Entrepreneurship and Meaningful Work in Gig Economy

Existing research has shown that migrant labor is crucial for the gig economy in Germany, particularly in ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery, and cleaning services. This literature includes how gig economy companies or platform companies act as migration infrastructures that mediate mobility of migrants in the local labor markets. Although platforms reduce barriers for migrants, work is precarious with short term or zero hour contracts, limited social protection and uncertain wages. Increasing use of algorithmic control to extract labor productivity has further implications for labor autonomy and bargaining possibilities. The paper here is interested in moving beyond the discussion of platform work as solely motivated by immigration mechanisms and labor market barriers by studying the transition from standard employment to crowdwork. I approach this question through the conceptual lens of ‘meaningful work’ and measure it through the dimensions of autonomy, self-actualization, social value, and safe and inclusive working conditions. These subjective perceptions are based in objective conditions including border policies in European Union and racial segmentation of labor market on one hand, and labor process, management control and discrimination at workplace on the other. The experience of meaningfulness but also precarity on these platforms informs workers’ current and future strategies of creating ideal work scenarios, including their own entrepreneurial ventures. Data informing this research is based on document analysis and 15 semi-structured interviews including narrative elements with non-EU migrant workers who use both microwork and profession-based work platforms.