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The platform economy as a working opportunity for older people. The case of the Hungarian carpooling company Oszkár

Berde, Éva and Tőkés, László (2019) The platform economy as a working opportunity for older people. The case of the Hungarian carpooling company Oszkár. Journal of Enterprising Communities . DOI https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-09-2019-0092

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-09-2019-0092


Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that gig jobs could be considered an alternative way, albeit not the very best, to give work opportunities to older people. This could offset the continuously decreasing income from the pay-as-you-go pension system, which remains themain source of income for older Hungarians. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the most important aspects of employment of older people and highlights the digital divide which still restricts their participation in the labor market. The paper analyzes data from the Hungarian carpooling company Oszkár and compares it with official statistical data from the Hungarian labor market, focusing on the dynamics of the employment of older persons. Findings – The findings show that the alienation of older workers from the gig economy is just transitory, and that an increasing proportion of older gig workers can be anticipated. Research limitations/implications – Compiling data on the gig economy faces a number of obstacles, as enterprises are disincentivized from revealing all their data. Social implications – Older people are more likely to be employed in lower-quality jobs, such as ownaccount self-employed. They are also increasingly more likely to become gig workers. Originality/value – The paper articulates the importance of remaining active as one ages and moreover challenges the traditional belief that gig jobsmainly offer opportunities to the younger generations.

Item Type:Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:gig economy, older labour market participants, own-account self-employed
Divisions:Faculty of Economics > Department of Microeconomics
Subjects:Knowledge economy, innovation
Labour economics
Projects:EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00017 Sustainable, intelligent and inclusive regional and city models
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-09-2019-0092
ID Code:4803
Deposited By: Ádám Hoffmann
Deposited On:18 Feb 2020 08:52
Last Modified:18 Feb 2020 08:52

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