Migration, Social Network and Platform Work in Australia

The platform or gig economy is increasingly adopting app-based models to connect consumers with workers to complete their on-demand tasks. Many platform workers in the global north are migrants from global south countries, who often join the platform economy due to easy access. Many of these workers are from disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances and their work offers crucial ‘survival’ income. Although the platform economy provides job opportunities for these migrant workers, they do not offer decent work. Platform work is still insecure and precarious. Within this context, drawing on social network perspective and interview data with 22 Asian migrant platform workers in Melbourne, this paper explores how the platform workers use their social networks to enter and navigate the platform economy in Australia.