Towards a great gig transformation? The welfare preferences of gig-workers

Gig-workers are described as a new labor category, which is experiencing new forms and levels of precarity and insecurity. The extent to which national welfare schemes cover them depends on contextual features, such as local labor market regulations and rules for benefit entitlement, but it is rare that they are covered by collective bargaining, employment protection rights, and the national insurance system. This lack of social protection is combined with high labor market insecurities, as gig work tends to be vulnerable, both to demand volatility and changes in the business goals of the platforms. As gig-work platforms are becoming a growing part of the economy, the question of the political consequences of this form of labor market insecurity is becoming pressing. The combination of labor market risks and limited access to social insurance will mean that gig workers are likely to differ in their welfare preferences from other labor groups, putting new pressures on the welfare state. This paper thus focuses on empirically examining the welfare preference of gig workers. The analyses show that gig-workers feel more insecure regarding long-term and short-term risks. Nonetheless, the welfare preference of gig workers is mediated by their education. While non-educated gig workers support an expansion of welfare state provisions, educated gig workers prefer less welfare state provision than traditional educated workers.