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Start date:
Sep 2015
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End date:
Aug 2021
- Contact:
- Project site
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Funder:
- European Commission, European Research Council
The iLabour project is premised on the idea that a fundamental change is taking place in labour markets. It seeks to understand the social and policy implications of this momentous shift.
Overview
The iLabour project is premised on the idea that a fundamental change is taking place in labour markets, or the social, technical, and institutional arrangements through which work and earnings are allocated in society. Previously these arrangements were shaped and enforced through processes of legislation, collective bargaining, and local negotiation. Today, as part of the ongoing digitization of almost every aspect of society, these arrangements are increasingly being shaped and constrained by private software systems that mediate between workers and employers. The objective of the project is to understand the social and policy implications of this momentous shift in labour markets.
The project will study online labour markets (OLMs), also referred to as online work platforms, online staffing platforms, and crowdsourcing marketplaces, forming part of the so-called “platform economy” and “sharing economy”. It will address questions about the size and growth of these markets, the kinds of rules that they embody, the politics and processes through which these rules are shaped, and the ways in which traditional labour market organizations as well as novel worker initiatives succeed or fail in influencing their rules. It will also ask what kind of an economy OLMs contribute towards – a global race to the bottom, a playful economy of moonlighters, or a network economy of individual entrepreneurs? The project will tackle these questions through an ambitious programme of conventional social research and innovative data science methods, on virtual as well as physical research sites around the world.
Support
This work is suported by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.
Latest blog posts
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The Digital Workforce ‘Inside Scoop’ podcast
Date Published: 28 May 2020 - 9:35 am
Authors: Flora Seddon
The internet has blurred the lines between the online and offline workforce. Avory has calculated that roughly $700B in paid workers could move some ...
Read More The Digital Workforce ‘Inside Scoop’ podcast -
Pandemic-proof jobs? IT freelancers in high demand, other online workers facing cuts
Date Published: 19 May 2020 - 5:16 pm
Authors: Flora Seddon
How are online labour markets reacting to the COVID-19 crisis? Does demand for online work diminish, as companies are facing declining revenues and reduce ...
Read More Pandemic-proof jobs? IT freelancers in high demand, other online workers facing cuts -
A new social contract: expert report on digitalization of labour markets
Date Published: 9 April 2019 - 10:18 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
New digital technologies are revolutionising Europe’s labour markets. Automation is eliminating some jobs while creating new ones. Customer feedback ratings and data analytics are ...
Read More A new social contract: expert report on digitalization of labour markets
People
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Professor Vili Lehdonvirta
Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
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Dr Otto Kässi
Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
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Greetje (Gretta) Corporaal
Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
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Dr Alex J. Wood
Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
Videos
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Rise of online work captured in a new Online Labour Index
Duration: 00:02:06
Date: 26 September 2016
Vili Lehdonvirta discusses the digital transformation of labour markets and the rise of online work captured in a new ... Read More Rise of online work captured in a new Online Labour Index
News
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Rise of online work captured in the first Online Labour Index
21 September 2016
The Online Labour Index is a tool that measures the utilisation of online labour markets in near realtime. It shows us how much work is being done, and what kinds of skills are being utilised.
Blog
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The Digital Workforce ‘Inside Scoop’ podcast
Date Published: 28 May 2020 - 9:35 am
Authors: Flora Seddon
The internet has blurred the lines between the online and offline workforce. Avory has calculated that roughly $700B in paid workers could move some ...
Read More The Digital Workforce ‘Inside Scoop’ podcast -
Pandemic-proof jobs? IT freelancers in high demand, other online workers facing cuts
Date Published: 19 May 2020 - 5:16 pm
Authors: Flora Seddon
How are online labour markets reacting to the COVID-19 crisis? Does demand for online work diminish, as companies are facing declining revenues and reduce ...
Read More Pandemic-proof jobs? IT freelancers in high demand, other online workers facing cuts -
Conducting a cheap and fast online survey: advice from research
Date Published: 7 May 2020 - 7:47 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Survey research used to be the province of skilled specialists who often dedicated their entire careers to it. But with the rise of inexpensive ...
Read More Conducting a cheap and fast online survey: advice from research -
EU countries are rolling out systems to tax income from the platform economy
Date Published: 27 April 2020 - 1:09 pm
Authors: Flora Seddon
Income earned through gig apps, freelancing platforms, letting platforms, and other digital intermediaries presents big challenges for taxation and social insurance. People should voluntarily ...
Read More EU countries are rolling out systems to tax income from the platform economy -
The pandemic depresses online labour markets, but some countries are bouncing back – Insights from South Korea, Germany, and the United States
Date Published: 24 April 2020 - 4:00 pm
Authors: Flora Seddon
In our last iLabour blog post we looked at the response of online labour markets to the COVID-19 pandemic and realised that the downscaling effect might be dominating ...
Read More The pandemic depresses online labour markets, but some countries are bouncing back – Insights from South Korea, Germany, and the United States -
Pandemic’s effects on online freelance work
Date Published: 2 April 2020 - 4:56 pm
Authors: Flora Seddon
Pandemic’s effects on online freelance work: distancing dividend or downscaling loss? The pandemic is causing economic upheaval around the world, as shops and offices ...
Read More Pandemic’s effects on online freelance work -
Team news: Original trio moves on, new members join
Date Published: 17 February 2020 - 1:12 pm
Authors: Flora Seddon
Featured image of the original iLabour research team in June 2016 (from left): Alex Wood, Vili Lehdonvirta, Otto Kässi, and Gretta Corporaal. The ...
Read More Team news: Original trio moves on, new members join -
A new social contract: expert report on digitalization of labour markets
Date Published: 9 April 2019 - 10:18 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
New digital technologies are revolutionising Europe’s labour markets. Automation is eliminating some jobs while creating new ones. Customer feedback ratings and data analytics are ...
Read More A new social contract: expert report on digitalization of labour markets -
Flexibility in the gig economy: How workers manage time on online piecework platforms
Date Published: 10 January 2018 - 1:07 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Gig economy platforms seem to provide extreme temporal flexibility to workers, giving them full control over how to spend each hour and minute of ...
Read More Flexibility in the gig economy: How workers manage time on online piecework platforms -
6 dimensions of value: Comparing platform versus agency-based sourcing
Date Published: 26 September 2017 - 9:00 am
Authors: Gretta Corporaal
Firms have been using temporary staffing agencies to find and hire temporary workers for short-term assignments since the 1940s. Temporary workers were initially used ...
Read More 6 dimensions of value: Comparing platform versus agency-based sourcing -
How Uber is changing transportation in Southeast Asia – and with what lessons for Europe
Date Published: 7 September 2017 - 7:44 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
This is a guest article written by OII doctoral candidate Godofredo Ramizo Jr., who is researching the socio-political impact of ride apps in Southeast ...
Read More How Uber is changing transportation in Southeast Asia – and with what lessons for Europe -
How the world’s largest companies use online freelancing platforms: New report
Date Published: 29 August 2017 - 4:00 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Online labour platforms allow companies to source work from freelancers over the Internet on an on-demand basis. We know that this phenomenon grew about ...
Read More How the world’s largest companies use online freelancing platforms: New report -
Comparing the OLI Worker Map to other studies on online work supply
Date Published: 14 July 2017 - 9:28 am
Authors: Otto Kassi
Our new Online Labour Index worker map provides a real-time measurement of the online gig economy by revealing where different types of jobs are ...
Read More Comparing the OLI Worker Map to other studies on online work supply -
Where are online workers located? The international division of digital gig work
Date Published: 11 July 2017 - 10:57 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Online Labour Index top occupation by country, 1-6 July 2017 The Internet has created a global market for digitally delivered freelance work, which is ...
Read More Where are online workers located? The international division of digital gig work -
Measuring the supply of digital labour: How the OLI worker supplement is constructed
Date Published: 11 July 2017 - 10:55 am
Authors: Otto Kassi
As more and more tasks and projects are transacted via online platforms and apps, national governments and statistical agencies face increasing challenges in tracking ...
Read More Measuring the supply of digital labour: How the OLI worker supplement is constructed -
The online gig economy grew 26% over the past year
Date Published: 10 July 2017 - 9:47 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Online Labour Index, July 2016 – June 2017 (28-day moving average) Online freelancing and crowdwork are some of the terms used for temporary and ...
Read More The online gig economy grew 26% over the past year -
Online Labour Index wins in a University data visualisation competition
Date Published: 29 June 2017 - 9:58 am
Authors: Otto Kassi
We are happy to announce that the Online Labour Index won the first prize in an annual OxTALENT competition organised by the University of ...
Read More Online Labour Index wins in a University data visualisation competition -
How the Fortune 500 experiment with platform adoption
Date Published: 14 June 2017 - 10:21 pm
Authors: Gretta Corporaal
Organizing for successful platform adoption: Part 2 Large corporations are starting to realize the benefits of leveraging online platforms to access freelancers on an ...
Read More How the Fortune 500 experiment with platform adoption -
Organizing for successful platform adoption: Part One
Date Published: 17 May 2017 - 1:09 am
Authors: Gretta Corporaal
What does innovation literature predict about the organizational challenges of adopting online freelancing platforms – and how to address them? Digital technologies have fueled ...
Read More Organizing for successful platform adoption: Part One -
Organizing with on-demand freelancers in the platform economy: Part Two
Date Published: 25 April 2017 - 12:16 pm
Authors: Gretta Corporaal
What challenges do organizations face when adopting online freelancing platforms as part of their business models? Digital technologies have enabled the rise of online labour ...
Read More Organizing with on-demand freelancers in the platform economy: Part Two -
Organizing with on-demand freelancers in the platform economy: Part One
Date Published: 19 April 2017 - 12:19 pm
Authors: Gretta Corporaal
To understand the future of work we need to explore the diversity of platforms and how they are used in the modern economy. In ...
Read More Organizing with on-demand freelancers in the platform economy: Part One -
Can universal basic income counter the ill-effects of the gig economy?
Date Published: 14 April 2017 - 10:10 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
shutterstock.com Platforms like eBay, Uber, Airbnb, and Freelancer are thriving, growing the digital economy and disrupting existing business. The question is how to ensure ...
Read More Can universal basic income counter the ill-effects of the gig economy? -
Could universal basic income counter the gig economy’s problems?
Date Published: 13 April 2017 - 1:35 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
shutterstock.com Platforms like eBay, Uber, Airbnb, and Freelancer are thriving, growing the digital economy and disrupting existing business. The question is how to ensure ...
Read More Could universal basic income counter the gig economy’s problems? -
Variable geographies of protest among online gig workers
Date Published: 13 February 2017 - 1:12 pm
Authors: Alex Wood
Millions of people across the planet use online labour platforms to make their living as part of the global gig or platform economy. One ...
Read More Variable geographies of protest among online gig workers -
Uber: risk without autonomy or control
Date Published: 1 November 2016 - 11:01 am
Authors: Alex Wood
Dr Alex J. Wood discussed the implications of the recent UK Uber Employment Tribunal ruling on BBC News. The court decided that Uber must ...
Read More Uber: risk without autonomy or control -
Mapping the demand for online labour
Date Published: 27 October 2016 - 9:30 am
Authors: Otto Kassi
Our colleagues over at the Geonet project have drawn some wonderful maps based on our Online Labour Index country data. The open vacancies are plotted ...
Read More Mapping the demand for online labour -
How is online work classified in the OLI?
Date Published: 21 September 2016 - 11:16 am
Authors: Otto Kassi
The Online Labour Index is an index measuring the changes in the volume of projects transacted in major online platforms. As a part of OLI, ...
Read More How is online work classified in the OLI? -
Video: Vili Lehdonvirta introduces the Online Labour Index
Date Published: 20 September 2016 - 3:29 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
In this video, Prof Vili Lehdonvirta talks about the digital transformation of labour markets and introduces the Online Labour Index, the first economic indicator ...
Read More Video: Vili Lehdonvirta introduces the Online Labour Index -
Is the online gig economy growing?
Date Published: 20 September 2016 - 12:13 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Online Labour Index, May-September 2016 (28-day moving average) Employers and workers are increasingly using online platforms to engage in project- or task-based freelance work ...
Read More Is the online gig economy growing? -
Which countries and occupations are embracing the online gig economy?
Date Published: 19 September 2016 - 9:05 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
The Online Labour Index (OLI) is a new economic indicator that provides an online labour market equivalent of conventional labour market statistics. It is available ...
Read More Which countries and occupations are embracing the online gig economy? -
How the Online Labour Index is constructed
Date Published: 18 September 2016 - 1:09 pm
Authors: Otto Kassi
The Online Labour Index is an index that measures the utilization of online labour platforms over time and across countries and occupations. Online labour ...
Read More How the Online Labour Index is constructed -
It’s a matter of time: can Deliveroo deliver collective bargaining for the gig economy?
Date Published: 16 August 2016 - 12:53 pm
Authors: Alex Wood
Last week ‘gig’ workers took to the streets in a show of public discontent. London’s Deliveroo couriers (moped or cycle riding workers who pick ...
Read More It’s a matter of time: can Deliveroo deliver collective bargaining for the gig economy? -
The limits of uberization: How far can platforms go?
Date Published: 29 February 2016 - 5:41 pm
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Platforms that enable users to come together and buy/sell services with confidence, such as Uber, have become remarkably popular, with the companies often transforming the industries they enter. ...
Read More The limits of uberization: How far can platforms go? -
Building the Online Labour Index
Date Published: 25 February 2016 - 2:48 pm
Authors: Otto Kassi
“While it may seem trivial if, for example, a housewife spends ten minutes filling out an online survey for a dollar, if there are ...
Read More Building the Online Labour Index -
Building the Online Labour Index
Date Published: 25 February 2016 - 2:48 pm
Authors: Otto Kassi
“While it may seem trivial if, for example, a housewife spends ten minutes filling out an online survey for a dollar, if there are ...
Read More Building the Online Labour Index -
Hiring two postdocs to study the online gig economy
Date Published: 16 November 2015 - 10:24 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
This face will become familiar to the successful candidates. I’m looking for two great postdocs to join me for at least 3.5 years to ...
Read More Hiring two postdocs to study the online gig economy -
Should we love Uber and Airbnb or protest against them?
Date Published: 30 July 2015 - 11:51 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Some theorists suggest that such platforms are making our world more efficient by natural selection. The reality is a little more complicated. Reposted from ...
Read More Should we love Uber and Airbnb or protest against them? -
Uber and Airbnb make the rules now — but to whose benefit?
Date Published: 27 July 2015 - 8:12 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
The “Airbnb Law” was signed by Mayor Ed Lee in October 2014 at San Francisco City Hall, legalizing short-term rentals in SF with many ...
Read More Uber and Airbnb make the rules now — but to whose benefit? -
Why are citizens migrating to Uber and Airbnb, and what should governments do about it?
Date Published: 27 July 2015 - 7:48 am
Authors: Vili Lehdonvirta
Protest for fair taxi laws in Portland; organizers want city leaders to make ride-sharing companies play by the same rules as cabs and Town ...
Read More Why are citizens migrating to Uber and Airbnb, and what should governments do about it?
Press
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Britain employs more ‘crowdworkers’ than anywhere in Europe
Date Published: 29 December 2020
Source: The Telegraph
Fears raised that online platforms encourage gig workers to undercut each other on price in 'race to the bottom'.
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A threat to freelancers, but also to permanent employees
Date Published: 12 May 2020
Source: Journalisten
Graphics, text and marketing can be obtained at a fraction of Danish prices on global freelance platforms. “Simple tasks will be massively outsourced,” says Oxford researcher. A threat to you and me?
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What China could gain from a digital yuan
Date Published: 19 September 2019
Source: Quartz.com
If recent reports are to be believed, China’s central bank is on the brink of launching a digital version of the yuan.
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How at risk is your job from automation? New data reveals the threat of robots is, in fact, receding
Date Published: 25 March 2019
Source: The Telegraph
New data from the Office of National Statistics revealed that far fewer jobs are at risk of automation than previously thought
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Online gig economy is growing, but no one knows by how much
Date Published: 4 November 2018
Source: CBC
That's the gap the Oxford University-based OLI is attempting to bridge, and its creators boast that the index is the first of its kind — a global economic indicator for the online gig economy.
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How to manage the gig economy’s growing global jobs market
Date Published: 30 October 2018
Source: Financial Times
Platforms focus on remote service sector work — think of eBay for human labour.
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Unpacking the gig economy is harder than you think
Date Published: 5 September 2018
Source: Silicon Republic
The gig economy seems simple, but there are a lot more layers than you might realise.
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Taylor Review: The government must stop delaying protection for gig economy workers
Date Published: 9 February 2018
Source: The New Statesman
Despite having held this major review, the government’s response has mainly consisted of highlighting the need for further consultation on proposals to improve work in the on-demand economy.
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The Gig Economy Isn’t Just For Startups Anymore
Date Published: 29 August 2017
Source: Fortune
Coverage of a new report by Gretta Corporaal and Vili Lehdonvirta on how Fortune 500 companies are turning to online freelancing platforms like Upwork and PeoplePerHour to find designers, marketing staff, IT specialists and other knowledge workers.
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Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash: what happens now?
Date Published: 7 August 2017
Source: ITPro
Two currencies with 50% market share in the same area are less useful than one currency with 100% market share from the point of view of ability to pay, says Vili Lehdonvirta in a comment for ITPro.
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Bitcoin splits as new currency takes off
Date Published: 2 August 2017
Source: BBC News
The bitcoin split might make it harder to establish Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash as currencies useful for commerce, says Vili Lehdonvirta, commenting on a story for BBC News.
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Oxford: Bangladesh second largest source of online workers
Date Published: 22 July 2017
Source: Dhaka Tribune
According to a recent study, Bangladesh is the second largest supplier of online labour in the world. The OII's iLabour report analysed data across multiple e-platforms connecting freelancers with employers.
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The Bitcoin Paradox
Date Published: 21 July 2017
Source: Oxford Student
Bitcoin aims to operate as a decentralised, trustless technology void of central authority, says the OII's Vili Lehdonvirta.
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India followed by Bangladesh: largest supplier of online labour
Date Published: 21 July 2017
Source: The Independent
According to a recent study, India is the largest supplier of online labour in the world. The OII's iLabour report analysed data across multiple e-platforms connecting freelancers with employers.
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Bangladesh 2nd largest provider of ‘online labour’
Date Published: 20 July 2017
Source: Financial Express
Bangladesh is the second largest supplier of online labour, says a recent OII report, analysing data from e-platforms connecting freelancers with employers.
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India largest provider of ‘online labour’
Date Published: 20 July 2017
Source: Economic Times
India is followed by Bangladesh, US, Pakistan, Philippines and the UK in what is being termed "digital gig work" or freelance work offered online. Over half of the online work supplied out of India is dominated by software development and technology.
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India source of most online labour in the world, claims iLabour study at Oxford
Date Published: 20 July 2017
Source: Connected to India
According to a recent study, India is the largest supplier of online labour in the world. The OII's iLabour report analysed data across multiple e-platforms connecting freelancers with employers.
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Online Gig Economy Up 26% Over Last Year: Oxford Internet Institute
Date Published: 9 July 2017
Source: Spend Matters
The Oxford Internet Institute recently highlighted a sharp rise in its Online Labour Index, which "measures the utilization of online labor across countries and occupations by tracking the number of projects and tasks in real time."
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Online jobs in gig economy growing fast, finds new index
Date Published: 22 September 2016
Source: The Guardian
Jobs advertised on sites such as as Freelancer.com and PeoplePerHour leapt by 14% since May, says OII's Online Labour index.
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Forget Uber: Online self-employment gigs are booming in popularity
Date Published: 22 September 2016
Source: The Memo
The total number of new freelance digital jobs in the UK has jumped a huge 14% since May alone, according to new data.
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Oxford Internet Institute’s iLabour Project Launches Online Labor Index to Measure Gig Economy
Date Published: 22 September 2016
Source: Spend Matters
Oxford University Associate Professor Vili Lehdonvirta and fellow researcher Dr Otto Kässi have announced the public launch of the Online Labour Index (OLI), a first-of-its-kind metric to track utilization of "online labor" in the so-called "gig economy".
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A third of companies are at ‘full capacity’ and looking to hire
Date Published: 22 September 2016
Source: CIPD
The OII's new Online Labour Index tracks job vacancies listed on sites such as Freelancer and PeoplePerHour, with growth in the UK faster than the rest of Europe and the US.
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Gig economy on the rise in the UK
Date Published: 21 September 2016
Source: IT Pro
Oxford research reveals 14% increase in on-demand freelance platforms in the UK since May.
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Rapid increase in ‘gig’ working
Date Published: 21 September 2016
Source: HR Magazine
Researchers at the University of Oxford have launched the Online Labour Index, which gathered data on the online gig economy from sites and apps across the world between May and September 2016.