PLATFORM WORK IN SELECTED COUNTRIES OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE

Abstract

Labour markets are increasingly being organized through digital platforms. These platforms are often characterized by a systematic asymmetry of information and power in favour of platform providers. They rely on an independent workforce that receives low wages and no social security, and at the same time works for its own account and bears the risk independently. Non-standard form of business via digital platforms offers benefits such as more flexible working hours, more favourable prices, and opportunities for income generation, but it also come with challenges related to job stability, benefits, and legal protections. Since there are no official statistics on the size of platform work, a small number of literature deals with the research of the determinants of platform work. The aim of this paper is to determine how factors such as Internet purchases by individuals, GDP per capita, unemployment rate and DESI index affect the size of the platform work. The analysis was conducted on a sample of selected countries of Eastern and Central Europe (CEEC – Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Estonia) and for this purpose Eurostat and ETUI Internet and Platform Work Survey data were used. The results of analysis show that the GDP per capita and Internet purchases by individuals influence the size of platform work in selected countries.