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Labour Market Engineers: Reconceptualising Labour Market Intermediaries with the Rise of the Gig Economy in the United States

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  • Ashley Baber

Abstract

Gig work – accessing job opportunities through an app – has brought renewed attention to precarious non-standard labour arrangements. Scholars have begun to consider the intermediary role that platforms such as Uber, Lyft and Doordash play in exploiting and controlling workers. Yet, literature on labour market intermediaries has muddied conceptions of their role, impact and outcomes for workers by lumping a variety of institutions under the same umbrella term. Drawing from previous theoretical and empirical works throughout the temporary help and gig industries, this article proposes a reconceptualisation of labour market intermediaries as labour market engineers highlighting four mutually reinforcing features. This sociological reconceptualisation updates the understanding of for-profit labour market intermediaries by demonstrating the market making behaviours of firms of on-demand labour in the US context. Likewise, this reconceptualisation notes how gig firms have adapted and expanded these features in ways that increase precarity for workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashley Baber, 2024. "Labour Market Engineers: Reconceptualising Labour Market Intermediaries with the Rise of the Gig Economy in the United States," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(3), pages 723-743, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:38:y:2024:i:3:p:723-743
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170221150087
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Simon Pek & Paulina Segarra & Ernesto Rodriguez & Ajnesh Prasad, 2025. "Misclassification, Tipping and the Responsibilisation of Work in the Global South," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 39(5), pages 1280-1289, October.
    3. Yuanyuan Li & Zuomiao Xie & Zhangjing Tui & Donghyup Woo, 2025. "The Impact of Digital Economy on Flexible Employment: The Mediating Role of Laborer Perceptions," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(1), pages 21582440251, March.

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