Digital platform workers make up 5% of workforce

In the last year, nearly 5% of individuals aged 15 to 64 engaged in digital platform work or services, Labour Force Survey findings show.

The findings released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) also show that gig work was most prevalent among individuals aged 35 to 54 years, accounting for 47.0% of all gig workers. However, the share of gig workers dropped significantly among individuals aged 55 to 64 years.

Digital platform workers are those who undertake tasks or activities organised through internet platforms or applications for phones and tablets, involving three main agents: the provider, the client, and the platform or app.

In 2022, the share of males performing digital platform work was nearly double that of females, with 64.2% of males and 35.8% of females engaged in such work. The majority of individuals performing gig-related work had a post-secondary level of education (42.5%), followed by those with tertiary education (31.1%), while 26.4% had a secondary level of education or less.

Taxi services emerged as the most common internet platform for digital platform employment, attracting nearly 40% of all individuals engaged in such work. Renting out accommodation (32.3%) and transport services for food or goods delivery (31.9%) followed closely.

Around one-fifth of digital platform workers sold goods over the internet, while 14.8% created content such as videos or texts for pay or profit through internet platforms or apps.

Approximately one in five gig workers reported a work intensity of 10 hours or more in the preceding month. Conversely, a similar percentage had a work intensity of 9 hours or less, while the majority did not work at all during the preceding month.