit, Burnout und Kinderkrankengeld. Zudem gibt es vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Diskussion um hohe Fehlzeiten einen Beitrag zur Einführung von Karenztagen und möglichen Effekten einer Absenkung der Lohnersatzrate." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Başaran, Altan (2025): Digital Nomads, the New Frontier of Work in the Digital Age: A Bibliometric Analysis. In: Sustainability, Jg. 17, H. 5. DOI:10.3390/su17051906

Abstract

"Digital nomadism is more than just a tourism idea. It represents a new working paradigm in which digital trends are transforming relationships between employers, work, and employees. Our study focuses on digital nomadism and the platforms that enable remote work relationships, which are the result of digitalization. The present study seeks to identify the current research trends and to rationalize future research opportunities in regards to digital nomads. To this end, a bibliometric analysis of available literature from the Scopus and Web of Science databases between 2006 and 2024 will be conducted. The study uses RStudio version 2024.12.0 Build 467 and Biblioshiny as tools to perform the bibliometric analysis of the extracted data. The research findings indicate that the publication of articles demonstrated an annual growth rate of 26.31% between 2006 and 2024. The average number of citations per document is 11.19. The UK, Portugal, Spain, and the USA are the most prominent contributors to digital nomad literature. Even though the conceptual discussions of this phenomenon are carried out in different disciplines, bibliometric analysis is used in our study to observe the areas in which the subject attracts attention in the academic literature and to predict the trends for the future." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Beyer, Jürgen & Katharina Legantke (2025): Varieties of Gig Work: Germany’s Unique Development in the Platform-based Food Delivery Sector. In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Jg. 54, H. 4, S. 381-399. DOI:10.1515/zfsoz-2025-2024

Abstract

"Diese Studie untersucht die Entwicklung des plattformbasierten Lebensmittelliefersektors in Deutschland und insbesondere die Gründe dafür, warum sich das in der Gig-Economy übliche Modell mit selbstständigen Kurier:innen hierzulande nicht durchgesetzt hat. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Ländern stellen die großen Lebensmittellieferplattformen in Deutschland ihre Beschäftigten direkt an und gewähren ihnen Rechte sowie Sozialleistungen wie Mindestlohn, bezahlten Urlaub und Lohnfortzahlung im Krankheitsfall. Anhand einer historisch-soziologischen Fallstudie zeigt die Untersuchung, wie der frühe Einfluss von „Bringdienst.de“, das Restaurants Online-Bestellungen ermöglichte, ohne den Lieferprozess selbst zu organisieren, die Entwicklung der Branche maßgeblich geprägt hat. Ein wegweisendes Gerichtsurteil im Jahr 2020 verstärkte zudem die Bedenken hinsichtlich Scheinselbstständigkeit und führte letztlich dazu, dass die Plattformen vom Gig-Worker-Modell mit selbstständigen Kurier:innen Abstand nahmen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)

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Blasco, Sylvie, Julie Rochut & Benedicte Rouland (2025): Displaced or depressed? Working in automatable jobs and mental health. In: Industrial Relations, Jg. 64, H. 1, S. 40-76. DOI:10.1111/irel.12356

Abstract

"Automation may destroy jobs and change the labor demand structure, thereby potentially impacting workers' mental health. Implementing propensity score matching on French individual survey data, we find that working in an automatable job is associated with a 3 pp increase in the probability of suffering from mental disorders. Fear of automation through fear of job loss, expectation of a required change in skills, and fear of unwanted job mobility seem to be relevant channels to explain the findings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Chueri, Juliana & Petter Törnberg (2025): How welfare states influence online platform work in Europe. In: Journal of European Social Policy, S. 1-17. DOI:10.1177/09589287251357463

Abstract

"Digital labor platforms are reshaping global labor markets by enabling the transnational contracting of service workers. While the dominant perspective emphasizes market forces, predicting that lower-wage countries will dominate the supply side, this view overlooks the institutional context in which platform labor emerges. This paper advances the argument that national welfare institutions are key to shaping participation in the platform economy. We provide the first large-scale cross-national comparative analysis of platform labor, combining micro-level data from one of the world’s largest remote work platforms with country-level indicators from 26 European countries. In line with market expectations, we find that lower-wage countries supply most low-skilled labor, while higher-wage countries show a more balanced distribution between low- and high-skilled workers. Crucially, however, our analysis reveals that greater welfare state generosity is associated with lower levels of platform participation, especially in low-skilled occupations. We argue that platform labor cannot be understood solely as a function of technological change or wage differentials. It is also an expression of structural constraints: where social protections are weak, people are more likely to turn to precarious forms of online work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chueri, Juliana & Marius R. Busemeyer (2025): Different status, same demands? The social policy preferences of platform workers in OECD countries. In: Competition and Change, S. 1-18. DOI:10.1177/10245294251318440

Abstract

"Platform work has introduced a new dimension of precarity in the labor market, as platform workers face high labor market risks and have limited access to social protection. The expansion of this employment status raises the question of whether platform workers have distinct social policy preferences from workers with similar socioeconomic backgrounds who are not employed in the platform economy. This paper empirically examines how and under what circumstances the social policy preferences of platform workers differ from those of other workers. We find that platform workers are more likely to demand more compensatory labor market policies than regular workers. Also, they are more likely to demand more social investment-type policies than regular and atypical workers who do not engage in the platform economy. We also find evidence for contextual effects: whereas welfare state generosity is associated with weaker demand from platform workers for compensatory labor market policies, it is associated with higher support for social investment. Our results suggest that the expansion of platform work will fuel demands for welfare expansion, specifically focusing on social investment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Engel, Sonja (2025): Kassensturz. Daten, Fakten und Erfahrungen aus der Arbeitswelt des Berliner Einzelhandels. Branchenbericht. Berlin, 45 S.

Abstract

"Dieser Branchenbericht nimmt die Beschäftigung und die Beschäftigten des Berliner Einzelhandels genauer in den Blick. Der Bericht soll Anregung sein für Gespräche – zwischen Kolleg:innen, Arbeitnehmenden, Betriebsräten und Arbeitgebenden, sowie Akteur:innen, die sich in verschiedenen Positionen und in unterschiedlichen (politischen) Institutionen mit dieser Branche befassen. Es werden Daten und Statistiken analysiert, Fakten zusammengetragen und Perspektiven verschiedener Akteur:innen der Branche dargestellt. Er bietet Informationen über die aktuelle Situation und gibt einen Überblick über die Entwicklungen und Trends der vergangenen Jahre, präsentiert Einblicke in die Arbeitsbedingungen der Beschäftigten und die Herausforderungen, mit denen die Branche zu kämpfen hat. Auch der Onlinehandel und die Digitalisierung der Arbeit sowie die Frage des Fachkräftemangels werden genauer betrachtet. Für einen Gastbeitrag konnten wir Sarah Kuhn und Dr. Holger Seibert vom Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) Berlin-Brandenburg gewinnen, die einen Exkurs zum Thema der Ersetzbarkeit von Tätigkeiten im Einzelhandel durch digitale Technologien präsentieren. Diese Publikation beruht dabei auf der Auswertung verschiedener Quellen: Offizielle Statistiken und Analysen, die von der Bundesagentur für Arbeit und weiteren Institutionen erhoben und veröffentlicht werden, sind eben - so betrachtet worden wie Ergebnisse wissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen und Umfrageergebnisse und Einschätzungen der Sozialpartner. Die Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (ver.di) und die von ihr geleisteten Sonderauswertungen der Daten des DGB-Index für Gute Arbeit liefern wichtige Erkenntnisse für das Verständnis des Arbeitsalltags der Arbeitnehmenden. Der Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE) trägt mit seinen Befragungen und Datenaufbereitungen die Perspektive der Unternehmen und Betriebe bei. Darüber hinaus kommen weitere Akteur:innen zu Wort, mit denen Hintergrundgespräche und Interviews geführt wurden, oder die an den Veranstaltungen des Projekts Joboption Berlin – drei Sozialpartnerdialogen und einem Werkstattgespräch teilgenommen haben." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Friedrich, Martin, Ines Helm, Ramona Jost, Julia Lang & Christoph Müller (2025): App-basierte Lieferdienste in Deutschland: Warum Menschen Gig-Work aufnehmen und meist schnell wieder beenden (Serie: „Beschäftigung in der Gig-Ökonomie“). In: IAB-Forum H. 16.04.2025. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250416.01

Abstract

"App-basierte Lieferdienste haben sich in den letzten Jahren rasant ausgebreitet. Das hat auch die öffentliche Diskussion um schlechte Arbeitsbedingungen der dort beschäftigten Gig-Worker angefacht. Allerdings gibt es bisher wenige gesicherte Erkenntnisse darüber, was Menschen zur Aufnahme von Gig-Jobs bewegt. Über die Gründe zur Beendigung dieser meist kurzen Jobs ist ebenfalls wenig bekannt. Das IAB bringt mit Ergebnissen einer neuen Befragung Licht in dieses Dunkel." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Friedrich, Martin, Ines Helm, Julia Lang & Christoph Müller (2025): Lieferdienste in Deutschland: Solo-Selbstständigkeit hat zwischen 2018 und 2021 stark abgenommen (Serie "Beschäftigung in der Gig-Ökonomie"). In: IAB-Forum H. 04.06.2025, 2025-06-04. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250604.01

Abstract

"Über Solo- und Scheinselbstständigkeit bei Online-Lieferdiensten wird in der Öffentlichkeit häufig mit Sorge um die soziale Absicherung der dort tätigen Plattformarbeiter*innen diskutiert. Während sich die Erwerbstätigkeit in der Lieferdienstbranche zwischen 2012 und 2021 verdoppelt hat, hat der Anteil der Solo-Selbstständigen deutlich abgenommen. Im Jahr 2021 waren mehr als 95 Prozent der Lieferdienstfahrer*innen abhängig beschäftigt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Friedrich, Martin, Ines Helm, Julia Lang & Christoph Müller (2025): Algorithmisches Management bei App-basierten Lieferdiensten: Fast die Hälfte der betroffenen Gig-Worker fühlt sich dadurch überwacht. In: IAB-Forum H. 23.09.2025. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250923.01

Abstract

"Arbeit auf digitalen Plattformen zeichnet sich durch den Einsatz von algorithmischem Management aus. Eine Befragung zeigt, wie Gig-Worker bei App-basierten Lieferdiensten diese Praxis wahrnehmen. Die überwiegende Mehrheit der Gig-Worker gibt an, dass ihre Lieferdienstplattform digitale Arbeitsmittel beispielsweise einsetzt, um ihnen Aufgaben automatisch zuzuweisen und ihren Standort zu verfolgen. Fast die Hälfte der Betroffenen fühlt sich dadurch überwacht." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gerold, Stefanie, Katarzyna Gruszka, Karin Sardadvar, Hendrik Theine & Anna Pillinger (2025): Outsourcing Domestic Work in the Crisis of Social Reproduction: Platform‐Mediated Cleaning and the Role of Clients. In: New Technology, Work and Employment, S. 1-12. DOI:10.1111/ntwe.70015

Abstract

"Amid the crisis of social reproduction, outsourcing domestic work has become increasingly appealing, with labour platforms offering new avenues to do so. This article explores the largely overlooked perspective of clients using platform-mediated cleaning services, focusing on Helpling in Germany. Drawing on a multi-method study, we examine clients’ motivations for hiring cleaners through platforms and their perceptions of working conditions. We also analyse interactions between clients and cleaners, and how these are shaped by the platform. Our findings suggest that platforms like Helpling are attractive because of their convenience and their promise of an allegedly legal alternative to informal arrangements. While some clients express concerns over precarious working conditions, others justify them through market logic or assumptions about cleaners’ backgrounds. The platform infrastructure helps mediate trust, yet personal relations between clients and cleaners limit the platform's strategy of delegating management and control mechanisms to clients." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giuliani, Giovanni Amerigo & Rebecca Paraciani (2025): Contextualizing inequalities in the gig economy: evidence from online cleaning platforms in five European cities. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1108/ijssp-12-2024-0619

Abstract

"Purpose: This paper explores the impact of national contexts on the profile of workers in the gig economy, with a specific focus on online cleaning platforms. The study aims to understand how national contexts influence the gender and ethnic composition of workers on domestic cleaning platforms, examining the intersectional effects of gender and ethnicity in platform-based work. Design/methodology/approach: Focusing on the case of the Yoopies platform operating in five Western European cities – Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, Rome and Stockholm – this exploratory research is based on an original dataset that combines platform-based data directly collected from Yoopies with national-level data provided by Eurostat. Hypotheses were tested using simple correlation analysis to assess cross-country differences. Findings: The study shows that national contexts play an important role in shaping the gender and ethnic composition of workers on online cleaning platforms. Specifically, it identifies how structural features of the offline labor market influence the gendering and racialization of these platforms, highlighting variations across countries. The research also finds evidence of intersectional effects, where gender and ethnicity intersect to shape the profile of platform workers. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the growing literature on domestic work in the digital platform economy by providing a comparative perspective on cross-country differences in the composition of the platform workforce. It highlights the importance of national offline labor market characteristics in contributing to shaping platform-mediated work and provides new insights into the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and work in the gig economy. The findings contribute to both platform economy research and labor market studies, offering implications for policy and future research on the dynamics of digital work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Greenan, Nathalie & Silvia Napolitano (2025): Does the Technological Transformation of Firms Go Along With More Employee Control Over Working Time? Empirical Findings From an EU-Wide Combined Dataset. In: Review of Political Economy, Jg. 37, H. 2, S. 500-522. DOI:10.1080/09538259.2024.2445096

Abstract

"We investigate the links between the technological transformation of firms and employee control over working time. We conduct EU-wide analysis at the meso-level by relating information from the European Company Survey 2019 (Eurofound and Cedefop) with the Labour Force Survey ad hoc module 2019 (Eurostat). This dataset allows analysing the technological transformation of firms as a relationship between three types of investments (in R&D, digital technologies and learning capacity of the organisation) that spur innovation outputs. We then study the consequences of the technological transformation on the spread of unfavourable working time arrangements, distinguishing between individual and organisation-oriented arrangements. Our model considers the direct effects of investments in Digital technologies adoption and use and Learning capacity of the organisation and the mediating role of firms' innovation strategies. Results indicate that the Learning capacity of the organisation is directly associated with more individual-oriented working time flexibility, but entails higher organisation-oriented working time flexibility. The effect of Digital technologies adoption and use depends instead on firms' innovation strategy: product innovation leads to more employee control over working time, while marketing innovation has the opposite outcome. Process and organisational innovations yield mixed consequences buffering employees from organisation-oriented working time flexibility in more time-constrained work environments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Griesbach, Kathleen (2025): Space and Inequality in Precarious Work: Thinking With and Beyond Platforms. In: Sociology Compass, Jg. 19, H. 3. DOI:10.1111/soc4.70026

Abstract

"Platform-based gig work illustrates a broader erosion of the spatial boundaries of work. While geographers have long theorized space as an integral part of capitalist work processes and social life, sociological research has often treated space as a backdrop for work processes rather than an active process shaping the social world, contemporary work, inequality, and resistance. However, important work in urban and rural sociology emphasizes the central role place plays in social life and inequality. This review synthesizes insights on space, place, and inequality and identifies key spatial continuities between platform labor and other forms of precarious work. I find common throughlines across disciplines: the intertwining of space, place, and social relations and the relevance of space and place for understanding inequality. Next, I relate spatial theories of capitalist development to contemporary precarious work. Finally, I suggest 3 promising avenues for incorporating space into research on contemporary work and inequality today: analyzing how existing inequalities intersect with the spatial features of new and enduring work structures; examining how contemporary work processes are reshaping rural and urban geographies; and identifying the spatial practices of contemporary organizing and resistance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Guo, Ya, Sizhan Cui, Zhuofei Lu & Senhu Wang (2025): Dependence and Precarity in the Gig Economy: A Longitudinal Analysis of Platform Work and Mental Distress. In: The British journal of sociology, Jg. 76, H. 5, S. 1169-1187. DOI:10.1111/1468-4446.70028

Abstract

"While there is a growing body of literature examining platform dependence and its implications for mental health, much of the research has focused on gig workers with small sample sizes. The lack of large-scale quantitative research, particularly using longitudinal representative data, limits a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic relationship between platform dependence and mental distress. This study uses nationally representative data from the UK and fixed effects models to explore the heterogeneity of gig work, specifically examining differences in mental distress between high-dependence workers (those solely engaged in gig work) and low-dependence workers (those also employed in other jobs). The findings reveal that high-dependence gig workers have greater mental distress compared to low-dependence and full-time workers, with their mental well-being similar to those with no paid work. Low-dependence gig workers have lower mental distress than those without paid work. Financial precarity and loneliness partly explain these differences, with the impact stronger for highly educated high-dependence workers and less educated low-dependence workers. These findings highlight the significance of recognizing the heterogeneity of gig work in addressing future well-being challenges in a post-pandemic economy, as well as broadening the scope of the latent deprivation model to encompass the unique dynamics of gig work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Heyer, Philipp, Kathrin Weis, Sabine Mohr & Wiebke Schmitz (2025): Alter(n) im Betrieb: Stereotype Altersbilder, Fachkräftemangel und digitale Transformation. (BIBB-Report 2025,05), Leverkusen: Verlag Barbara Budrich, 16 S.

Abstract

"Against the backdrop of demographic change, age-appropriate human resources policies are becoming increasingly important. Nevertheless, negative age stereotypes continue to prevail in many firms, hindering the recruitment and further training of older employees – and thus leaving existing skilled labor potential untapped. Based on current data from the establishment survey “BIBB Establishment Panel on Training andCompetence Development,” this BIBB Report analyzes stereotypical images of age in firms as well as company characteristics that promote the employment of older people. Particular attention is given to the role of digital technologies. The results show that the perceptions of older employees vary depending on the industry, firm size, and use of technology. A positive perception is associated with higher employment rates of older people. However, older employees are less strongly represented in firms with above-average use of digital technologies. Based on these findings, it is recommended to counteract age stereotypes, provide targeted further training for older employees, and actively involve them in digital work processes. An age-appropriate human resources policy not only strengthens the supply of skilled workers, but also diversity and, ultimately, the productivity of firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Klaus, Dominik, Maddalena Lamura, Marcel Bilger & Barbara Haas (2025): Support and employment preferences in online platform work. A cluster analysis of German-speaking workers. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. e12659. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12659

Abstract

"Online platform work is an emerging field of non-standard employment. Up to now, there has been little knowledge of the perspective of online platform workers on social protection and regulation. We provide quantitative data (n = 1727) on their needs for support and on their employment status preferences. Given the heterogeneity of German-speaking online platform workers, we have conducted a cluster analysis to group workers according to task length, hourly wage, working hours and experience on online platforms. Most of the respondents are solo-self-employed and hybrid workers. They prefer support instruments that improve their skills and income over those that aim to strengthen their rights. The majority of platform workers are in favour of working outside of platforms. The study also shows that despite the low dependence on platform income, the actual poverty risk is relatively high." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Knappert, Lena, Boukje Cnossen & Renate Ortlieb (2025): Inequality Regimes in Coworking Spaces: How New Forms of Organising (Re)produce Inequalities. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 43-63. DOI:10.1177/09500170241237188

Abstract

"Coworking is a rapidly growing worldwide phenomenon. While the coworking movement emphasizes equality and emancipation, there is little known about the extent to which coworking spaces as new forms of organizing live up to this ideal. This study examines inequality in coworking spaces in the Netherlands, employing Acker’s framework of inequality regimes. The findings highlight coworking-specific components of inequality regimes, in particular stereotyped assumptions regarding ‘ideal members’ that establish the bases of inequality, practices that produce inequality (e.g. through the commodification of community) and practices that perpetuate inequality (e.g. the denial of inequality). The study provides an update of Acker’s framework in the context of coworking and speaks, more broadly, to the growing body of literature on (in)equality in emerging organizational contexts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kowalik, Zuzanna, Piotr Lewandowski, Tomasz Geodecki & Maciej Grodzicki (2025): Automation in shared service centres: Implications for skills and autonomy. In: The Economic and Labour Relations Review, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 563-581. DOI:10.1017/elr.2025.10026

Abstract

"The offshoring-fueled growth of the Central and Eastern European business services sector gave rise to shared service centers (SSCs) – quasi-autonomous entities providing routine-intensive tasks for the central organization. The advent of technologies such as intelligent process automation, robotic process automation, and artificial intelligence jeopardises SSCs’ employment model, necessitating workers’ skills adaptation. The study challenges the deskilling hypothesis and reveals that automation in the Polish SSCs is conducive to upskilling and worker autonomy. Drawing on 31 in-depth interviews, we highlight the negotiated nature of automation processes shaped by interactions between headquarters, SSCs, and their workers. Workers actively participated in automation processes, eliminating the most mundane tasks. This resulted in upskilling, higher job satisfaction, and empowerment. Yet, this phenomenon heavily depends upon the fact that automation is triggered by labor shortages, which limit the expansion of SSCs. This situation encourages companies to leverage the specific expertise entrenched in their existing workforce. The study underscores the importance of fostering employee-driven automation and upskilling initiatives for overall job satisfaction and quality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kuhlmann, Martin, Britta Matthes & Stefan Theuer (2025): Das Produktionsmodell der deutschen Automobilindustrie auf dem Prüfstand. Arbeitsstrukturen und Arbeitsanforderungen in Montagewerken im Wandel? (SOFI-Impulspapier), Göttingen, 6 S.

Abstract

"Das in den 1980er-Jahren etablierte Produktionsmodell der deutschen Automobilhersteller lässt sich beschreiben als innovations- und exportorientierte Produktion qualitativ hochwertiger Produkte auf Basis qualifizierter Arbeit, guter Bezahlung und hoher Beschäftigungssicherheit sowie starken gewerkschaftlichen Interessenvertretungen. Politische Vorgaben, wie die Umstellung auf die Produktion von Elektroautos, veränderte Wettbewerbsbedingungen sowie die weiter voranschreitende Digitalisierung haben dazu geführt, dass dieses Produktionsmodell derzeit auf dem Prüfstand steht. Getrieben durch aufkommende Zweifel an der technologischen Überlegenheit deutscher Automobilhersteller und Nachfrageschwächen beim Übergang auf Elektromobilität ist die Unsicherheit in der Branche gegenwärtig groß. In einem laufenden Forschungsprojekt untersuchen wir, inwiefern sich durch die Produktion von Elektroautos und die fortschreitende Digitalisierung Arbeitsstrukturen und Arbeitsanforderungen in den Endmontagewerken der deutschen Automobilhersteller verändert haben und ob sich arbeitsbezogen ein Wandel des deutschen Produktionsmodells abzeichnet." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Lott, Yvonne & Andreas Hövermann (2025): Computer Use and Digital Frustration in German Workplaces: Is There a Gendered Part-Time Gap? In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 1440-1462. DOI:10.1177/09500170251351265

Abstract

"The digital transformation may disproportionately disadvantage female part-time workers, as they are affected by the flexibility stigma and career penalties. In this article, we ask: Is there a gendered part-time gap in work-related computer use and digital frustration in Germany? Latent class analysis and multivariate analysis, based on data from Wave 12 (2019/20) of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Starting Cohort 6 – Adults, showed that women – and part-time working women in particular – were less likely than men to be classified as ‘advanced users’. Furthermore, part-time working women felt least well prepared for using networked digital technologies at work and were thus more at risk of experiencing digital frustration. These findings suggest that the triadic association between technology, power and masculinity postulated by feminist technology theory should be extended to include full-time work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Matthes, Britta (2025): Wie KI Berufe verändert und Chancen für Menschen mit Behinderungen schafft. In: Die Berufliche Rehabilitation, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 6-15., 2025-04-04.

Abstract

"Es ist absehbar, dass die rasanten technologischen Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre, insbesondere die enorme Steigerung der Rechenleistung und die Entwicklung selbstlernender algorithmischer Systeme, die heute allgemein als Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) bezeichnet werden, ihre Spuren auf dem Arbeitsmarkt hinterlassen werden. Welche das genau sein werden, können wir leider aber auch nicht sagen. Denn gerade in solch disruptiven Zeiten, wie wir sie derzeit erleben, wissen wir nicht, wie schnell und in welche Richtung sich bestehende Berufe verändern, welche Berufe verschwinden und welche neu entstehen werden. Zwar können Prognosen etwas darüber sagen, wie sich die Zahl der Berufseinsteiger*innen auf die verschiedenen Berufe und Qualifikationsniveaus verteilen würde, wenn sich die Entwicklung wie in der Vergangenheit fortsetzt. Allerdings scheinen die Potenziale, die sich aus dem Einsatz von KI ergeben, bekannte Zusammenhänge in Frage zu stellen. Hinzu kommt, dass diese Prognosemodelle sehr komplex sind, um daraus sinnvolle Schlussfolgerungen für den Einzelnen zu ziehen. So lässt sich die Frage, inwiefern KI und andere digtale Technolgien auch die Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten für Menschen mit Behinderungen erweitern könnten, damit kaum beantworten." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Molitor, Friederike (2025): Work arrangements in digitally mediated care and domestic work. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2523863

Abstract

"As the need for care has grown, paid care and domestic work in the private home is increasingly being organized on the market. Today, digital platforms serve as intermediaries for care and domestic services but systematic research on the resulting work arrangements between workers and clients remains limited. By understanding platform-mediated care and domestic work arrangements as a (social) exchange of ‘love and money’ between workers and clients, the study explores the working conditions and the worker-client relationships that emerge. Drawing on unique survey data collected on a large digital platform in Germany in 2019, the study shows that care and domestic workers who offer their services on digital platforms often experience informal work arrangements characterized by low working hours and irregular shifts. The worker-client relationships are described as amicable more than professional. They are often built on continuity, long-termism and reliability, which are essential for a lasting relationship. This challenges the on-demand, economic logic characterising other forms of platform work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nikolova, Milena, Anthony Lepinteur & Femke Cnossen (2025): Just another cog in the machine? A worker‐level view of robotization and tasks. In: Economica, Jg. 92, H. 368, S. 1101-1148. DOI:10.1111/ecca.70006

Abstract

"Technological change has led to a decline in the share of routine and physical jobs, and a rise in the share of abstract and social ones at the economy level. However, much less is known about how these trends unfold at the individual level. Do workers' tasks become more or less routine and physical? Do workers shift towards more social and abstract activities? This paper is the first to explore these questions in the context of robotization. We use survey data from 20 European countries to develop worker-level indices of physical, routine, abstract and social tasks, which we link to industry-level robotization exposure. Using instrumental variable techniques, we find that robotization reduces physically demanding tasks but increases routine tasks, while also limiting opportunities for cognitively challenging work and human interaction. This study provides a worker-centric perspective on the relationship between technology and task composition, revealing insights that aggregate analyses miss." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Parfitt, Harry & Ercüment Çelik (2025): Logistics platforms’ ‘new’ mode of appropriation? An analysis of four trends from inside Germany’s Q-commerce sector. In: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation, Jg. 19, H. 2, S. 261-277. DOI:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.19.2.0009

Abstract

"This article investigates the ‘newness’ of platformized logistics labor through an ethnographic study of a Q-Commerce platform – ‘Smart Groceries’ – in Germany. Because conditions at ‘Smart Groceries’ seemed comparatively good, the authors were forced to question the centrality of ‘gigification’ to platform logistics labor. The article draws on participant observation and 16 in-depth interviews with workers and suggests that logistics platforms’ ‘new’ mode of harnessing labor to capital represents an intertwining of four trends: algorithmic management, flexibilization, the ‘explosion’ of the factory and the incorporation of migrant labor. These trends foster alienation, precarity, fragmentation and exploitation, respectively." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pesole, Annarosa (2025): Algorithmic Management and the Platformisation of Work in Europe: Evidence from Spain and Germany. In: The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Jg. 68, H. 2, S. 367-394. DOI:10.1007/s41027-024-00544-y

Abstract

"This study investigates the impact of digital tools and algorithmic management on work organisation and working conditions, with a focus on the growing platformisation of work. The research focuses on three main aspects: the use of digital devices and platforms, the collection and processing of data by these platforms, and the role of algorithms in managing labour activities. Drawing on data from the AMPWork survey conducted in Spain and Germany, the analysis explores the prevalence and effects of digital monitoring and algorithmic management within traditional and platform work settings. Findings highlight the significant diffusion of digital tools and reveal that over two-thirds of workers use such technologies in their tasks. However, the extent of platformisation varies by occupation, sector, and digital tool usage. The findings reveal that a significant number of workers now rely on digital devices in their daily tasks, with digital monitoring and algorithmic management prevalent across various work environments. The survey highlights higher levels of platformisation among clerks and operators in high-tech industries, knowledge-intensive services, and public administration. Additionally, remote workers or those operating outside traditional employer premises are more likely to experience platformisation. While the use of platforms can lead to more structured and efficient work procedures, it also introduces challenges, such as increased monotony and stress, suggesting a complex relationship between platformisation and job satisfaction. This study underscores the transformative impact of platformisation on the nature of work, calling attention to the need for further research and policy consideration. The findings emphasise the importance of addressing the implications of digital labour platforms and algorithmic management for job quality, economic value, and the evolving landscape of employment in the digital era. Indeed, the study confirms that the integration of algorithmic management and surveillance technologies in the workplace poses significant risks to workers’ privacy, datarights, freedom of association, and overall well-being. These practices can erode working conditions and harm mental and physical health. Addressing these issues requires strict regulation of intrusive surveillance and the development of a comprehensive policy framework for algorithmic management and digital monitoring." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Procentese, Fortuna, Flora Gatti & Emiliano Ceglie (2025): Technostress and work-family interface in the face of COVID-19-related remote work: the moderator role of goals setting and prioritization skills. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 272-290. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2247147

Abstract

"During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Italy, a nationwide lockdown required a massive shift to remote work – that is, from workers’ houses. The risk of conflict between work and family domains increased due to the collapse of both into private houses and may have been further burdened due to no training being issued to help workers adjust to these changes in their work activities, producing higher rates of technostress. This study deepens the impact of technostress creators on the conflicts between work and family domains and the role of workers’ goal setting and prioritization skills as moderators easing these relationships. Data were gathered from 375 remote workers during the Italian nationwide lockdown using an online questionnaire. Results show that higher scores in technostress creators positively associate with both work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts and the former relationship becomes stronger as workers’ planning skills increase. They highlight the need to consider the pitfalls of remote work, as it can also have detrimental effects on workers’ family and relational life, and to find a better balance between work and family domains from a systemic perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sargent, Kristina & Jue Wang (2025): A one way ticket to gig? In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 239. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107253

Abstract

"We propose a search and matching model to explore the labor market implications of a growing gig economy. The economy has conventional and gig sectors, with workers searching in both. Some workers never consider gig employment, and others do under certain conditions. Workers are allowed to work in both sectors at the same time if they prefer. Workers match with gig positions with probability one, but gig workers face a wage penalty and matching frictions in the conventional sector. As a result, gig work serves as an alternative to unemployment, the gig sector absorbs labor market slack from the conventional sector, but the choice to engage in the gig economy comes at a cost to workers. By comparing the implications of the model under various levels of exposure to the gig economy, we explore the nature of the sector and the opportunities and consequences that come with it. The benchmark model provides insights into the rise of the gig economy, highlighting its impact on workers and the segmentation of the labor markets. While the presence of the gig sector opens up new job opportunities, potential welfare implications from the existence of the gig sector and its frictions are estimated to range from a benefit around 80% to a cost of around 20%, and directly impact up to two-thirds of the workforce relative to a standard search model with no gig sector. The costs mostly apply to workers with middle to lower productivity, and therefore have important distributional implications. Promoting a more inclusive gig economy can enable market systems to address labor market challenges while preserving their innovative and adaptive capabilities. As a case study, the gig economy highlights the balance between market efficiency and social equity, providing valuable perspectives on labor relations, creative destruction, and policy solutions grounded in market economics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Shaiwalini, Shipra & Subhendu Patnaik (2025): Unpacking the gig economy: key enablers and barriers for gig work – a systematic review and future research directions. In: Personnel Review, S. 1-28. DOI:10.1108/pr-09-2024-0829

Abstract

"Purpose: This study systematically reviews and synthesizes existing literature on gig work to identify its key enablers and barriers. With the rise of algorithmically managed digital platforms, gig work faces unique challenges. The review aims to offer insights and guide future research on this evolving labour market segment. Design/methodology/approach Using Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems framework, this study systematically reviews 83 research articles from leading journals over the past two decades. The framework helps organize and analyse the factors influencing gig work at various levels. Findings The review identifies upskilling opportunities and peer-to-peer networks facilitated by digital technologies as key enablers, while gaps in worker protections and regulatory oversight are significant barriers. Gaps in current research, particularly on the long-term impacts of gig work, are also highlighted. Practical implications The findings inform policymakers, platform managers and gig workers, providing strategies to address the evolving challenges of gig work. Policymakers can craft balanced regulations, while platforms can improve worker satisfaction and performance. Originality/value This study offers a novel contribution by applying Bronfenbrenner’s framework to synthesize gig work research. It provides a structured analysis of enablers and barriers and lays the foundation for future research in this field." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

Zitatform

Smerdon, David, Samuel Pearson & Sabina Albrecht (2025): Physical proximity drives gay discrimination in the gig economy. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jg. 122, H. 11. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2412362122

Abstract

"Despite legal protections, discrimination based on sexual orientation remains difficult to detect and measure in labor markets. We present evidence from a field experiment (N = 1,128) conducted in Australia on a major gig economy platform that allows users to outsource everyday tasks. By manipulating both the sexual orientation of job posters (gay vs. straight male) and physical proximity requirements of tasks (inside vs. outside the home), we identify discrimination against gay profiles and demonstrate a specific mechanism for its emergence: physical proximity. Gay profiles received fewer offers and less engagement, and attracted workers with significantly lower quality ratings, but only for tasks requiring close physical proximity. Additional exploratory analysis further suggests that the results are driven by an anti-gay bias rather than an anti-men or pro-women bias and that discrimination is stronger for tasks with a higher degree of interaction between worker and job poster. Our findings demonstrate how digital labor platforms can perpetuate traditional forms of discrimination, while shedding light on physical proximity as one important mechanism. These results have important implications for users of the gig economy, a sector of increasing importance due to its rapid growth and comparatively lax regulatory frameworks." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Stanton, Christopher T. & Catherine Thomas (2025): Who Benefits from Online Gig Economy Platforms? In: The American economic review, Jg. 115, H. 6, S. 1857-1895. DOI:10.1257/aer.20221189

Abstract

"Online labor platforms for short-term remote work have many more job seekers than available jobs. Despite their relative abundance, workers capture a substantial share of the surplus from transactions. We draw this conclusion from demand estimates that imply workers’wages include significant markups over costs and a survey that validates our surplus estimates. Workers retain a significant share of the surplus because demand-side search frictions and worker differentiation reduce direct competition. Finally, we show that applying traditional employment regulations to online gig economy platforms would lower job posting and hiring rates, reducing aggregate surplus for all market participants, including workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Tisch, Anita (2025): Menschengerechte Gestaltung von Arbeit in einer digitalisierten Arbeitswelt. In: Sozialmagazin H. 7/8, S. 91-97. DOI:10.3262/SM2508091

Abstract

"Die fortschreitende Digitalisierung verändert die Arbeitswelt und stellt auch das Sozialwesen vor neue Herausforderungen. Um diesen wirksam begegnen zu können und die Potenziale digitaler Technologien zu nutzen, sind klare Gestaltungsprinzipien wichtig. Der Beitrag beleuchtet, welche Bedeutung ausgewählte, von der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin entwickelte Kriterien menschengerechter Arbeitsgestaltung haben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Zwysen, Wouter & Bianca Luna Fabris (2025): Digital labour and welfare regimes: The impact of the institutional context on the prevalence of platform work. In: Competition and Change, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1177/10245294251349484

Abstract

"Platform work is on the rise across Europe, but not similarly across countries as shown from the as yet limited cross-national research. This study sets out to analyze how structural differences in the organization of the economy and welfare state shape individual’s engagement with platform work and particularly (1) the take-up of platform work; and (2) the extent to which the more economically vulnerable are overrepresented. In a context where the labour market is more regulated, workers are more protected, and there is a more generous safety net, there is less need to engage in generally precarious platform work. This study makes use of two comparable cross-national datasets on engagement in platform work across Europe. We find indications that platform work is generally less likely in countries where there is greater social spending and redistribution, higher passive labour market policy spending, and lower labour market dualization. Such factors, namely, social security and the regulation of the labour market, particularly protect more vulnerable workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Instead of flexi-work and increased labor participation for women, the platform economy has deepened intersectional inequalities—of gender, class, geography, and race—making women workers more vulnerable. At the Beijing+30 conjuncture, we urgently need multi-scalar policy responses that can get our institutions ready for a feminist future of work. To explore the building blocks of this imperative, IT for Change, DAWN, and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) convened a series of four consultations in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and Latin America in February 2025, bringing together 50+ feminist scholars, practitioners, gender equality experts, lawyers focused on labor rights, and trade union representatives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2025): Smarter Workplaces: The Role of AI in Promoting Occupational Safety and Health. Potsdam, 16 September 2025. Proceedings. (baua: Fokus), Dortmund, 42 S. DOI:10.21934/baua:focus20250729

Abstract

"Tagungsbericht des Workshops AI4POSH - Smarter Workplaces: The Role of AI in Promoting Occupational Safety and Health, welcher im Rahmen der 48. Deutschen KI-Konferenz in Potsdam vom 16.-19. September 2025, stattgefunden hat. Der Workshop wurde von PD Dr. Thea Radüntz, der Gruppenleitung der Fachgruppe "Künstliche Intelligenz in der Arbeitswelt" der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin organisiert. Der Workshop AI4POSH beleuchtete die vielfältige und wachsende Rolle von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) in der Entwicklung gesunder, sicherer und menschzentrierter Arbeitsplätze. Die Beiträge umfassten vielfältige Anwendungen in den Bereichen Gesundheitsförderung am Arbeitsplatz, Arbeitsmedizin, psychische Gesundheit, algorithmisches Management, Risikobewertung und KI-gestützte Operationen. Die Beiträge betrachteten sowohl das Potenzial als auch die Herausforderungen von KI: von technischen Innovationen wie Sensornetzwerken und Bildanalyse bis hin zu menschenzentrierten Themen wie digitale Souveränität, Engagement und Arbeitsbelastungsmanagement. Zusammen spiegeln diese Arbeiten eine interdisziplinäre Bemühung wider, KI zur Förderung der Sicherheit und Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz zu nutzen und gleichzeitig ihre Auswirkungen auf Arbeitnehmer und Organisationen kritisch zu untersuchen. Ziel des AI4POSH Workshops war es folglich, durch die kritische Analyse des Einflusses von intelligenten Systemen auf moderne Arbeitsplätze, einen Beitrag in der Entwicklung von sicheren, zugänglichen und fairen Arbeitsumfeldern im KI-Zeitalter, zu leisten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)