Abstract
We draw on data from the Online Labour Index and interviews with freelancers in the United States securing work on online platforms, to illuminate effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The pandemic's global economic upheaval is shuttering shops and offices. Those able to do so are now working remotely from their homes. They join workers who have always been working remotely: freelancers who earn some or all of their income from projects secured via online labour platforms. Data allow us to sketch a first picture of how the initial months of the COVID‐19 pandemic have affected the livelihoods of online freelancers. The data shows online labour demand falling rapidly in early March 2020, but with an equally rapid recovery. We also find significant differences between countries and occupations. Data from interviews make clear jobs are increasingly scarce even as more people are creating profiles and seeking freelance work online.
Highlights
We combine data from the Online Labour Index (OLI) and an interview-based panel study of freelance workers in the United States to provide insight into the changes in online labour markets relative to the ongoing pandemic arising from the global spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19
This, in turn, suggests freelancers earning their income through online labour platforms are more likely to see a tighter market and larger variations in their income in the face of a more uncertain online labour market
For the US-based freelancers with whom we spoke, their situation is further complicated by the structural and legal landscape they face. Their employment classification restricts access to social policies that could serve as a social safety net
Summary
We combine data from the Online Labour Index (OLI) and an interview-based panel study of freelance workers in the United States to provide insight into the changes in online labour markets relative to the ongoing pandemic arising from the global spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The sharp economic downturn could be causing companies to reduce the use of online labour platforms alongside other types of non-standard work We address this issue by examining recent changes in the global demand for online labour. Thunstrom et al 2020) In this initial rapid analysis, we use quantitative data to examine changes in the demand for online labour in three important regional economies with different countermeasures towards the pandemic: United. Because of the significant market shock evident in the United States and its notable occupational differences, we complement the quantitative view with interviews with US-based online freelance workers, helping us to understand the significance, implications and lived experiences of the market shock to online freelance workers
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