Is the gig up in the platform economy? Insights from Southeast Asia and beyond

The gig economy has boomed globally since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Southeast Asia, after a decade or so of rapid growth. The reliance of consumers upon on-demand delivery during lockdowns, and the pivoting of livelihoods for millions of people as a result of economic upheaval, have meant the gig economy is now more central to households and economies across the region than it was a few years ago. For riders and drivers, the instability in the gig economy house of cards means even less time between jobs and the evaporation of incentives which had been central to their livelihoods – both factors that are encouraging workers into coordination and organisation.