Imagined Futures of Digital Work: Understanding National and EU Politics of Platform Work Regulation

Matteo Marenco

From artificial intelligence and big data to robotics and digital platforms, the digitalization of the economy has been at the core of vibrant discussions. Given the transformative power of digital technologies, sociologists, political economists, and lawyers have devoted much attention to the implications for the future of work and employment. While a wealth of knowledge has been produced, one element has been largely overlooked: the importance of a future-oriented perspective among actors who are involved in decision-making processes concerning digital work. What do different “digital futures of work” look like, and to what extent do they translate into regulation? Relying on semi-structured interviews with employment ministries’ representatives and social partners, the project seeks to answer these questions by focusing on platform work regulation, and particularly on decision-making processes concerning the contract classification of workers in the on-location segment of the platform economy.