Digital Platform Work in Australia: Prevalence, Nature and Impact

This report presents the findings from research commissioned by the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. Digital platforms such as Airtasker, Uber or Freelancer can connect workers with individuals or businesses looking to obtain services of various kinds on-demand. There has been much debate about ‘gig work’ of this kind, but little data on its prevalence in Australia. This report presents the findings from a national survey commissioned by the Victorian Government to address that gap.The survey, which elicited more than 14,000 usable responses, explored the prevalence and characteristics of digital platform work in Australia to gain insight into the experiences of those participating in such work, and understand the extent to which they combine digital platform work with other forms of paid work. The main findings are summarised below.