dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Lah!

Coronavirus And The Digital Economy

  • April 17, 2020
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

The COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing brought the digital economy into the spotlight: the good, the bad, and the future ahead.

With countries taking strict preventative measures in order to flatten the curve, people have resorted to the use of digital platforms in order to continue working from their homes ⁠— the people who have the capacity to do so, that is.

The case of developed countries

Almost all economies across the globe have taken a huge hit due to the pandemic which continues to spread further each passing day. Forced to limit or even to put their operations to a complete halt, business is definitely not going on as usual.

However, in the case of developed countries like China, the United States, and Europe, the rate of development of digital technologies in order to support remote work has accelerated. This fast development is expected to offset some of the economic damage that has been taken so far.

At the same time, this development will also shake up the future of work, even with the pandemic out of the picture.

“Once effective work-from-home policies are established, they are likely to stick,” Karen Harris, managing director of consultancy Bain’s Macro Trends Group in New York told Bloomberg.

The short end of the stick

On the flip side, this pandemic has exposed an ugly side of the digital economy. The digital world has provided new job opportunities for people, however, not all of these opportunities are made equal.

In recent years, a surge in the number of U.S. adults earning through online platforms has been observed. These people, mostly independent contractors and freelancers, have formed what is now known as the gig economy.

Gig workers are involved in a wide range of industries, including driving services such as those offered by Uber and Lyft, administrative work, and creative work, among others.

On one hand, jobs provided by the gig economy provide flexibility and control of one’s time. However, for those who have gig work as their primary job, this means that they will not receive the benefits of full-time workers such as vacation or sick leaves. It also puts a lot of uncertainty when it comes to job security.

The pandemic makes the impact of these downsides even clearer. Now that they are forced to stay in their homes, a lot of people in this sector of the digital economy receive lower income with the decline of people needing their services.

Certainly, ride-hailing and delivery services have increased in demand now that people are compelled to stay in their homes, but drivers are forced to risk exposure to potentially infected clients. Otherwise, they will not be earning.

Companies like Amazon, DoorDash, Uber, and Lyft promised to give their workers sick pay if they are quarantined due to or have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Yet, the reality remains that a lot of people have to continue working at the expense of potentially risking their own lives.

This blaring truth of the gig economy should serve as a wake-up call for companies to rethink the way they treat their workers, providing them with benefits and protections that they are currently deprived of.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Coronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Digital Platforms
  • Gig Economy
majulah

Previous Article
  • Cities

The World’s Leading Financial Centres

  • April 17, 2020
View Post
Next Article
  • Lah!

Close To 800 F&B Establishments On GrabFood Now Available For Islandwide Delivery

  • April 17, 2020
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Lah!

Tariffs, Trump, and Other Things That Start With T – They’re Not The Problem, It’s How We Use Them

  • John Francis
  • March 25, 2025
View Post
  • Lah!

Canonical announces 12 year Kubernetes LTS

  • John Francis
  • March 4, 2025
dotlah-smartnation-singapore-lawrence-wong
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Featured
  • Features
  • Lah!
  • Machine Learning
  • Technology

Growth, community and trust the ‘building blocks’ as Singapore refreshes Smart Nation strategies: PM Wong

  • Dean Marc
  • October 9, 2024
dotlah-singapore-ndp-2024
View Post
  • Lah!

Here’s what to expect for NDP 2024!

  • dotlah.com
  • August 9, 2024
dotlah-singapore-airlines_may_21-1716298816
View Post
  • Lah!

Severe turbulence during Singapore Airlines flight leaves several people badly injured. One man died

  • majulah
  • May 22, 2024
dotlah-pm-lee-lawrence-wong-9656d4cd-1fa4-40ed-905d-e19e639b8476_728802dd
View Post
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

End of Lee Era for Singapore as PM Steps Down

  • dotlah.com
  • May 16, 2024
DPM Lawrence Wong will be Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
View Post
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

7 things to know about Singapore’s next prime minister Lawrence Wong

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024
When asked about his leadership style, DPM Lawrence Wong said he will be open and consultative, but he will not shirk from doing what is necessary for Singapore's future. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
View Post
  • Features
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

‘We are prepared to relook everything’: Lawrence Wong on a changing society and his hopes for S’pore

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024


Trending
  • 1
    • Technology
    ST Engineering And Janus Technologies Launch Asia’s First Cloud, Firmware Endpoint Security Solution
    • February 28, 2020
  • 2
    • People
    PM Wong takes Scoot flight, fellow passengers cheer
    • October 16, 2024
  • 3
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    Grab Collaborates With IMDA To Pilot Grab Ventures Ignite In Singapore
    • March 20, 2020
  • 4
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    Singapore Airlines And Temasek Foundation Partner To Support World Food Programme And The Global Covid-19 Response
    • August 13, 2020
  • 5
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    ST Engineering Launches Anti-Microbial Solution Approved for Use In Cabin Interiors
    • February 4, 2021
  • 6
    • Technology
    NParks And SNDGG Trial SPOT Robot For Safe Distancing Operations At Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
    • May 9, 2020
  • 7
    • Lah!
    • Society
    Higher Starting Salaries And Strong Employment Prospects For NUS Graduates
    • February 29, 2020
  • 8
    • Lah!
    Designers To Get Greater Assurance In Industrial Designs Protection As Singapore Signs On To The Locarno Agreement
    • February 12, 2020
  • road cars 9
    • Cities
    3 Proven Urban Designing Principles That Enhance Road Safety
    • December 7, 2020
  • extreme-heat-cities-1600 10
    • Cities
    Extreme Heat Affects 2 Billion People Living in Cities
    • October 27, 2021
  • 11
    • Lah!
    CapitaLand Staff Volunteers To Put In 6,000 Hours Towards Community Distribution Of Free Hand Sanitiser At 16 Malls In Singapore in support of Temasek Foundation’s Stay Prepared initiative
    • March 19, 2020
  • 12
    • Cities
    How COVID Has Revealed The Need For A Rethink In Urban Planning
    • August 14, 2020
Trending
  • 1
    Press Start (Or Hit Enter)! Your Go-To Loadout for Streamers and Gamers.
    • July 19, 2025
  • 2
    ESWIN Computing launches the EBC77 Series Single Board Computer with Ubuntu
    • July 17, 2025
  • 3
    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
    • July 9, 2025
  • Camping 4
    The Summer Adventures : Camping Essentials
    • June 28, 2025
  • 5
    Meralco PowerGen’s PacificLight starts up 100 MW fast-response plant in Singapore
    • June 20, 2025
  • 6
    A Father’s Day Gift for Every Pop and Papa
    • June 14, 2025
  • 7
    Apple services deliver powerful features and intelligent updates to users this autumn
    • June 12, 2025
  • 8
    Apple supercharges its tools and technologies for developers to foster creativity, innovation, and design
    • June 11, 2025
  • 9
    It’s time to stop debating whether AI is genuinely intelligent and focus on making it work for society
    • June 8, 2025
  • 10
    PBBM asks Singapore to invest more in PH renewable energy projects
    • June 6, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.