This year, 800,000 workers were identified as providing labor through the platform. This corresponds to 3.0% of those employed between the ages of 15 and 69, an increase of 134,000 (20.3%) from the 660,000 last year.
On the 27th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment Information Service announced the results of the survey on the amount and working conditions of platform workers in 2022.
By age, those in their 40s (35.3%) increased the most compared to the previous year, followed by those in their 30s (31.0%) and those in their 50s (21.5%). In comparison, those aged 15 to 19 decreased (-57.19%) and those in their 20s (-11.3%).
This survey was conducted to systematically analyze changes in the platform labor market after the social distancing of COVID-19 was eased.
Delivery, delivery and driving jobs, which are the biggest among platform workers, increased by just 2.2%, while housekeeping, cleaning and care jobs showed an increase of 89.3% due to loosening of social distancing.
Web platform occupations such as creative activities such as art, simple tasks such as data entry, and professional services also showed a significant increase in the number of employees due to the increase in work.
In the case of work status, 63.4% were the percentage of respondents who answered ‘I have not signed any contract’ or ‘I don’t know’ when using the platform, a significant increase from 42.3% last year.
The average number of working days per month (14.9 → 14.7 days) and average daily working hours (6.3 → 6.4 hours) did not show much difference compared to last year, and the average monthly income earned through platform labor increased by 18.9 % to KRW 1,464,000.
The employment insurance subscription rate increased by 17.3% per year to 46.4%, and the industrial accident compensation insurance subscription rate increased by 6.4% to 36.5%.
In terms of job transfer, 12.9% of platform workers responded that their current platform job was their first job, indicating that more than 1 in 10 people entered the labor market through platform labor for the first time.
The No. 1 reasons for moving from the previous job to the platform job were ‘to earn more income’ (62.6%), ‘because you can choose the hours and days of work’ (18.0%), and ‘more autonomy for individuals in work and authority’ (6.9%).
Looking at the changes after social distancing was relaxed, 48.0% of respondents said their income had decreased over the past three months compared to a year ago, which was twice as high as 24.7% who said their income had increased.
By job category, 55.0% of respondents said that their income had decreased in supply, delivery and driving jobs, while the percentage who responded that their income had increased in the case of web jobs was higher than the percentage who responded that their income has fallen.
Among platform workers, 54.0% were willing to change jobs, and 52.0% of males had a greater willingness to change jobs than 46.0% of females. By age, 54.3% in their 50s, 52.2% in their 30s, and 52.2% in their 20s.
According to the type of job, the willingness to change jobs was relatively high for platform jobs in the community such as housekeeping, cleaning, and care (54.3%) and delivery, delivery, and driving (53.8%).
Employees in web-based platform occupations such as information technology (IT) related services, creative activities such as art, and simple tasks such as data entry had a relatively low intention to change jobs, at 38-44%.
Kim Joon-young, a researcher at the Korea Employment Information Service, said, “The increase in the number of platform workers is a result of changes in the way of working after Corona 19 and the spread of the digital economy. It shows that the field is gradually turning into platform labour,” he explained.
“The results of the survey, where the share of delivery, delivery and driving jobs among platform workers has decreased significantly, and platform labor is divided into a main type of occupation and a type of intermittent participation, reflect recent changes in the platform labor market after social distancing is eased. I see,” he added.
“Despite the increase in various forms of employment through platforms, the proportion of workers who work without signing a contract is high,” said Kim Yu-jin, director general of labor standards policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
He said, “We intend to lay the groundwork for legal and institutional protection of platform workers starting next year.”
Details of the amount and working conditions of platform workers in 2022 can be found on the website of the Korea Employment Information Service (www.keis.or) in January next year.
Inquiries: Ministry of Employment and Labor Labor Standards Policy Division TF Digital Labor Response (044-202-7072), Korea Employment Information Service Evaluation Planning Team (043-870-8393)
