Gig Sector in the African Economy: Frameworks, Challenges and Prospects

Nwaobi, Godwin (2024): Gig Sector in the African Economy: Frameworks, Challenges and Prospects.

Abstract

Notably, Africa countries have enjoyed relatively strong economic growth for the past years (decade) mainly because of impressive global demand for primary commodities. Unfortunately, Africa’s economic growth had failed to generate many good jobs and thus postponing the benefits of the demographic divided of a large working-age population. Consequently, digital (online) gig work is rapidly increasing new form of work that poses tough challenges and tradeoffs for African governments. Essentially, these gig jobs could be a stepping stone to better-quality jobs for young or low-skilled workers by way of assisting them to learn critical digital skills that closes the digital divide. However, gig workers are not usually protected by labor regulations against unfair practices or abuse or injuries at work. Therefore, this paper argues that given the low levels of implementation of labor laws in African countries, future polices should consider various stakeholders in the gig ecosystem (from both supply and demand sides) as well as digital platforms operation. In other words, as several continents have made the transition to technology-enabled platforms for services; Africa should not be left out of the digital boom for the sake of prosperity and sustainable development

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Gig Work, Digital Work, Africa, Digital Platforms, Microtask, Labour Policies, Regulations, African Governments, Labour Market, Digital Currency, Gig Supply, Gig Demand Gig Services, Policy Makers, Labour Laws Development, Economic Growth, Online Work
• Subjects: E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E2 - Consumption, Saving, Production, Investment, Labor Markets, and Informal Economy > E20 - General; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E2 - Consumption, Saving, Production, Investment, Labor Markets, and Informal Economy > E24 - Employment ; Unemployment ; Wages ; Intergenerational Income Distribution ; Aggregate Human Capital ; Aggregate Labor Productivity; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E2 - Consumption, Saving, Production, Investment, Labor Markets, and Informal Economy > E26 - Informal Economy ; Underground Economy; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E6 - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook > E61 - Policy Objectives ; Policy Designs and Consistency ; Policy Coordination; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E6 - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook > E62 - Fiscal Policy; G - Financial Economics > G2 - Financial Institutions and Services > G23 - Non-bank Financial Institutions ; Financial Instruments ; Institutional Investors; H - Public Economics > H2 - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue > H24 - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies; H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H55 - Social Security and Public Pensions; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I30 - General; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I31 - General Welfare, Well-Being; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J4 - Particular Labor Markets > J45 - Public Sector Labor Markets; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J6 - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers > J65 - Unemployment Insurance ; Severance Pay ; Plant Closings; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J8 - Labor Standards: National and International > J80 - General; K - Law and Economics > K3 - Other Substantive Areas of Law > K31 - Labor Law; M - Business Administration and Business Economics ; Marketing ; Accounting ; Personnel Economics > M1 - Business Administration > M13 - New Firms ; Startups; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O15 - Human Resources ; Human Development ; Income Distribution ; Migration; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O30 - General; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O38 - Government Policy

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