The structure of gig workers in the global online gig economy by country of origin and its institutional foundations

Abstract

Motivation: The online gig economy, where labour is provided via specialized digital platforms, is an important element of the platform economy. This market is developing on a global scale. The structure of supply in the online gig economy and the reasons for the domination of gig workers from specific countries are still the areas remaining relatively under-researched.

Aim: The article aims to examine the supply side of the online gig economy based on the country of origin of gig workers, as well as to explain the reasons why gig workers from specific countries have dominated the sector.

Results: The analysis of the data from the Oxford Internet Institute proved that the supply of online labour services in the global market is dominated by three Asian countries — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh — as well as the USA and the United Kingdom. The preliminary investigation into the determinants of the supply of labour services indicates that the countries under research have developed favorable institutional conditions, such as the universal knowledge of the English language, the right proportion of Internet users to the population size, the large informal sector, and considerable labour freedom.