The Profitability Puzzle of Digital Labor Platforms
By examining digital labor platforms that connect customers with gig workers, we attempt to solve the puzzle concerning why these labor platforms, such as ride-hailing companies and food delivery companies, continue to suffer weak profitability even though they promise a more efficient way to mobili...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | The Review of radical political economics 2023-12, Vol.55 (4), p.617-628 |
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| container_title | The Review of radical political economics |
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| creator | Li, Zhongjin Qi, Hao |
| description | By examining digital labor platforms that connect customers with gig workers, we attempt to solve the puzzle concerning why these labor platforms, such as ride-hailing companies and food delivery companies, continue to suffer weak profitability even though they promise a more efficient way to mobilize and utilize the platform’s labor force. Stylized facts on the profitability of the top ten global labor platforms and a descriptive analysis of their cost structures are presented. We further argue that the modes of production and competition inherent in digital labor platforms are critical to this profitability puzzle because they determine the upper limit of surplus value extraction in production and the heavy financial burden of profit generation for labor platforms.
JEL Classification: P12, E24, D40 |
| doi_str_mv | 10.1177/04866134231183213 |
| format | Article |
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| ispartof | The Review of radical political economics, 2023-12, Vol.55 (4), p.617-628 |
| issn | 0486-6134 1552-8502 |
| language | eng |
| recordid | cdi_proquest_journals_2889912474 |
| source | Worldwide Political Science Abstracts; SAGE Complete A-Z List |
| subjects | Classification Companies Customers Extraction Gig economy Labor force Labor theory of value Modes of production Profitability |
| title | The Profitability Puzzle of Digital Labor Platforms |
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