An unlikely stepping stone? Exploring how platform work shapes newcomer migrant integration

Abstract

The rise of digital labour platform work has drawn researchers to study how migrants are impacted by greater technology dependence in the workforce, and whether platform work might accelerate migrants’ entry into precarious, low-income, contingent work. Emerging data in Canada indicate that that the proportion of gig workers is considerably higher amongst immigrants, especially recent immigrants compared to Canadian-born populations; yet, the demographics and typologies of migrants that choose to undertake platform work have been understudied. This study looks at platform work as part of the wider process of labour market integration of newly arrived migrants in Canada. Acknowledging that labour market integration is a non-linear process that involves several stop-and-go phases, we look at platform work as part of this process and question whether it is a ‘stepping-stone’ or a trap into volatile, precarious work. The study is qualitative and exploratory, based on 24 semi-structured interviews with recent migrants in Canada who have engaged in platform work. Our findings suggest that platform work can serve as a useful first step to gain footing in a new country, as platforms have low barriers of entry, require little social or material capital, and offer flexible forms of employment that can be combined either with studying or looking for another position or with working in a different full-time job. It gives migrants a subjective feeling of control over their lives and security albeit when we delve deeper, they also realize it can be a dead end. The article concludes with some critical reflections on how platform work in the greater gig economy can shape migrant integration in the host country labour market.

Riders United Will Never Be Divided?

“…While Gorillas is no exception to this general tendency in platform work -warehouse and delivery workers are mostly recent arrivals to Berlin -in some important ways, Gorillas workers do differ from both the 'migrantized' workforce in non-platform jobs and from other platform workers who are also migrants. Recent research on platform work in Canada, for example, points to a large prevalence of migrant workers on employment visas, which make it difficult to change jobs (Lam/Triandafyllidou 2021). The Gorillas workers I encountered, on the other hand, are by and large not on such visas.…”

“…However, this calculation is often hardly possible for platform workers: platform workers tend to be 'hustlers' piecing together a meager livelihood from their work and usually have no savings to fall back on (Ravenelle 2019). What is more, being largely a migrant workforce, they tend to be excluded from social welfare and unemployment benefits, and, depending on immigration status, they often need to earn a steady income to remain in the country (Lam/ Triandafyllidou 2021).…”

Platformization of Urban Life

“…However, this calculation is often hardly possible for platform workers: platform workers tend to be 'hustlers' piecing together a meager livelihood from their work and usually have no savings to fall back on . What is more, being largely a migrant workforce, they tend to be excluded from social welfare and unemployment benefits, and, depending on immigration status, they often need to earn a steady income to remain in the country (Lam/ Triandafyllidou 2021).…”

Labour migration, precarious work and liminality

“…Precarious work may function as a trap for some migrants and as a steppingstone for others (Muñoz-Comet and Steinmetz, 2020;Van Doorn, 2020;Lam and Triandafyllidou, 2021). It would be foolish to make generalisations here: there is simply a great deal of diversity with respect to whether the liminal realms initially encountered by migrants when working in the host country become associated with liminality or limbo over the long-run.…”

“…Debates around the role and value of precarious work are commonplace and it is important to stress that what might be seen as dead-end work for some might be perceived as a stepping-stone by others (Muñoz-Comet and Steinmetz, 2020;Van Doorn, 2020;Lam and Triandafyllidou, 2021). There is the distinction here between intentions and outcomes (Hauge and Fold, 2016), with some viewing precarious work as an opportunity to progress, but fewer individuals actually progressing on from this work.…”