Digital Labour Platforms in Albania: An opportunity for youth employment?

Abstract

Digital labour platforms could leverage diverse features concerning the digital economy, like vocation, mobility, and network effects. The count of labour platforms on a global scale has witnessed a fivefold increase in the past decade. During the last three years, digital labour platforms have become a reality in Albania. In general, youth aged 18-29 years old dominate platform work. This could respond to the barriers this group faces while entering the labour market, particularly the limited job opportunities in the IT sector.

The development of digital labour platforms has been one of the most significant changes in the workplace. The new way of working has upended the employment model upon which traditional businesses were founded. A major problem associated with digital labour platforms is whether this leverages fair opportunity and decent work for everyone. To assess if labour platforms in Albania could be considered as an opportunity for youth employment, a total of 135 Albanian digital platform workers were surveyed between May and June 2022. The survey aimed to shed light on the working conditions of the current young platform workers and identify areas for improvement.

Most of the responses confirmed that the current regulation of the “non-standard forms of employment,” prescribed by the Albanian Labour Code, is insufficient to legitimize the working status of a digital platform worker and guarantee job quality, decent work, and a high level of worker well-being. Therefore, policymakers should prioritize adapting legislative frameworks and enhancing the social security system to cover digital platform workers.