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.

Traditional labour force surveys, which focus primarily on “main jobs” over a one-week period, often fail to capture these realities. 

At the same time, there is no internationally agreed definition or standard methodology to guide countries on how to define and collect information on this group of workers. Without shared definitions or methods, much of this work goes unrecorded. 

This invisibility has real-world consequences. Workers who are not counted risk missing out on protections and opportunities – from workplace injury compensation, housing and retirement adequacy, and career mobility initiatives.

Without accurate data, policies risk being blunt and missing key worker segments.

Solving this data gap is critical because digital platform employment’s flexible model has unlocked new ways of working. It provides low barriers to entry, flexibility in when and where people work, and for some, a primary source of income.

For others, such as those retired or pursuing their studies, platform work offers supplementary earnings. Businesses, too, benefit – with the platform economy driving economic efficiency, opening new markets and reaching more customers.

Digital platforms continue to expand into professional services, creative industries and technology-driven roles. With the right infrastructure, they offer resilient, adaptive forms of employment that support long-term economic competitiveness.

Proactive, ongoing data collection is therefore critical – not just to understand the size of the workforce, but to track its evolution over time. Data turns snapshots into a system; one that helps policymakers anticipate changes, and assess the impact of policies. 

Furthermore, when a platform adjusts its algorithm or exits the market, timely data allows policymakers to quickly track income effects and respond with targeted support. During a sudden disruption such as pandemics, accurate data on platform work earnings can help policymakers direct wage support swiftly and accurately to those who need it most.

Effective labour policies and initiatives – from portable benefits to income support – rely on knowing who is working, how and for how much.

Singapore’s model: turning data into policy

To address these challenges, Singapore passed the Platform Workers Bill. Formally recognising platform workers as a distinct group outside the traditional employee and self-employed categories, it took effect on Jan 1 this year, and made Singapore one of the first countries to formally recognise platform workers.

About 70,000 workers here will benefit from improved protections, including workplace injury compensation, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions and formal representation. 

Years spent building a database on platform work made this progress possible. Since 2016, the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) manpower research and statistics department has run dedicated surveys to capture not just the headcount of platform workers, but also their working hours, incomes and demographics.

That data underpinned the work of the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers and ultimately the new law. 

The data also enabled change in smaller ways, early in Singapore’s journey with platform work. For example, having earnings data made it feasible to design CPF transition support and enhance Workfare to safeguard the take-home pay of low-income platform workers. 

With data, Singapore reinforced its tripartite model, allowing government, unions and employers to collaborate on evidence rather than assumptions. 

The Platform Workers Bill is a case in point: The Advisory Committee’s proposals reflected both statistical data and tripartite views, ensuring the law meets worker needs, upholds fairness and preserves business flexibility.

Indeed, protection is strongest when workers are first properly seen and understood. Singapore’s experience shows what is possible with strong local data, and the next step is to look beyond its borders. Platform work is global by nature, and its impacts do not stop at national boundaries.

Steering global standards for platform workers

MOM recently hosted the Global Dialogue on Digital Platform Work alongside the International Labour Organization (ILO). The meeting brought policymakers, unions, statisticians, platform operators and researchers from more than 20 countries to develop internationally recognised statistical standards for digital platform work, to elevate this segment of the global economy.

Global collaboration can also further inform policy. Alignment can facilitate international comparison and allow countries, including Singapore, to develop rigorous and inclusive frameworks that keep pace with new forms of work.

Countries are at different stages of capturing digital platform work in their statistics and the definitions, methodologies and data sources vary widely.

This hampers more than just national policymaking. The lack of standardised data across countries and time makes it hard to benchmark trends across borders, assess employer obligations in cross-border platform activity, or account for platform services in labour mobility and trade frameworks.

The diversity of platform work – from transport and food delivery to online freelancing and professional services – requires that we keep pace with emerging job types. 

Singapore’s partnership with ILO is an acknowledgment that while platform work is globally distributed, its consequences are locally felt. By shaping international dialogue, Singapore can contribute to a fairer digital economy not just at home but abroad.

Crucially, the value of such collaboration also lies in the lessons we can learn from other countries, especially those where platform work has matured.

A broader global sample helps policymakers spot trends early and prepare in advance – just as Singapore did with delivery and ride-hailing workers a decade ago. This means timely protections for workers in emerging areas.

Designing the future with data

Platform work will only grow as technology advances and workforce needs evolve. Whether it provides decent conditions, upward mobility and economic progression will depend on how well we measure and design for its evolution.

Singapore must begin monitoring emerging higher-skilled segments in platform work, separate from the existing lower-income groups whose challenges are more immediate and whose protections are already materialising today.

While it may be too early for interventions in this space, we should watch it closely so we are prepared to act when clearer data and new needs emerge, just as we began studying riders and drivers a decade ago.

In a data-rich nation such as Singapore, the opportunity is clear: Statistical tools must evolve as fast as the workforce.

This is about recognising work in all its forms, enabling the platform economy to fulfil its promise of inclusive and continued economic dynamism. By moving forward collectively – through strong national data and international collaboration to harmonise standards – we can ensure that platform workers are not invisible, but seen, supported and prepared for the future of work. 

Ang Boon Heng is director of the manpower research and statistics department at MOM. Kieran Walsh is head of statistical standards and methods unit, department of statistics at ILO.