Handbook on measuring digital platform employment and work

National Statistical Offices face a growing policy demand for better statistics on digital platform employment and work. New statistical definitions are needed to avoid undercounting the number of people involved in these jobs. In addition, new sources of data, including non-official ones, may be needed to meet the statistical challenges of measuring digital platform employment and work. In order to respond to the challenge of measuring digitalisation and its impact, the OECD, the ILO and the European Commission launched in 2019 a Joint Expert Group on Measuring Platform Work. The group gathered a team of statisticians and analysts from the three institutions and from various National Statistical Offices. This report summarises the findings of the group, assesses measurement options and provides first recommendations on these issues.

The handbook first proposes a general definition of digital platform work and a conceptual framework that helps identify the key features of digital platform employment and work, which statisticians should bear in mind when designing their research objectives and operational protocol. The handbook then reviews the main statistical vehicles used for measuring digital platform employment, and discusses previous statistical initiatives by National Statistical Offices through the lens of its conceptual framework.

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