administrative data

The Online Platform Economy

ilrweb admin — Fri, 11 May 2018 19:09:31 +0000

The Online Platform Economy ilrweb admin Fri, 05/11/2018 - 15:09

How is it collected?

Bank account records were completely anonymized prior to being released to JPMorgan Chase Institute researchers. Transaction histories from October 2012 to June 2021 were analyzed in order to track income from platform work, including its relationship to other income streams and expenses.

Who collects it?

JPMorgan Chase Institute, a think tank affiliated with JPMorgan Chase aimed at increasing understanding of the global economic system.

What is it measuring?

People's income from 128 different online platforms, extracted from JPMorgan Chase bank accounts. The most recent report focuses on the period between 2018 and 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Platforms are divided into four sectors: transportation work (rideshare and delivery), non-transportation work (including both in-person and virtual services), selling goods, and leasing assets.

What does it tell us?

Prior to the pandemic, participation on platforms had been growing steadily. The percentage of households who had earned income on platforms peaked at 2.5 percent in early 2020 before dropping to 1.9 percent shortly after the onset of the pandemic. By June 2021, participation had risen back to near-peak pre-pandemic levels.

During the pandemic, participation in transportation and leasing platform work dropped most significantly, while non-transportation work remained stable and selling platforms continued to grow. Compared to the general population, platform workers - particularly those involved in the transportation sector - were more likely to receive Unemployment Insurance under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

Considerations

The data are limited to JPMorgan Chase account holders, who are not fully representative of US workers; they are more likely to be men, to be between 25 and 54, live in the West, and have higher incomes than the average American. In addition, the reliance on account transactions means that hours worked and related expenses are unknowns, so information on earnings is limited.

How to access this data?

Privately held by JPMorgan Chase Institute

Study tags

Reports

The Online Platform Economy in 2018; 2018; Diana Farrell, Fiona Greig, Amar Hamoudi; JPMorgan Chase Institute;

Paychecks, Paydays, and the Online Platform Economy; 2016; Diana Farrell, Fiona Greig; JPMorgan Chase Institute;

The Online Platform Economy: Has Growth Peaked?; 2016; Diana Farrell, Fiona Greig; JPMorgan Chase Institute;

The Online Platform Economy through the Pandemic; 2021; Fiona Greig, Daniel M. Sullivan; JPMorgan Chase Institute;

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Schedule SE/C Tax Returns

ilrweb admin — Fri, 11 May 2018 18:57:03 +0000

Schedule SE/C Tax Returns ilrweb admin Fri, 05/11/2018 - 14:57

How is it collected?

Findings are based on a sample of 2014 individual tax returns, including a 10-percent sample of individuals who file a Schedule SE or Schedule C, which are used to report self-employment income and sole-proprietorships, and a 1-percent sample of W2 wage earners without self-employment income.

Who collects it?

The Office of Tax Analysis of the U.S. Department of Treasury.

What is it measuring?

The number of workers with self-employment income.

What does it tell us?

In 2014, 12 percent of all tax filers with earnings filed returns reporting self-employment income or the operation of a nonfarm sole-proprietorship, up 32 percent since 2001. 0.7 percent filed a return reporting income from an online intermediary.

Considerations

This count includes only self-employed workers, and so excludes many other gig arrangements, like temp-agency, on-call, and contract-company work. In addition, although it considers comprehensively all tax returns filed, workers may not always be filing the appropriate forms. Replication of this count is needed to track trends over time.

How to access this data?

The full returns are not publicly available, but much administrative tax data is available via the IRS Tax Statistics page.

Study tags

independent contractors

online platforms

public

worker-side

Reports

The Rise of Alternative Work Arrangements: Evidence and Implications for Tax Filing and Benefit Coverage; 2017; Emilie Jackson, Adam Looney, and Shanthi Ramnath; Dpt of Treasury Office of Tax Analysis;

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Online Income Positions

ilrweb admin — Fri, 11 May 2018 18:46:57 +0000

Online Income Positions ilrweb admin Fri, 05/11/2018 - 14:46

How is it collected?

Through a survey of Internet Association’s (IA) member companies, along with publicly available resources from those companies.

Who collects it?

The Internet Association, a trade association of Internet-based companies.

What is it measuring?

The number of accounts ("online income positions," or OIPs) held by workers on Internet Association member platforms.

What does it tell us?

As of 2017, there were approximately 23.9 million Online Internet Positions.

Considerations

Many workers hold accounts on multiple platforms, and so this measure does not tell us the number of workers using these platforms. In addition, it does not account for how active accounts are; many accounts may not be in use.

Although the one-time data point is no longer accurate, it represents a unique approach to measurement and the potential for companies to share data.

How to access this data?

Privately held by the Internet Association.

Study tags

Reports

America's Online 'Jobs': Conceptualizations, Measurements, and Influencing Factors; 2017; Christopher Hooton; Business Economics;

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