Seen and supported: Why data is indispensable for the platform economy

IF PLATFORM workers were counted as a single labour force, they could represent one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in the world – contributing an estimated US$455 billion in revenue annually. 

Estimates suggest that more than 150 million people engage in online platform work worldwide, with 30 per cent relying on it as their main source of income. Yet despite their economic heft, these platform workers’ hours, earnings and working conditions are largely absent from many national data systems. 

This is because in contrast to “standard” jobs with fixed hours and stable employers, platform work is often irregular, spread across multiple platforms, or treated by workers themselves as a side activity instead of a job.