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Spotlight on digital platform workers in the EU

Digital platform work is a relatively new way of working whereby an online platform, such as a website or an app, matches a request for a service from a client with the supply of paid work by an individual.

The new directive aims to help to improve the working conditions of people working through digital platforms, while preserving the opportunities and benefits brought by the platform economy.

On 13 December 2023, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the proposed directive.

The new rules address cases of misclassification of platform workers and ease the way for such workers to be reclassified as employees, guaranteeing easier access to their rights as employees under EU law. The agreement also includes provisions that will better protect platform workers’ personal data and increase transparency on how algorithm systems are used to take decisions in the workplace.

In October 2024, the Council adopted new rules that aim to improve working conditions for the more than 28 million people working on digital labour platforms across the EU.

Infographic on five key questions about platform workers in the EU.

Five key questions about platform workers in the EU

1. What is their role in the platform economy?

People working through digital labour platforms perform tasks for customers in exchange for money. Digital platforms match them with one another and organise the work performed.

Customer - algorithmic matching through a digital labour platform - person working through digital platform

2. How many of them are there?

Platform workers make up a substantial labour force in the EU (28.3 million in 2022), similar to the number of people employed in manufacturing (29 million).

This figure is expected to grow rapidly and reach 43 million in 2025, an increase of 52% in three years.

3. What is their typical profile?

  • they are likely to be male and young
  • most have a post-secondary qualification
  • platform work is generally their secondary source of income, in addition to their regular work

4. What kind of tasks do they do and for whom?

Earnings of people working through platforms by type of service performed:

  • taxi: 39%
  • delivery (food delivery, moving services, grocery pick-ups): 24%
  • home services (cleaning, crafts): 19%
  • professional services (accounting): 7%
  • freelance (graphic design, photo editing): 6%
  • domestic work (childcare, healthcare): 3%
  • micro tasks (object classification, tagging): 2%

All services are delivered through location-based platforms, apart from freelance and micro tasks, which are performed through online web-based platforms.

Most are over-qualified for the work they do. 70% of the services offered via digital labour platforms require low skills, 20% low-medium and medium skills, 6% high skills and 4% a combination of all skills.

The majority of services (83%) are provided to individual clients. The rest (17%) are provided to businesses or a combination of individuals and businesses.

5. Are they employees or freelancers?

Correct employment status for platform workers is crucial to ensure they enjoy the labour rights to which they are entitled.

55% earn less than the net hourly minimum wage in the country where they work, where one exists.

41% of the time they dedicate to platform work is unpaid (e.g., researching tasks, waiting for assignments, reviewing ads, etc.).

Workers who are wrongly classified as self-employed are not entitled to the same rights and protections as employed people.

Of the 28.3 million people working through platform work, 7% (2 million) are employed and 93% (26.3 million) are self-employed. Among the self-employed, 19% are likely to be incorrectly classified (about 5 million).

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Last review: 4 February 2025