Digital platforms such as Uber, Airtasker or Freelancer offer apps or websites that can connect potential workers with individuals or businesses looking to obtain services of various kinds on demand. Their use has generated intense debate about the potential impact of what is often now called the 'gig economy'. Yet there has been little data on the extent and impact of digital platform work in Australia. In late 2018, the Victorian Government engaged a team of university researchers to conduct a national survey that would address that gap. The objectives of the research were to explore the pre
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Digital platforms such as Uber, Airtasker or Freelancer offer apps or websites that can connect potential workers with individuals or businesses looking to obtain services of various kinds on demand. Their use has generated intense debate about the potential impact of what is often now called the 'gig economy'. Yet there has been little data on the extent and impact of digital platform work in Australia. In late 2018, the Victorian Government engaged a team of university researchers to conduct a national survey that would address that gap. The objectives of the research were to explore the prevalence and characteristics of digital platform work in Australia, gain insight into the characteristics and experiences of those participating in digital platform work, and understand the extent to which they combine digital platform work with other forms of paid work. This summary report presents the preliminary findings from the survey data.
Key findings include that: (1) of the more than 14,000 useable responses, 7.1 per cent are currently working (or offering to work) through a digital platform or have done so within the last 12 months; (2) a wide variety of people in Australia are seeking work through digital platforms; (3) younger people (aged 18-34) and males are working through digital platforms in higher proportions than other demographic groups; (4) more than 100 different platforms are being used by survey respondents to undertake digital platform work; (5) the five most common platforms being used by those currently working on digital platforms are Airtasker (34.8 per cent), Uber (22.7 per cent), Freelancer (11.8 per cent), Uber Eats (10.8 per cent) and Deliveroo (8.2 per cent); (6) over one third of current platform workers (35.2 per cent) access work through more than one platform; (7) current platform workers are commonly paid per completed task or job (59 per cent) rather than for the time or hours they work (22 per cent); (8) digital platform work makes up 100 per cent of the income of only 2.7 per cent of current platform workers; (9) of those respondents currently working on digital platforms, most are new to platform work; almost half (46.5 per cent) began in the last 12 months and over 60 per cent began less than two years ago; (10) when doing platform work, most current workers are working from their home (55.3 per cent); (11) the strongest motivations for undertaking platform work are 'earning extra money', 'working the hours I choose', 'doing work that I enjoy', 'choosing my own tasks or projects', 'working in a place that I choose' and 'working for myself and being my own boss'; (12) current platform workers are most satisfied with dimensions of platform work that relate to flexibility: for example, 'the ability to choose the hours they worked', 'working for themselves and being their own boss', and 'choosing their own tasks or projects'; and (13) they are least satisfied with 'earning a fair income', 'accessing work opportunities overseas', and 'the fairness of fees and costs associated with work through the platform'.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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