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Education, inequality and use of digital collaborative platforms: The European case

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Jesús M Artero ,
Cristina Borra Open the ORCID record for Cristina Borra [Opens in a new window]  and
Rosario Gómez-Alvarez
Jesús M Artero
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
Cristina Borra*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
Rosario Gómez-Alvarez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
*
Cristina Borra, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad de Sevilla, Ramon y Cajal 1, Sevilla 41018, Spain. Email: cborra@us.es
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Abstract

This study examines the causal relationship between education and the use of digital collaborative platforms as a first step in exploring the potential impact of the new digital labour markets on inequality. From the viewpoint of transaction costs theory, the less educated could benefit significantly from the digital collaborative economy due to the reduction in information costs made possible by this new form of exchange. Conversely, a positive relationship between educational level and platform use may be expected following neoclassical and institutionalist economic theories. Using microdata from the 2016 Eurobarometer survey, together with an instrumental variables strategy and conventional ordinary least squares models, hypothesis testing reveals that education has a clear positive effect on digital collaborative platform use. As a result, the less educated are less likely to access the job opportunities offered by digital labour markets. Understanding the relationship between education and access to digital collaborative platforms and impacts on socio-economic inequality is crucial for designing future public policies that promote social justice and well-being in a disrupted landscape.

Keywords

I24J47O344IRdigital collaborative platformseducationFourth Industrial Revolutioninequalitynon-standard employment
Type
Themed collection articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 31 , Issue 3: The Future of Work , September 2020 , pp. 364 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2020

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