The Routledge Handbook of the Gig Economy

The growth of the precarious economy is of significant interest, as the economy becomes more dependent on gig work. This handbook provides comprehensive theoretical, empirical, and historical accounts of the political economy of informal work from the late 20th century to the present, examining the impact of the informalization of work on employment, poverty, and inequalities. It highlights the threat posed by the growth of contingent work, poverty, and enduring and increasing inequalities produced and reproduced by the reformation of capitalism in the contemporary age of neoliberal capitalism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 530 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The expansion of the precarious economy is of significant interest as the economy becomes increasingly reliant on gig work. However, as platform and automated service work has grown, there remains a gap in understanding the critical aspects of digital labor. This handbook presents comprehensive theoretical, empirical, and historical accounts of the political economy of informal work from the late 20th century to the present. It examines the rich and varied analysis and critique of the informalization of work, focusing on its most significant theories, intellectual traditions, and authors. It highlights the political, social, cultural, and developmental impact of the deterioration of employment in the Global North and Global South, as well as the extreme threat posed to the planet by the growth of contingent work, poverty, and enduring and increasing inequalities produced and reproduced by the reform of capitalism in the contemporary age of neoliberal capitalism. The period from the 1980s to the present is marked by the expanded extraction of surplus value from workers through the creation of non-standard jobs and the restructuring of work. A central component of the restructuring of work is the extension of gig employment through the development of algorithmic platforms that direct laborers to perform discrete tasks. This is a definitive collection, representing the primary reference work, contributing to our understanding of the subject. The book is written and presented in a clear manner, accessible to scholars and researchers of international political economy, labor economics, and sociology who are eager for new research examining this phenomenon, as well as specialists in the field of labor relations. Chapter 11 of this book is freely available.

The expansion of the precarious economy is of significant interest as the economy becomes increasingly reliant on gig work. However, as platform and automated service work has grown, there remains a gap in understanding the critical aspects of digital labor. This handbook presents comprehensive theoretical, empirical, and historical accounts of the political economy of informal work from the late 20th century to the present. It examines the rich and varied analysis and critique of the informalization of work, focusing on its most significant theories, intellectual traditions, and authors. It highlights the political, social, cultural, and developmental impact of the deterioration of employment in the Global North and Global South, as well as the extreme threat posed to the planet by the growth of contingent work, poverty, and enduring and increasing inequalities produced and reproduced by the reform of capitalism in the contemporary age of neoliberal capitalism. The period from the 1980s to the present is marked by the expanded extraction of surplus value from workers through the creation of non-standard jobs and the restructuring of work. A central component of the restructuring of work is the extension of gig employment through the development of algorithmic platforms that direct laborers to perform discrete tasks. This is a definitive collection, representing the primary reference work, contributing to our understanding of the subject. The book is written and presented in a clear manner, accessible to scholars and researchers of international political economy, labor economics, and sociology who are eager for new research examining this phenomenon, as well as specialists in the field of labor relations. Chapter 11 of this book is freely available.

Weight: 1174g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367752903