ABSTRACT. I use a substantial body of theoretical and empirical research on the sustainability of platform capitalism, and building my argument by drawing on data collected from BloombergOpinion, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Edelman Intelligence, Gallup, MBO Partners, SAP SE, Upwork, and U.S. Census Bureau, I performed analyses and made estimates regarding percentage of U.S. workers in alternative work arrangements, the last time individuals participated in skill-related education or training, number and growth of businesses without paid employees (by industry), number of workers who freelance, the divide between independent and contingent gig workers, the split of organizational spend across employees, non-payroll workers, and service providers, percentage of freelancers who say independent work is more secure than a traditional job, and the gig economy as a percentage of civilian employment.
JEL codes: L14; L86

Keywords: platform capitalism; sustainability; on-demand labor; economic growth

How to cite: Culkin, Brigitte (2019). “Is Platform Capitalism Sustainable? Digital Business Models, On-Demand Labor, and Economic Growth,” Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics 7(1): 31–36. doi:10.22381/JSME7120195

Received 19 December 2018 • Received in revised form 4 March 2019
Accepted 11 March 2019 • Available online 18 March 2019