The growth of the gig and platform economy in recent years has created new markets for businesses and income-generating opportunities for workers, but it has also challenged traditional employment and social protection arrangements. The platform economy is a diverse and complex reality, with different business models, economic sectors, forms of service provision, and types of work and worker profiles. Available evidence highlights the dire need to protect platform workers sustainably and justly.

Around the world, the vast majority of workers engaged in the platform economy are classified as self-employed, which often leads to minimal or no access to social security systems and reduced benefit packages. In particular, self-employed workers are frequently ineligible – or only eligible on a voluntary basis – for unemployment, sickness or employment injury benefits, and in many cases face complete legal exclusion from social insurance. Furthermore, the unique situation of platform workers presents numerous challenges for social protection systems, such as how to ensure ease of access, data transfer, awareness, and portability.

Governments, social partners, social security institutions, international organizations and other stakeholders are involved in efforts to ensure that platform workers, regardless of classification, have access to comprehensive and adequate social protection.

From the menu on this page, you can access resources on social protection for platform workers, coming from both the ISSA and external sources.