FUNG, Lance Timothy C.

HENSON, Maria Tamia B.

KEH, Kayleen Zakia N.
POSTRADO, John Patrick M.
SANTOS, Athina Hans M.
Concept Paper
I. Initial thoughts on paper
a. Discussant
- Why do women get paid less in the gig economy?
- How is flexibility an innately male trait for Uber’s algorithm?
- Why is the preference of most gig economy companies to hire employees from
less developed areas?
- Has the gig economy helped in the upward mobilization of people without
degrees?
- For individuals that did not finish college, How does the gig economy act as a
social safety net?
- At the moment, why do most states not have laws to ensure their gig economy
workers?
- Why is the environment of the gig economy not conducive to individuals that
seek intrapersonal connections?
- How is the gig economy incompatible with the goal of gaining a competitive
advantage?
- For the average Uber driver, is the gig economy overly gamified?

b. Commentator
“You work when you want to work.”
- This quote is worth remembering because it is essentially the main idea of what it
means to be a gig worker or freelancer. As stated in the article, one of the big
advantages of the gig economy is its flexibility. However, a disadvantage to this is that
there will be no payment if one is not working and as a freelancer, you are in charge of
your own work hours.

“Uber’s male drivers earn about 7% more than their female drivers.”
- This quote is important to emphasize because it exhibits that there is a difference
between the pay of female and male drivers. As stated in the article, male Uber drivers
drive more hours a week and are expected to stay on the platform longer. In addition,
they are also more experienced and drive faster. Driving faster as an Uber driver is
important because driving fast increases pay.

“The algorithm that assigns drivers is gender-blind, men and women are treated the same.”
- This quote is important to emphasize because it states that there is no discrimination
when it comes to the difference in pay between male and female Uber drivers. As stated
in the article, more men are chasing the money while women simply fit it into their
schedules. The reason male drivers earn more than female drivers is that they are more

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 likely to go out and drive on a late-night or when demands surge (when demand surges,
drivers earn more per ride). On the other hand, female drivers are more likely to drive
on weekdays when their kids are in school.

“Platforms like Upwork and other freelancing sites that operate across boundaries are making a
small contribution toward lowering overall global inequality.”
- This quote is worth remembering because it shows that despite the disadvantages of
freelancing, there is a great advantage. As stated in the article, there are talented people
that happen to live in countries outside the United States, like India or the Philippines.
With freelancing, people in less developed countries have the opportunity to find and
get a good job from international companies. If a Filipino gig worker spends their money
from freelancing for an international company, it not only benefits them but other
Filipinos as well due to the redistribution of wealth. According to the article, money from
fairly rich places are being moved to less rich places.

“A person's work is more than just a paycheck. There’s a social and cultural benefit to it.”
- This quote is important to emphasize because it shows that there are other benefits to a
job other than pay. It was stated in the article that freelancing can get quite lonely. This
is due to the fact that there is a family aspect in traditional workspaces, as you get to
work with coworkers. In addition, people meet close friends as well as significant others
at work. But because the gig economy is very different from a traditional work
environment, it is not a good fit for many people.

c. Word Guide
Some words mentioned in the article may be unfamiliar to the readers, such as gig
economy, gig worker, etc. Before jumping into the article itself, let us first define these
keywords. Gig economy involves work in digital platforms which includes both web-based
platforms, which allocate work to individuals in a specific geographic area (Samson, 2021).
Meanwhile, gig workers are people who work temporary jobs in a service company usually as
independent contractors, also known as freelancers. Next is discrimination, wherein unfair
treatment of people due to their race, gender, age, etc occurs. On the other hand, labor
economists are economists who specialize in the study of the labor force as an element in the
process of production. Lastly, the labor pool is the source of trained people from which workers
can be hired. It is also known as the labor force.

d. Travel Guide
Geographical
Uber is a ride-sharing company that was founded in California and currently operates in
over 785 metropolitan areas worldwide which had a great kick-start when the founder, Garrett
Camp, realized the value of service worldwide, ice of being picked up by your own cab
whenever and wherever without having to wait for hours. Because of the numerous services
that it offers such as ride-sharing, food delivery, and ride-hailing, they have quickly expanded
into Europe, Asia, and South America.

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 According to Uber, the US represents 48% of its market, meanwhile 52% of Uber’s
revenue comes from outside the US wherein its trips are available in almost over 10,000 cities
as of February 2020.
The average hourly earnings per hour that an Uber driver makes is $15.68 compared to
the federal minimum wage in the US which is $7.25 per hour. This is why there is a significant
shift of regular cab drivers to Uber drivers. Overall, Uber has over 3.9 million drivers worldwide
(Uber, Newsroom, n.d).

Cultural

When it comes to the difference in pay between men and women, discrimination is
always involved wherein men are always paid more than men due to four key reasons:

1. There are more men in senior roles than women.

2. Caring responsibilities and part-time roles are shared unequally.
3. Women choose to work in low-paid roles and sectors.
4. Women are paid less than men for the same role.

However, with Uber being part of the gig economy wherein workers are characterized as
freelance or independent contractors (experiencing flexibility; working when they want to
work), there’s really no discrimination involved when it comes to the gender pay gap seen in
Uber because of their gender-blind algorithm used to assign their respective customers. The
simple explanation as to why there is an existing gap is due to the fact that Uber’s male drivers
tend to go out when the surge rate is up late at night. On the other hand, female drivers try to
fit their shift within their schedule which is more convenient for them, with or without the
surge. Other factors that result into Uber’s gender pay gap include:

1. A typical male Uber driver is more experienced; which results in more earning.

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2. Men drive faster than women; driving an Uber faster increases pay.

Working for a gig economy such as Uber gives its workers the luxury and freedom of
time. This emerged during the advance of technology (21st century) meaning, people who do
not use technological services such as the internet or smartphones may be left behind the
benefits of the gig economy. Another disadvantage would be the instability of pay, meaning
having to deal with fluctuations and managing your own workload to achieve your desired profit
(reduces social safety net). Unlike those who work full-time, who already have a fixed monthly
pay. But this still does not defeat the fact that many people, especially in highly urbanized cities
have benefitted in the gig economy, such as Uber. A win-win situation for both drivers and
customers.

Historical
Uber has successfully penetrated the global market three years after the concept was
developed, wherein they launched their first international ride in Paris in 2011. Consequently, it
began launching in other various cities across the world such as:
• 2012 – London, United Kingdom
• 2013 – Mexico City, Mexico
• 2013 – Taipei City, Taiwan
• 2013 – Johannesburg, South Africa
• 2013 – Bangalore, India
• 2014 – Beijing, China
• 2014 – Lagos, Nigeria
• 2015 – Nairobi, Kenya

As gig economies are also being established in less-developed countries, companies such
as Uber help redistribute wealth in the present, compared to the past when Uber still had not
penetrated the economy. Talented people who live in Ukraine, India, or the Philippines are given
the opportunity to do work for American companies. Historically speaking, outsourcing has
benefitted these types of companies because it would have cost them more to hire the people
that they need locally. It’s just like taking money from the relatively rich and placing it in a less
rich place for both the company and its workers to benefit.

e. Connector
A gig economy has given the Philippines a push in off-setting some of the economic
slowdown in the country, providing work opportunities to the less fortunate and increasing
international remittances. With the ongoing pandemic, the number of workers in the gig
economy is rapidly increasing, such as express drivers for courier and delivery companies like
GrabExpress and FoodPanda as well as online retailers.

There are several challenges that come with implementing the gig economy in the
Philippines such as job instability, low pay, lack of social protections, and worker exploitation to
name a few (Wood et al., 2019, as cited in Mia & Habaradas, 2020). A report by Paypal in 2017
had found that 60% of Filipino freelancers have stressed on their future due to the

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unpredictability of their work. In addition to the problem of work consistency, Filipino
freelancers also have to deal with the lack of social security nets, financial security, and health
and retirement plans (The ASEAN Post, 2020, as cited in Mia & Habaradas, 2020); they, along
with many Southeast Asian freelancers, also have to deal with the fact that they are not taken
seriously by many people, with some even expecting their work for free. A 2018 study from
Paypal (Mia & Habaradas, 2020) reported that 58% percent of freelancers from SIngapore,
Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam have experienced this type of treatment.

Socio-economic inequalities also contribute to the challenges of the gig economy in the
Philippines. While the Philippines is considered the social media capital of the world, much of
the population does not have access to proper information communications technology (ICT),
specifically in low-income communities. In addition to this, the percentage of those with access
to ICT have their own challenges; the usage patterns of users vary by demographic, which
includes digital literacy and ICT operation capability. These challenges are primarily shaped by
socio-economic statuses (Cruz-Jesus, Vicente, Bacao, & Oliveira, 2016); those with
disadvantages such as lower-income people, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, etc. are
more likely to suffer from digital inequalities (Cruz-Jesus, Vicente, Bacao, & Oliveira, 2016, as
cited in Mia & Habaradas, 2020).

Furthermore, some studies (Labukay, 2014, as cited in Mia & Habaradas, 2020) have
found that educational attainment is a factor in the frequency of digital technology usage
between ‘capital-enhancing goals’ and entertainment, commerce, and communication; those
with higher educational attainment have been found to more likely be the demographic that
participates in the gig economy (Mia & Habaradas, 2020). In addition, a 2017 World Bank data
report shows that due to lack of quality ICT infrastructure, the progress of internet technology
and literacy is being limited; the Philippines placing 101st out of 176 countries in terms of ICT
development and infrastructure, as well as problems with socio-economic inequalities, goes to
show how digital technologies in the Philippines are shaped by “limited, unequal, and
constrained access” (Lemana & Matala, 2020, as cited in Mia & Habaradas, 2020) and how
having opportunities in the gig economy are also a privilege.

In addition to all these challenges, the Labor Code of the Philippines does not apply to
engagements where no employer-employee relationship exists, with gig work having little to no
regulatory frameworks such as lack of governmental support and policy and worker’s protection
and benefits (Roy & Shrivastava, 2020). With the rapid rise of the gig economy, there are no
generally agreed definitions of ‘freelancers’ and ‘gig’ in legal lexicon, which leave multiple legal
loopholes as well as increasing the challenge of establishing labor laws and protections for gig
workers. The lack of social security nets can also lead to legal conflicts on intellectual property
rights and confidentiality (Roy & Shrivastava, 2020). Furthermore, the lack of regulations also
fails to address gender discrepancies within the gig economy. The lack of research regarding the
experiences between men and women gig workers limits the policymakers in creating policies
addressing problems experienced by women working in the gig economy.

E. Illustrator

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 Retrieved from
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16291-the-gig-economy-and-worker-safety

Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/21321798209322848/

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 Retrieved from
https://www.statista.com/chart/14660/male-uber-drivers-outearn-their-female-counterparts/

Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/QuelloCenteratMichiganStateUniversity/the-gig-economy-and-inco
me-inequality

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 Retrieved from
https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20170830005798/en/609339/5/Gig_photo.jpg

Retrieved from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/gig-workers-hardest-hit-coronavirus-pandemic/

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 Retrieved from
https://www.mfw4a.org/blog/same-problems-same-inequalities-women-digital-gig-economy

Retrieved from
https://www.ssonetwork.com/talent-management-leadership-and-culture/articles/the-importa
nt-role-the-gig-economy-will-need-to-play-in-the-future-workplace

II. Initial reference papers to use and link to the assigned paper
The Gig Economy by Jaime Woodcock & Mark Graham
- Woodcock, J., & Graham, M. (2020). A Critical Introduction. Retrieved from
http://acdc2007.free.fr/woodcock2020.pdf

From the corporate world to freelancing: the phenomenon of working from home in the
Philippines

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 - From the corporate world to freelancing: the phenomenon of working from home in the
Philippines. (2021). Retrieved October 25, 2021, from Community, Work & Family
website: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13668803.2020.1809994

gsb.stanford.edu/insights/what-economist-learning-driving-uber

III. Initial flow of video

The main idea of the video is for it to be structured like a talk show, which will be called Keeping
Up With Reading Circle 3. In this talk show, a host will be interviewing a researcher and will have
questions asked by a student, worker, and business owner.
- Introduction of members
a. Host
b. Researcher
c. Student asking a question
d. Worker asking a question
e. Business owner asking a question
- Brief summary of the article
- Introduction to the Researcher
- Talking about their experience with Uber
- What is a gig economy/gig worker
- Advantages and disadvantages of freelancing
- Male and female Uber drivers
- Takeaways on being an Uber driver as an economist
- Question and Answer portion
- Student
- Barriers to entry in the gig economy
- The redistribution of wealth in the gig economy
- Worker
- Lack of social safety net in the gig economy
- The loneliness in the gig economy
- Business Owner
- Competitive advantage in the gig economy
- Outsourcing labor to gig economy workers
IV. Initial key points
- Definition of a gig economy/gig worker
- Advantages and disadvantages of freelancing
- Male and female Uber drivers
- Barriers to entry in the gig economy
- The redistribution of wealth in the gig economy
- Lack of social safety net in the gig economy
- The loneliness in the gig economy
- Competitive advantage in the gig economy
- Outsourcing labor to gig economy workers

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 References
American Psychological Association. (2019). Discrimination: What it is, and how to Cope.
American Psychological Association.
https://www.apa.org/topics/racism-bias-discrimination/types-stress
Blair, I. (2019). Uber Revenue and Usage Statistics. BuildFire.
https://buildfire.com/uber-statistics/
Brock, T. (2021). Gig Economy. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp
Cruz-Jesus, F., & Vincente, M. R. (2016). The education-related digital divide: An analysis for the
EU-28. Computers in Human Behavior, 56, 72-82. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.027
Deyan, G. (2019). ‌51+ Uber Statistics for 2021 - Will it Ever Be Profitable? TechJury.
https://techjury.net/blog/uber-statistics/#gref
Hasnan, L. (2019). Philippines’ fast-growing gig economy.
https://theaseanpost.com/article/philippines-fast-growing-gig-economy
IZA World of Labor. (n.d.). What is labor economics? IZA World of Labor.
https://wol.iza.org/key-topics/what-is-labor-economics
Labucay, I. D. (2014). Patterns of Internet usage in the Philippines. The Internet and the Google
Age: Prospects and Perils, 27-49.
Lemana, Y. C., & Matala, C. C. (2020). Internet access is not a right, it is a privilege: Covid-19
pandemic’s exacerbation of the digital divide in the Philippines.
https://www.academia.edu/download/63329117/Digital_Divide_in
_the_Philippines_and_Covid-1920200516-112968-197s1kr.pdf
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Gig worker. Merriam-Webster.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gig%20worker.
Mia, I. B., & Habaradas, R. (2020). The Gig Economy: Overview and prospects for the
Philippines. The Gig Economy: Overview and prospects for the Philippines, 8(3).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345767502_The_Gig_Economy_Overview_a
nd_prospects_for_the_Philippines/citation/download
Nagamora, J. (2020). Spared by the Virus: The rise of the gig economy during the COVID-19
Pandemic.
https://aasyp.org/2020/05/06/spared-by-the-virus-the-rise-of-the-gig-economy-during-t
he-covid-19-pandemic/
Paypal. (2017). U.S. Freelancer Insights Report. https://www.paypalobjects.com
Samson, M. L. (2021). Workers' rights in the gig economy. BusinessWorld Online.
https://www.bworldonline.com/workers-rights-in-the-gig-economy/
Wood, A., Lehdonvirta, A., Graham, M., & Hjorth, I. (2017). 53(5).
https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038519828906
WordNet. (2010). Definition of the labor pool. Definition.org.
https://definition.org/define/labor%20pool/
World Bank. (2017). World development indicators 2017. World Bank.
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/26447

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