Platforms: A Deep Transformation in the Labor Market?

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, platforms have transformed the landscape of labor markets. According to some forecasts, the future labor market is likely to be dominated by novel forms of legal arrangements, ranging from classical employee–employer relationships to freelancers. Different countries are already adapting their legal frameworks in order to take these arrangements into consideration. The institutional framework of the labor market could revitalize and alter it structurally in terms of the nature, forms and environments of work.

Labor platforms can contribute to the SDGs by generating economic growth, facilitating access to education, creating novel jobs and improving quality of life, with platforms having the ability to create novel jobs and benefits for employment seekers. This allows for the expansion of markets for intellectual property creators, enables workers to connect with potential hiring companies and builds novel work arrangements. Additionally, people who are unable to actively participate in the traditional labor market can benefit from the platform economy and its flexibility to choose suitable work opportunities in terms of time, responsibilities and compensation. Furthermore, the platform economy reduces labor market barriers by giving marginalized communities easier access to the labor force.

The development of digital labor platforms entails inherent threats and requires proper sector regulation to ensure the socioeconomic impact of such platforms is positive. On these platforms, the supply (i.e., workers offering their workforce) often exceeds the demand. This tends to place downward pressure on all workers in terms of earnings, working conditions, employment status, access to social protection/unemployment benefits, etc. It is, therefore, crucial that governments properly regulate this sector, ensuring workers of the platform economy are offered the same level of protection as any other worker.

The concept of a “platform” is often used to describe either the foundations upon which software products are built or the digital infrastructures that facilitate valuable interactions between participants (often in the form of marketplace businesses such as eBay, or social networks such as Twitter). A platform is an intermediary for the realization of exchanges between participants, and most major technology companies can be regarded as platform-based enterprises. Kenny and Zysman call “platform economy”, or “digital platform economy”, a more neutral term, saying it encompasses the growing number of digital activities in business, politics and social media, with a “platform” simply referring to a set of online digital arrangements with algorithms organizing and structuring economic and social activity.

The aim of this Special Issue is to analyze and understand the transformations in the job market induced by the platform economy. Its goal is to collect theoretical and practical analyses of the platformization of the economy for different actors (individuals, workers, firms, regions, countries, etc.). This call for papers is also open to case studies (policies at a country level, management at the firm level, local policies, etc.).

Potential topics may include, but are not limited to:

• How platforms are transforming labor markets;
• Skills for the platform’s economy;
• Social protection under the platform economy;
• Novel jobs in the platform economy;
• Labor rights and the platform economy;
• Digital labor platforms;
• Platforms of the future of labor;
• Digital skills for the labor market;
• Labor platforms and improved life conditions;
• Platforms and job opportunities.

Prof. Dr. Adel Ben Youssef
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Platforms is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• platforms
• labor market
• platform economy
• skills
• jobs
• digital labor platforms