Social risks, platform economy, and welfare regime: evidence from platform workers’ views in Hong Kong

Cham Kit Keith MING; Tat Chor AU-YEUNG; Gizem ARAT

doi:10.1080/29949769.2025.2490040

Social risks, platform economy, and welfare regime: evidence from platform workers’ views in Hong Kong

Cham Kit Keith MING^*, Tat Chor AU-YEUNG, Gizem ARAT

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Sociology and Social Policy

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

Abstract

Informed by the new social risk perspective, this qualitative study aimed to examine workers’ experiences under and state responses to the platform economy. The findings drawn from the in-depth interviews with 23 participants indicate that platform workers perceived the occurrence of work-related risks as their responsibility, developing individualised coping strategies, and excluded from the social and labour protection system. They perceive this exclusion as a trade-off between security and their aspiration for freedom. Policy implications are drawn. This study conceptually linked platform work to the new social risk thesis and empirically unveiled East-Asian evidence from a Market Productivist Welfare Regime.

Original language	English
Journal	Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/29949769.2025.2490040
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 10 Apr 2025

Funding

The work was supported by the Hong Kong Research Grant Council [Early Career Scheme: 23601021].

Keywords

Social risks
platform economy
East Asian welfare regime
social security
labour protection

Access to Document

10.1080/29949769.2025.2490040

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/29949769.2025.2490040

Meaning, justification and aspiration: A qualitative study on the moral underpinnings of platform workers’ practices in Hong Kong
AU YEUNG, T. C. (PI)
Research Grants Council (HKSAR)
1/01/22 → 31/12/23
Project: Grant Research

Cite this

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title = "Social risks, platform economy, and welfare regime: evidence from platform workers{\textquoteright} views in Hong Kong",

abstract = "Informed by the new social risk perspective, this qualitative study aimed to examine workers{\textquoteright} experiences under and state responses to the platform economy. The findings drawn from the in-depth interviews with 23 participants indicate that platform workers perceived the occurrence of work-related risks as their responsibility, developing individualised coping strategies, and excluded from the social and labour protection system. They perceive this exclusion as a trade-off between security and their aspiration for freedom. Policy implications are drawn. This study conceptually linked platform work to the new social risk thesis and empirically unveiled East-Asian evidence from a Market Productivist Welfare Regime.",

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AU - MING, Cham Kit Keith

AU - AU-YEUNG, Tat Chor

AU - ARAT, Gizem

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Y1 - 2025/4/10

N2 - Informed by the new social risk perspective, this qualitative study aimed to examine workers’ experiences under and state responses to the platform economy. The findings drawn from the in-depth interviews with 23 participants indicate that platform workers perceived the occurrence of work-related risks as their responsibility, developing individualised coping strategies, and excluded from the social and labour protection system. They perceive this exclusion as a trade-off between security and their aspiration for freedom. Policy implications are drawn. This study conceptually linked platform work to the new social risk thesis and empirically unveiled East-Asian evidence from a Market Productivist Welfare Regime.

AB - Informed by the new social risk perspective, this qualitative study aimed to examine workers’ experiences under and state responses to the platform economy. The findings drawn from the in-depth interviews with 23 participants indicate that platform workers perceived the occurrence of work-related risks as their responsibility, developing individualised coping strategies, and excluded from the social and labour protection system. They perceive this exclusion as a trade-off between security and their aspiration for freedom. Policy implications are drawn. This study conceptually linked platform work to the new social risk thesis and empirically unveiled East-Asian evidence from a Market Productivist Welfare Regime.

KW - Social risks

KW - platform economy

KW - East Asian welfare regime

KW - social security

KW - labour protection

U2 - 10.1080/29949769.2025.2490040

DO - 10.1080/29949769.2025.2490040

M3 - Journal Article (refereed)

SN - 2994-9769

JO - Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development

JF - Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development

ER -

Social risks, platform economy, and welfare regime: evidence from platform workers’ views in Hong Kong

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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Meaning, justification and aspiration: A qualitative study on the moral underpinnings of platform workers’ practices in Hong Kong

Cite this