Publication:
Social Insurance for Gig Workers: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Malaysia

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dc.contributor.authorGhorpade, Yashodhan
dc.contributor.authorJasmin, Alyssa
dc.date.accessioned2023-12-14T17:31:53Z
dc.date.available2023-12-14T17:31:53Z
dc.date.issued2023-12-14
dc.description.abstractThe rise of “gig” or digital platform work globally has led to both enthusiasm for its potential to create lucrative employment for large numbers of people, as well as concern about its implications for worker protection that is often provided in more standard employment. While gig work platforms may not be akin to employers in standard work relationships, arrangements that do not obligate them to provide worker protection and social insurance contributions may leave several platform workers unprotected against a range of risks. Is the observed lack of protection among digital platform workers explained by an unwillingness on part of the workers themselves to make necessary contributions for social insurance coverage? This paper analyzes this question in the context of Malaysia, a rapidly growing upper-middle-income East Asian economy that has witnessed a rise in gig work in recent years. The paper deploys a novel vignette-based experiment to ascertain gig workers’ willingness to pay for social insurance coverage. The analysis finds overall a large unmet need for social insurance among gig workers, as well as a high level of willingness to pay for (especially) unemployment insurance, retirement savings, and accidental and injury insurance. This implies that the policy challenge is to channel such willingness into regular contributions for social insurance coverage through relevant and flexible options for contributions. More than subsidies, this segment of the workforce could perhaps benefit from better tailored, more flexible, and more easily accessible instruments for social insurance. The analysis also finds evidence of substitution between distinct insurance instruments. For instance, those who have access to retirement savings appear to be less willing to pay for unemployment insurance, and those with private medical insurance are less likely to contribute to the state-run injury insurance scheme. This underlines the need to approach risk insurance for digital platform workers more holistically and to consider a wider range of insurance instruments, including those offered by the private sector.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099319112062324832/IDU0d8d7bece0c4c4042b50aef90f750da3e988a
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-10629
dc.identifier.urihttps://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40741
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Papers; 10629
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectGIG WORK
dc.subjectSOCIAL INSURANCE
dc.subjectINFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectWILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR SOCIAL INSURANCE
dc.subjectWORKER PROTECTIONS
dc.subjectUNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
dc.subjectINFORMALITY
dc.titleSocial Insurance for Gig Workersen
dc.title.subtitleInsights from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Malaysiaen
dc.typeWorking Paper
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleSocial Insurance for Gig Workers: Insights from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Malaysia
okr.date.disclosure2023-12-06
okr.date.lastmodified2023-12-06T00:00:00Zen
okr.doctypePolicy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099319112062324832/IDU0d8d7bece0c4c4042b50aef90f750da3e988a
okr.guid099319112062324832
okr.identifier.docmidIDU-d8d7bece-c4c4-42b5-aef9-f750da3e988a
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-10629
okr.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-10629
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34209286
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34209286
okr.identifier.reportWPS10629
okr.import.id2508
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099319112062324832/pdf/IDU0d8d7bece0c4c4042b50aef90f750da3e988a.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeEast Asia and Pacific
okr.region.countryMalaysia
okr.sectorSocial Protection
okr.themeLabor Market Institutions,Human Development and Gender,Private Sector Development,Labor Market Policy and Programs,Job Quality,Jobs
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Wages, Compensation & Benefits
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Health Insurance
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Social Funds and Pensions
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Social Protections & Assistance
okr.unitSocial Protection & Labor EAP (HEASP)
relation.isAuthorOfPublication74021e95-cbfa-52b7-9cc0-c06d840925a5
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery74021e95-cbfa-52b7-9cc0-c06d840925a5
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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