Platform economy and COVID-19
A look at delivery, home care, and online freelance work in Spain and Latin America  

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The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated trends in the digital economy that were not anticipated for another five or ten years and has upended daily life, introducing new social dynamics and consumption patterns. It has marked a turning point in many areas of our personal and collective life. One of the sectors that have been most affected is the digital economy, with special regard for the platform economy. 

Digital labor platforms have started to adapt to the new context to meet the needs of consumers, businesses, and workers. However, there is still very little information on the scale of COVID-19’s impact on the platform economy or on the steps that the sector is taking to adjust to this impact. 

As a result, the Digital Future Society Lab (DFS Lab) and the innovation lab of the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB Lab) has prepared this report which presents the perspectives of 34 digital labor platforms operating in Spain and/or Latin America in one of the three sectors analyzed 

 The study reflects their experiences regarding COVID-19’s impact and the future of the platform economy.