Gig Workers: The New Employment Form in the New Economy

Authors

  • Nursilah Ahmad Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33102/uij.vol33noS4.419

Keywords:

gig workers, digital economy, traditional jobs, gig economy

Abstract

Gig workers are part-time workers or freelancers offering their jobs and services via platform economy. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the plight of gig workers, in which in most cases, they do not receive similar benefits and perks associated with permanent jobs. This study explores the future direction of the gig economy in Malaysia. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 200 respondents from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in August 2020 based on purposive sampling. The results suggest that most of the respondents have at one point, during the movement control order (MCO), involved in gig jobs such as dropship, courier services, and food delivery. They feel that gig jobs have a good prospect and contribution to the economy. For the employers, benefits such as social security contributions and medical benefits received by permanent staff should be made available for gig workers subject to negotiated terms. For gig workers, they need to continue the process of upskilling and reskilling to remain competitive in the job market. Policymakers may utilize the information of the market structure and demand for the gig jobs labor market and devise appropriate strategies to support the gig economy as a new source of growth.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Nursilah Ahmad, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

Faculty of Economics and Muamalat, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Bandar Baru Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

References

Abraham, K., Haltiwanger, J., Sandusky, K. & Spletzer, J. (2017). Measuring the gig economy: Current knowledge and open issues, in Measuring and accounting for innovation in the 21st Century. University of Chicago Press. http://www.nber.org/chapters/c13887.

Abu Karim. M. (February 26, 2020). Growth of the gig economy. The New Strait Times. Retrieved on February 20, 2020. < https://www.nst.com.my/education/2020/02/569347/growth-gig-economy>

Ahmad, N. (2020a). Gig economy: The future of work. International Journal of Communication, Management and Humanities, 1(2): 45-56.

Ahmad, N. (2020b). Mapping gig workers as the new economy post-COVID-19. Proceedings of the 3rd International Seminar on Islam and Science (SAIS2020). PKAUSIM: USIM Press.

Gaille, B. (2019). 23 Gig economy pros and cons: Brandon Gaille small business and marketing advice. Retrieved on June 17, 2020. <https://brandongaille.com/23-gig-economy-pros-and-cons/>

Government of Malaysia. (2020). Twelfth Malaysia Plan, 2021 – 2025. Prime Minister’s Office. Retrieved on January 10, 2021. < https://rmke12.epu.gov.my>

Hurst, E. & Pugsley, B.W. (2011). What do small businesses do? Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 43(2 (Fall)): 73-142.

Kassi, O. & Lehdonvirta, V. (2016). Online labor index: Measuring the online gig economy for policy and research, Working Paper, University of Oxford.

McKinsey & Company Report. (October 10, 2016). Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy. McKinsey Global Institute. Retrieved on May 14, 2019. < https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/employment-and-growth/independent-work-choice-necessity-and-the-gig-economy>

National Infrastructure Commission. (2017). National Infrastructure Commission Report: Data for the public good. The UK National Infrastructure Commission. Retrieved on March 16, 2020. < https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/Data-for-the-Public-Good-NIC-Report.pdf>

Seekings, C. (24 February 2021). Gig economy to supply fifth of financial services workers by 2026. TheActuary. The Magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. March 3, 2021. < https://www.theactuary.com/2021/02/24/gig-economy-supply-fifth-financial-services-workers-2026>

Warner, A. (2020). 30+ Freelance stats - Why the gig economy is growing in 2020? Retrieved on 24 October 2020 <https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/freelance-stats/ >

World Bank. (2019). World Development Report 2019: The changing nature of work. The World Bank Group: Washington DC.

Zurich Insurance. (January 16, 2020). Workforce Study: Gig economy rises in Malaysia, Income protection lags. Zurich Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved on January 20, 2021. < https://www.zurich.com.my/en/about-zurich/zurich-in-the-news/2020/2020-01-16

Published

2021-12-17

How to Cite

Ahmad, N. (2021). Gig Workers: The New Employment Form in the New Economy. Ulum Islamiyyah, 33(S4), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.33102/uij.vol33noS4.419

Most read articles by the same author(s)