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Informal freelancers in the time of COVID-19: Insights from a digital matching platform in Mozambique

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  • Sam Jones
  • Ivan Manhique

Abstract

Despite the severe negative economic shock associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence from many contexts points to a surge in sales on online platforms, as well as shifts in the composition of demand. This paper investigates how the pandemic has affected both the supply of and demand for informal manual freelancers in Mozambique. Using data from the digital labour marketplace Biscate , we quantify dynamics along four main dimensions: responses to infection rates, official restrictions on activity, changes in workplace mobility, and employment conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Sam Jones & Ivan Manhique, 2021. "Informal freelancers in the time of COVID-19: Insights from a digital matching platform in Mozambique," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-95, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2021-95
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Shocks; Mozambique; Informal sector; Digital platforms; Labour;
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