In recent years, the gig economy has become a defining feature of labor markets around the world, offering flexibility and new opportunities for millions of workers. Yet, beneath the surface of this digital labor revolution lies a growing body of evidence revealing significant challenges faced by those tethered to app-based work. A pioneering study led by the University of Cambridge has now shed light on these issues within the UK’s gig economy, focusing specifically on delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers. The findings paint a complex picture of precarious employment, marked by anxiety, health risks, and economic insecurity.
The study, published in the journal Work, Employment and Society, represents the first survey-based statistical investigation into the quality of gig work in the UK. By gathering data from over 500 casual workers engaged in both local platform work—such as food delivery and ride-hailing—and remote platform work like coding and data entry, researchers were able to draw detailed comparisons between these distinct categories. The research reveals a striking disparity in job quality, pay, and wellbeing, particularly between those whose work is location-bound and those who operate in virtual spaces.
Central to the study’s findings is the emotional toll exacted by algorithmic management systems that govern gig work. Around two-thirds of riders and drivers reported fearing unfair feedback through app-based rating systems, which can lead abruptly to deactivation and loss of income. This digital form of surveillance and reputational control generates a persistent state of uncertainty, anxiety, and self-monitoring among workers. The psychological burden of these conditions cannot be overstated and highlights an important dimension of platform capitalism often overlooked in quantitative analyses.
Financial instability was another major concern among local gig workers. Three-quarters expressed anxiety about potential pay decreases, a figure substantially higher than that of remote gig workers. Average hourly wages for delivery drivers and riders stood at approximately £8, notably below the UK minimum wage of 2022, while remote workers earned an average of £10 per hour. This wage disparity underscores the economic vulnerability endemic to location-dependent platform labor, where income is contingent on physical presence, unpredictable demand, and algorithmically fluctuating pay rates.
Beyond financial pressures, the physical implications of local gig work were particularly stark. Over half of delivery riders and drivers reported risking their health and safety, a rate nearly five times greater than that among remote platform workers. A significant 42% of local platform workers suffered from physical pain directly linked to their work, indicating the toll of prolonged periods of intense manual labor—often under time pressure combined with insufficient rest. This chronic strain raises critical questions about occupational health standards and protections—or the lack thereof—in the gig economy.
Adding to their burdens, local platform workers also spent a substantial amount of time logged into apps without receiving work, effectively unpaid. On average, riders and drivers reported dedicating ten hours each week merely waiting for job requests on their apps. This “on-call” time, although unpaid, is necessary to remain available for the algorithm’s job dispatches and represents a hidden labor cost rarely accounted for in official earnings or employment statistics.
The study also highlighted the limited autonomy and increased isolation experienced by local gig workers compared with their remote counterparts. While around two-thirds of riders and drivers indicated they could step away from work during hours or select tasks, only a minority of these workers enjoyed the same kind of flexibility reported by 86% to 92% of remote gig workers. Further, under half of local platform workers rarely or never interact with others in their field, whereas remote workers report significantly higher levels of social isolation. These social dimensions of gig work contribute to mental health vulnerabilities and highlight the fragmented experiences of platform labor.
The researchers’ effort to capture experiences of a diverse workforce involved tailored outreach strategies, including multilingual surveys in Polish, Spanish, and Bengali, reflecting the demographic realities of gig workers who are often recent migrants. This inclusivity allowed for a more representative and nuanced understanding of how gig work impacts different communities and demographics within the UK.
Accompanying the survey data, qualitative interviews with delivery drivers in Cambridge illuminated the human side of the statistics. Drivers described the physical pain and exhaustion that accumulate over days of intense work, compounded by the need to meet daily income minimums just to cover basic living costs. The ambiguity and flux inherent in gig work mean that workers feel compelled to operate across multiple app platforms simultaneously, increasing stress and physical strain. These testimonies underline the urgency of regulatory interventions to address wage floors, health and safety protections, and fair working conditions.
The study draws attention to the contradictions embedded in platform labor: app-based companies often brand themselves as innovative “tech firms,” distancing themselves from traditional employer responsibilities and obligations. Yet, in reality, these platforms exert a high degree of control over work rhythms, conditions, and pay, governing labor through sophisticated algorithmic systems without guaranteeing rights or protections. This paradox exposes a fundamental fault line in the modern labor market, where digital management supplants human managerial oversight, exacerbating precarity for workers.
Moreover, the research emphasizes that classifying gig workers as self-employed fails to capture the economic dependency many hold on these platforms. Many workers do not have diversified income sources, making them vulnerable to exploitative dynamics traditionally associated with employment relationships. The lack of employer responsibility in these non-standard work arrangements means that workers endure wage insecurity and absence of social benefits, intensifying inequality and social risk.
As gig economy platforms proliferate, understanding the variable nature of job quality across different forms of platform work becomes increasingly critical. This study serves as a clarion call to policymakers, labor advocates, and platform operators to seriously consider the multifaceted challenges facing gig workers. The interplay of algorithmic algorithmic governance, precarious income, health risks, and psychosocial anxieties must be addressed through comprehensive labor standards, minimum wage guarantees, and effective worker protections.
Ultimately, the Cambridge-led research offers a sobering account of the realities behind the gig economy’s glittering veneer of flexibility and technological progress. It reveals that the future of work mediated by platforms is fraught with contradictions and tensions that demand critical engagement. Without meaningful reforms and enforcement, platform labor risks entrenching new forms of economic inequality and social harm, undermining the dignity and wellbeing of those who power this fast-growing sector.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Beyond the ‘Gig Economy’: Towards Variable Experiences of Job Quality in Platform Work
News Publication Date: 3-Jun-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09500170251336947
References: Survey study published in Work, Employment and Society journal
Keywords: gig economy, platform work, job quality, algorithmic management, labor precarity, delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, income insecurity, occupational health, digital surveillance, UK labor market
