Plattformarbeit
Mit der fortschreitenden Digitalisierung haben sich auch neue Formen der plattformbezogenen Beschäftigung entwickelt. Auf digitalen Plattformen finden Anbietende von Produkten/Dienstleistungen und mögliche Kunden zueinander. Fahrdienste, Essenslieferungen oder Programmierarbeiten sind hierfür Beispiele. Unternehmen schätzen bei dieser Beschäftigungsform die größere Markttransparenz und sinkende Kosten, Beschäftigte vor allem das selbstbestimmte Arbeiten. Die politische Diskussion zu dem Thema ist vor allem durch die unklare soziale Absicherung der Beschäftigten geprägt.
Das Themendossier bildet den Stand der wissenschaftlichen Forschung und der politischen Diskussion ab.
Im Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.
Weitere Literatur zur Digitalisierung finden Sie in dem Themendossier Digitale Arbeitswelt - Chancen und Herausforderungen für Beschäftigte und Arbeitsmarkt
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Literaturhinweis
Online platform work in the European Union: Implications for working conditions and access to information (2026)
Zitatform
Adăscăliței, Dragoș, Cesira Urzi-Brancati, Iveta Stefancova & Elin Brattlund (2026): Online platform work in the European Union: Implications for working conditions and access to information. (Eurofound research report / European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), Luxembourg, 82 S. DOI:10.2806/0981358
Abstract
"This report analyses the working conditions and information needs of online platform workers based on a survey of 3 830 workers across 15 EU Member States. Unlike existing research focused on on-location platform work, this study examines workers who provide services entirely online. The findings reveal a workforce that is predominantly male, of prime working age and highly educated, primarily delivering skilled professional services rather than microtasks. The research also finds that algorithmic control practices are widespread, with more than 40 % of survey respondents being subject to intrusive control practices combining surveillance, gamification and restricted autonomy. Self-reported average annual earnings from online platform work of EUR 20 000 mask substantial variation by country and task type. Findings also indicate that online platform work can provide genuine labour market access for groups facing barriers in traditional employment, including homemakers, students and the unemployed. Workers generally demonstrate good knowledge of platform-specific information but exhibit significant gaps in knowledge of work-related rights, particularly social security contributions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation (2026)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
The Host Country Effect in the Platform Economy: Insights from Meal Delivery in Germany and Austria (2026)
Zitatform
Beyer, Jürgen & Janis Ewen (2026): The Host Country Effect in the Platform Economy: Insights from Meal Delivery in Germany and Austria. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, S. 1-26. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2025-0020
Abstract
"Dieser Artikel beschreibt anhand einer Fallstudie zu Lieferando – dem Marktführer in Deutschland und Österreich – wie Host-Country-Effekte die Organisation der Arbeit auf Online-Plattformen im Bereich der Lebensmittellieferung beeinflussen. Entgegen der Erwartung, dass Plattformunternehmen weltweit standardisierte Modelle der Gig-Arbeit-Organisation verbreiten würden, hat Lieferando seine Beschäftigten in beiden Ländern ursprünglich mit Arbeitsverträgen ausgestattet. Seit Neuestem verfolgt Lieferando jedoch divergierende Beschäftigungsstrategien: In Deutschland ist eine Umstellung auf Lieferungen durch Subunternehmen erfolgt, und in Österreich werden den Lieferanten nun statt Arbeitsverträgen sogenannte freie Dienstverträge angeboten. Diese auf Host-Country-Effekte zurückgehenden Entwicklungen in beiden Ländern spiegeln den Einfluss der nationalen Rechtsrahmen, institutioneller Traditionen und einer Plattformstrategie wider, die durch die Übernahme von Lieferandos Muttergesellschaft Just Eat Takeaway durch Prosus in eine andere Richtung gelenkt wurde. Trotz einer starken Tradition der Arbeitnehmervertretung und Tarifverhandlungen in beiden Ländern unterstreichen die jüngsten Entwicklungen die Anfälligkeit von Plattformarbeit gegenüber regulatorischen Lücken, kapitalgetriebenen Umstrukturierungen und sinkenden Arbeitsstandards." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)
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Literaturhinweis
Adapting social security to the needs of platform Workers – comparing the effects of EU initiatives in the Netherlands and Germany (2026)
Zitatform
Brega, Carla & Karin Schulze Buschoff (2026): Adapting social security to the needs of platform Workers – comparing the effects of EU initiatives in the Netherlands and Germany. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, S. 1-26. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2025-0023
Abstract
"Vor dem Hintergrund der Bedeutungszunahme der digitalen Plattformarbeit werden in Europa verstärkt Debatten über die Einstufung von Arbeitsverhältnissen und ihren sozialen Schutz geführt. Plattformbeschäftigte werden in der Regel als Selbstständige eingestuft, weshalb sie von den für Arbeitnehmer*innen konzipierten Arbeitsschutz- und Sozialversicherungssystemen ausgeschlossen sind. Die EU-Richtlinie zur Plattformarbeit (2024) befasst sich mit diesem Problem durch eine widerlegbare Vermutung des Beschäftigungsstatus, wodurch die (Re-)Klassifizierung von Plattformbeschäftigten als Arbeitnehmer*innen erleichtert werden soll. Wir argumentieren, dass eine (Re-)Klassifizierung allein möglicherweise nicht ausreicht, um einen angemessenen sozialen Schutz zu gewährleisten. Plattformarbeit ist häufig eine Nebentätigkeit für Menschen mit mehreren Jobs, unregelmäßigen Einkommen und fragmentierten Beschäftigungsverhältnissen – Beschäftigungsmuster, die Sozialversicherungssysteme herausfordern, die auf standardmäßigen Vollzeitbeschäftigungsverhältnissen bei einem einzigen Arbeitgeber basieren. Selbst wenn sie den Status eines abhängig Beschäftigten erlangen, können Plattformbeschäftigte die Voraussetzungen für die Arbeitslosenversicherung, für Rentenansprüche und andere Sozialleistungen nicht erfüllen. Anhand einer vergleichenden institutionellen Analyse Deutschlands und der Niederlande untersuchen wir, wie unterschiedliche Konfigurationen des Sozialstaats sowohl den (Re-)Klassifizierungsprozess als auch das Verhältnis von Beschäftigungsstatus und effektivem Zugang zu Sozialleistungen beeinflussen. Das konservative korporatistische Modell Deutschlands schafft eine scharfe Trennung zwischen dem Schutz von Arbeitnehmer*innen und Selbstständigen, während der hybride Flexicurity-Ansatz der Niederlande atypische Beschäftigungsverhältnisse flexibler berücksichtigt. Unsere Analyse zeigt, dass keines der beiden Modelle diesen Herausforderungen gerecht wird, was darauf hindeutet, dass Initiativen zur (Re-)Klassifizierung auf der EU-Ebene mit gleichzeitigen Reformen der nationalen Sozialversicherungssysteme einhergehen müssen, um Plattformbeschäftigten einen adäquaten Schutz zu bieten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)
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Literaturhinweis
Crowdwork als Beruf?: Subjektivierung, Kompetenzerwerb und Lernen in der digitalen Plattformarbeit (2026)
Büchter, Karin; Li-Gottwald, Jiayin; Kleemann, Frank; Schlömer, Tobias; Eckelt, Marcus; Krzywdzinski, Martin ;Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
How welfare states influence online platform work in Europe (2026)
Zitatform
Chueri, Juliana & Petter Törnberg (2026): How welfare states influence online platform work in Europe. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 119-135. 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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Literaturhinweis
The EU compromise machine and the politicisation of social policy: Lessons from the regulation of platform work (2026)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Gendered Parenthood and Platform Work Across European Welfare Regimes (2026)
Zitatform
Drewes, Timon Kai (2026): Gendered Parenthood and Platform Work Across European Welfare Regimes. In: New Technology, Work and Employment, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1111/ntwe.70035
Abstract
"Digital platform labour has been growing and meanwhile successfully established in many parts of the world. Yet participation in platform work not only varies markedly across countries but also by individual-level factors such as gender and parenthood. This paper explains variation in mothers' and fathers' participation in platform work by linking gender and parenthood to welfare regime settings. Using pooled COLLEEM survey data (2017–2018) for Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden and the UK, I estimate linear probability models of monthly platform work participation. Parenthood is associated with higher platform work participation in all five countries, but the increase is smallest in Germany and Sweden and largest in Spain, the UK, and moderately in Italy. Gender patterns vary by regime: mothers' participation is more responsive to parental-support institutions than fathers', while fathers' parenthood effects are especially pronounced in the UK and Spain. Overall, platform work seems to function as an adaptive strategy shaped by welfare regime settings and gendered care arrangements." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
App-based delivery services in Germany: Why people take up gig-work and usually quit quickly (2026)
Zitatform
Friedrich, Martin, Ines Helm, Ramona Jost, Julia Lang & Christoph Müller (2026): App-based delivery services in Germany: Why people take up gig-work and usually quit quickly. In: IAB-Forum H. 27.04.2026. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20260427.01
Abstract
"App-based delivery services have spread rapidly in Germany in recent years. This has also fuelled public debate about the poor working conditions of the gig-workers in these services. However, there is still little reliable information about what motivates people to take on gig-work. Similarly, little is known about workers’ reasons for leaving these mostly short-term jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Outsourcing Domestic Work in the Crisis of Social Reproduction: Platform‐Mediated Cleaning and the Role of Clients (2026)
Zitatform
Gerold, Stefanie, Katarzyna Gruszka, Karin Sardadvar, Hendrik Theine & Anna Pillinger (2026): Outsourcing Domestic Work in the Crisis of Social Reproduction: Platform‐Mediated Cleaning and the Role of Clients. In: New Technology, Work and Employment, Jg. 41, H. 2, S. 186-197. 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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Literaturhinweis
Flexibility and Social Protection in the Gig Economy: Experimental Evidence on Work Location and Scheduling (2026)
Ghorpade, Yashodhan; Abdur Rahman, Amanina; Jasmin, Alyssa;Zitatform
Ghorpade, Yashodhan, Alyssa Jasmin & Amanina Abdur Rahman (2026): Flexibility and Social Protection in the Gig Economy: Experimental Evidence on Work Location and Scheduling. (IZA discussion paper / IZA Network @ LISER 18589), Esch-sur-Alzette, 26 S.
Abstract
"Debates on gig work often treat flexibility and social protection as substitutes. This paper shows that gig workers value different forms of flexibility differently, and that preferences for flexibility and social protection can be complementary. Using discrete-choice experiments with digital freelancers in Malaysia, with standard workers as a benchmark, we examine preferences for work location and scheduling autonomy. Four findings emerge. First, gig workers strongly value spatial autonomy and are willing to pay to work-from-home. Second, preferences for scheduling flexibility are heterogeneous, with many, including freelancers, preferring fixed schedules. Third, willingness to pay for long-term protection in the form of retirement savings increases with both types of autonomy. Fourth, willingness to pay for unemployment insurance is linked only to work-location flexibility. Gig workers possibly associate remote work, but not flexible hours, with greater employment uncertainty, and therefore demand stronger protection against unemployment risks. Flexibility and protection can therefore act as complements rather than substitutes in the gig economy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Contextualizing inequalities in the gig economy: evidence from online cleaning platforms in five European cities (2026)
Zitatform
Giuliani, Giovanni Amerigo & Rebecca Paraciani (2026): Contextualizing inequalities in the gig economy: evidence from online cleaning platforms in five European cities. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 46, H. 5-6, S. 736-755. 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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Literaturhinweis
Online platforms' organizational resources and gig workers' self-leadership (2026)
Ihl, Andreas; Mayer, Anne-Sophie;Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Social Protection under Conditions of Inequality – Gender-Specific Motives and Perceptions in Platform Work (2026)
Zitatform
Korn, Anna Katharina, Sabrina Glanz & Lara Obereiner (2026): Social Protection under Conditions of Inequality – Gender-Specific Motives and Perceptions in Platform Work. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, S. 1-25. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2025-0026
Abstract
"The regulation of platform work is the subject of increasing debate, yet the interplay between gender inequalities and social protection remains insufficiently addressed. Self-employed platform workers frequently lack access to key state protection mechanisms – such as pension or health insurance – while non-state protection strategies depend heavily on income levels and are shaped by individual attitudes towards state institutions. This article examines gendered effects within the platform economy and their consequences for social protection. Drawing on a doing gender perspective, the analysis demonstrates that platform work is neither uniform nor gender-neutral, but embedded in highly segmented sectors with distinct labour logics. Based on 28 interviews across domestic and care work, IT freelancing and content creation, both sectoral and gender-specific differences become apparent. In domestic and care work, workers face structural devaluation, low earning potential and inadequate protection, compounded by gendered dimensions of social security that constrain private protection options. IT freelancers typically earn high incomes and develop comprehensive private protection strategies, yet women in this sector encounter specific challenges related to parenthood and maternity. Content creators operate in an ambivalent environment characterized by autonomy, precarity and gendered risks of visibility. The findings reveal that doing gender – sometimes explicitly, sometimes subtly – shapes perceptions of work, the construction of occupational roles and the development of protection practices. Gender interacts in complex ways with sector-specific demands, life phases and societal expectations. The article argues that existing regulatory approaches fail to adequately address key deficits and advocates for gender-sensitive and sector-specific policy measures that recognize the differing circumstances and risks of self-employed platform workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gestaltungsprinzipien individueller Beruflichkeit am Beispiel von Crowdworker:innen: Theoretische Ansätze und empirische Ergebnisse zum Zusammenhang von Arbeit, Beruf und Subjektivierung (2026)
Külpmann, Inga;Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Good Jobs or Bad Jobs? Immigrant Workers in the Gig Economy (2026)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
The Enshittification of Work: Platform Decay and Labour Conditions in the Gig Economy (2026)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
The remote reality: unpacking the impact of an exogenous shock on online labor markets (2026)
Zitatform
Mourelatos, Evangelos, Jaakko Simonen & Simo Hosio (2026): The remote reality: unpacking the impact of an exogenous shock on online labor markets. In: Journal of business economics, S. 1-41. DOI:10.1007/s11573-026-01270-1
Abstract
"Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the widespread shift to remote work, interest has grown in how these changes have affected online labor markets. We study individuals who were active in both the conventional labor market and an online labor market prior to this shock, and compare workers who were shifted from on-site to remote work in their main job with those who remained on-site. To provide insights into how changes in working conditions affect productivity in online labor markets, we utilized a unique dataset obtained from a prominent online labor marketplace. Our dataset contains several measures of worker productivity, which we analyze in conjunction with survey data collected from online workers regarding their experiences with conventional market changes. By combining these two sources of data, we are able to investigate the ways in which the pandemic-induced shift toward remote work has affected the productivity and behavior of online workers. We find that, first, the shift toward remote work during the pandemic has led to changes in the patterns of productivity in online labor markets. The transition toward remote work from home (WFH) decreased online productivity by 18%. Second, our findings suggest that the decrease in work quality among workers transitioning to WFH was primarily due to a “sloppy” work approach. Specifically, while the quantity of online work output may increase for such workers, their overall work quality tended to decline compared to those who continued to work in traditional firm environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, heterogeneity analysis reveals that workers with higher levels of neuroticism tended to exhibit better adaptability to the WFH setup by having higher online productivity. Our analysis reveals several important findings with implications for both workers and policy-makers in the gig economy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Plattformarbeit: Neue Hürden für Selbstständige? (2026)
Schäfer, Holger;Zitatform
Schäfer, Holger (2026): Plattformarbeit: Neue Hürden für Selbstständige? (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2026,37), Köln, 3 S.
Abstract
"In diesem Jahr muss Deutschland die Richtlinie zur Plattformarbeit der Europäischen Union (EU) umset- zen. Dabei drohen neue Regulierungen, deren Begrün- dungen empirisch schlecht fundiert sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Outdated Enforcement? The Judicialization of Status Determination in the German and Norwegian Platform Economy (2026)
Zitatform
Stenseth Huseby, Johanne, Kristin Jesnes, Fabian Beckmann & Fabian Hoose (2026): Outdated Enforcement? The Judicialization of Status Determination in the German and Norwegian Platform Economy. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, S. 1-25. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2025-0021
Abstract
"Die Ausbreitung von Plattformarbeit hat wissenschaftliche und politische Debatten darüber ausgelöst, wie diese Arbeitsform in nationale und supranationale Institutionen der Arbeitsregulierung eingebettet werden kann. Ein zentrales Instrument ist die Neubestimmung des Beschäftigungsstatus von Plattformbeschäftigten, um ihnen Zugang zu kollektiven Arbeitsrechten zu ermöglichen. Während sich die Debatten auf geeignete Regulierungsansätze und Kriterien der Statusbestimmung konzentriert haben, wurde der praktischen Durchsetzung bislang wenig Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt – obwohl Durchsetzungslücken für andere atypische Beschäftigungsformen dokumentiert sind und traditionelle Kontrollmechanismen durch Gewerkschaften in der Plattformökonomie weitgehend fehlen. Vor diesem Hintergrund analysieren wir die Fallbeispiele Deutschland und Norwegen – zwei koordinierte Marktwirtschaften mit enger Kooperation zwischen Staat und Sozialpartnern – hinsichtlich der Institutionen, Akteure und Mechanismen der Statusfeststellung. Wir fragen, welche Herausforderungen bei der Anwendung bestehender Statusfeststellungs- und Durchsetzungsverfahren auf Plattformarbeit entstehen und ob diese Mechanismen den Bedürfnissen der Beschäftigten gerecht werden. Die Analyse beruht auf qualitativen Interviews und Dokumentenanalysen und offenbart drei zentrale Befunde: Erstens bestehen in beiden Ländern erhebliche Durchsetzungslücken, da plattformbasierte Beschäftigungsmodelle häufig unentdeckt bleiben. Zweitens verfolgen die zuständigen Behörden einen eher reaktiven, abwartenden Ansatz und verlagern die Verantwortung auf den Gesetzgeber. Dies führt drittens dazu, dass Durchsetzungsfragen zunehmend von der politischen Ebene hin zu gerichtlichen Entscheidungen verschoben werden. Wir diskutieren die ambivalenten Folgen dieser zunehmenden „Justizialisierung“ der Arbeitsregulierung und skizzieren zentrale Herausforderungen für die künftige Durchsetzung von Regulierungen im Feld der Plattformarbeit." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)