Research Seminar: Catherine Thomas (LSE)

Title: "Who Benefits from Online Gig Economy Platforms?" (with C. T. Stanton)

  • Data: 15 dicembre 2020 dalle 12:00 alle 13:15

  • Luogo: Microsoft Teams

Abstract

This paper estimates the magnitude and distribution of surplus from the knowledge work gig economy using data from a global online labor market. The providers on the supply side are shown to capture forty percent of the surplus when jobs are filled. Buyer surplus varies with experience in the market, and past hiring experience accelerates future job posting and hiring. Counterfactuals that increase online hiring costs reduce the surplus for both buyers and providers on individual job postings, and both groups also experience additional surplus losses because the number of job postings falls. An event study shows that buyers' online activity does not respond to offline minimum wage changes, making it unlikely that increases in online hiring costs would increase offline employment.

Invited by: Research seminar Team

Local Organizer: Massimiliano Onorato

Book a slot

Please send an e-mail to the local organizer Massimiliano Onorato to arrange a 15-minute meeting with the speaker.