Posts by Vili Lehdonvirta

About Vili Lehdonvirta

Vili Lehdonvirta is an Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute. He is an economic sociologist with a background in computer science.

Where are online workers located? The international division of digital gig work

11 July 2017 0

The Internet has created a global market for digitally delivered freelance work, which is currently growing rapidly. Our new Online Labour Index worker supplement reveals what skills different countries are bringing to the market. For instance, the top occupational category in the United States is writing and translation, while in the Indian subcontinent it is… Read More: Where are online workers located? The international division of digital… »

The online gig economy grew 26% over the past year

10 July 2017 0

Online freelancing and crowdwork are some of the terms used for temporary and project-based work conducted remotely over digital platforms. Unlike the local gig economy of driving and delivery work, this online gig economy often requires specialized skills such as programming and graphic design. Conventional economic indicators are poor at measuring this new market, so… Read More: The online gig economy grew 26% over the past year »

Could universal basic income counter the gig economy’s problems?

13 April 2017 0

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 that the transformations they entail have a positive impact on society. Here, universal basic income may have a role to play. Few social policy ideas are as hot today as universal… Read More: Could universal basic income counter the gig economy’s problems? »

Video: Vili Lehdonvirta introduces the Online Labour Index

20 September 2016 0

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoncQhmDJo&w=640&h=360]   In this video, Prof Vili Lehdonvirta talks about the digital transformation of labour markets and introduces the Online Labour Index, the first economic indicator that provides an online gig economy equivalent of conventional labour market statistics, available as an interactive online tool.

Which countries and occupations are embracing the online gig economy?

19 September 2016 0

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 online as an interactive visualization and automatically updating data set. In this post, we will use the index to examine some basic questions about the online gig economy: In which countries… Read More: Which countries and occupations are embracing the online gig economy? »