Navigating the New Frontier: Gig Economy and Informal Labor Market Analytics Training Course

Introduction

The global labor landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, characterized by the rapid expansion of the gig economy and the enduring prevalence of informal work. These segments, often intertwined, present both immense opportunities for flexible income generation and significant challenges related to precarious employment, lack of social protection, and difficulties in measurement. Understanding the unique dynamics, characteristics, and economic implications of these evolving work arrangements is crucial for policymakers, researchers, and organizations striving to foster inclusive and sustainable labor markets.

This intensive training course is meticulously designed to equip participants with a comprehensive and practical understanding of the gig economy and informal labor market analytics. From dissecting the conceptual boundaries and measurement challenges of these sectors to mastering advanced analytical techniques for assessing worker outcomes, platform dynamics, and policy impacts, you will gain the expertise to rigorously study and influence this evolving world of work. This empowers you to contribute to evidence-based policy formulation, advocate for worker rights, and design effective strategies for formalization and social protection in a rapidly changing economy.

Target Audience

  • Labor economists and researchers.
  • Policymakers and government officials in labor, social protection, and finance ministries.
  • Data scientists and quantitative analysts working with labor market data.
  • Professionals from international organizations (e.g., ILO, World Bank, UN agencies) focused on employment and social development.
  • Academics and graduate students (Master's and PhD) in economics, sociology, public policy, or data science.
  • HR professionals and consultants interested in contingent workforces and new employment models.
  • Statisticians involved in national labor force surveys and economic censuses.
  • Advocates for informal sector workers and gig economy participants.

Duration: 10 days

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this training course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the conceptual definitions, characteristics, and global trends of the gig economy and informal labor markets.
  • Grasp the challenges and methodologies for measuring gig work and informal employment using various data sources.
  • Analyze the socio-economic determinants and impacts of participation in the gig economy and informal sector on workers and firms.
  • Comprehend the economic models that explain the supply and demand for gig and informal work.
  • Evaluate the policy implications of gig economy growth and informality, including social protection, taxation, and labor regulation.
  • Develop practical skills in analyzing micro-level data from surveys, administrative records, and platform data for these sectors.
  • Navigate ethical considerations and data privacy issues in researching non-standard work arrangements.
  • Formulate evidence-based recommendations for policies aimed at formalizing work, enhancing social protection, and promoting decent work in the gig and informal economies.

Course Content

  1. Defining the Gig Economy and Informal Labor Markets
  • Conceptual definitions: gig work, platform work, informal employment, non-standard work arrangements
  • Distinguishing features: flexibility, task-based work, lack of traditional employer-employee relationship, online intermediation
  • Historical context of informal work and the rise of the gig economy
  • Typologies of gig work: online vs. location-based, skilled vs. unskilled
  • Global trends and regional variations in gig and informal employment
  1. Measurement Challenges and Data Sources
  • Difficulties in measuring informal employment and gig work in official statistics
  • Traditional data sources: labor force surveys, household surveys, enterprise surveys, administrative data
  • Novel data sources for the gig economy: platform data, web scraping, digital traces
  • Combining data sources: linking survey data with administrative or platform data
  • Methodologies for estimating the size and characteristics of the informal economy
  1. Economic Theories of Informal Employment and Gig Work
  • Dual labor market theories vs. voluntary choice models of informality
  • Factors driving informality: regulation, taxation, labor costs, social protection
  • Economic rationale for gig work: flexibility, supplementary income, low barriers to entry
  • Behavioral economics insights into gig worker decision-making
  • Models of platform markets: two-sided markets, network effects
  1. Labor Market Outcomes and Impacts on Workers
  • Earnings and income volatility for gig and informal workers
  • Working conditions: hours, intensity, safety, autonomy
  • Access to social protection: health insurance, retirement, unemployment benefits
  • Skill development and career progression in non-standard work
  • Health and well-being impacts on gig and informal workers
  • Gender dimensions of gig and informal employment
  1. Firm Behavior and the Supply Side of Gig/Informal Work
  • Why firms engage informal workers or use gig platforms: cost reduction, flexibility, access to talent
  • Impact of gig platforms on traditional businesses and sectors
  • Entrepreneurship and self-employment within the gig economy
  • Labor demand in the gig economy: algorithmic management, platform control
  • The role of technology in shaping the supply of and demand for non-standard work
  1. Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
  • Classifying gig workers: employee vs. independent contractor
  • Regulatory responses to the gig economy: national laws, court rulings, collective bargaining
  • Extending social protection to informal and gig workers: innovative models (e.g., portable benefits)
  • Taxation of gig income and informal businesses
  • Formalization strategies for the informal sector: incentives, compliance, capacity building
  1. Econometric Analysis of Gig and Informal Labor
  • Regression models for discrete outcomes: Logit/Probit for participation in gig/informal work
  • Models for continuous outcomes: OLS for earnings, hours
  • Handling selection bias: endogenous participation in gig/informal work (e.g., Heckman correction)
  • Panel data methods for analyzing transitions between formal, informal, and gig employment
  • Event history analysis for job spells and spells of informality/gig work
  1. Impact Evaluation of Interventions
  • Evaluating the impact of policies aimed at formalization
  • Assessing the effectiveness of social protection programs for informal/gig workers
  • Impact of training and skill development programs on gig worker earnings
  • Quasi-experimental designs (e.g., Difference-in-Differences, Regression Discontinuity) to evaluate specific policy interventions
  • Challenges in attributing causality in complex labor market contexts
  1. Social and Development Implications
  • Gig economy and informal labor in developing countries: opportunities and challenges for poverty reduction
  • The role of digital platforms in promoting financial inclusion for informal workers
  • Urban-rural disparities in gig and informal work
  • Migration and informal labor markets: dynamics and remittances
  • The gig economy's contribution to broader economic development
  1. Future of Work and Emerging Issues
  • Automation and its implications for gig and informal labor
  • The role of AI in platform management and worker surveillance
  • Data governance and worker data rights in the platform economy
  • Collective action and organizing among gig and informal workers
  • The evolving relationship between formal, informal, and gig labor markets.

CERTIFICATION

  • Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

  • Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

  • Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com

For More Details call: +254-114-087-180

 

 navigating The New Frontier: Gig Economy And Informal Labor Market Analytics Training Course in Kenya
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