Study title

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.Receive a request for a job through your phone, perform the task using your own facilities and get paid. This type of 'gig work' is regarded as the model of work for the future, but it is already experienced by many workers using the popular platforms of Uber and Deliveroo. Gig economy work blurs the division between employed and self-employed work, with gig economy workers being classified as self-employed and therefore being unable to access forms of state support available to employed individuals. This project explores the effects of gig economy workers' labour market conditions on their financial (in)security, and it investigates the role of social security provisions in Italy, Sweden...