The Effect of Gig Economy Work: Interviews with Platform Workers, 2020-2021

The type of 'gig work,' already familiar to many workers through popular platforms like Uber and Deliveroo, is seen as a potential model for the future of employment. The gig economy blurred the lines between employed and self-employed statuses, with gig workers classified as self-employed, thus missing out on state support available to employed individuals. The project explored how labour market conditions for gig economy workers affected their financial security. It also examined the role of social security provisions in Italy, Sweden, and the UK. The study was initially positioned within broader debates on the increasing precarity of work and the evolving role of the welfare state in European societies. The data collection of this study was conducted between October 2020 and May 2021. 101 platform workers were recruited and invited to take part in in-depth interviews, which lasted from 38 to 119 minutes. Due to Covid-19, all the interviews were conducted remotely, using instruments that maximised participants’ privacy and minimised the risks of data breaches. To guarantee high-quality comparative material, the interviews were conducted by the PI of the project in English in the UK and Sweden, and in Italian and English in Italy, depending on the preference of the participant.