Soziologie

As part of the Lecture Series of the RTG 2951 “Cross-Border Labour Markets (Bielefeld/Duisburg-Essen), Andrea Herrmann (Department Future of Work, Innovation & Organisation, University of Duisburg-Essen Germany) will give a lecture on “Skill Development and Income Success in Online Cross-Border Labour Markets” on Monday, 11th May 2026, 15:45- 17:15.

In her study, she explores how Industry 4.0, automation, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms are reshaping gig work and redefining workers’ skill requirements. Together with her coauthors Zixin Pan, Radboud University, Julia Bartosch, Radboud University, Matthijs B. Punt, Utrecht University she examines how different forms of skill development influence the income trajectories of online gig workers. Using an unbalanced panel of 366,673 worker profiles from a leading global digital labour platform observed across eight waves over four years, they employ a System Generalised Method of Moments (System GMM) estimator to account for dynamic income processes, unobserved heterogeneity, and potential endogeneity in workers’ skill investment decisions. Skill development is captured through three indicators: formal education, platform-issued certifications, and third-party certifications. The results show that only platform-issued certifications are associated with a statistically significant increase in hourly income over time, while formal education and third-party certifications exhibit no statistically significant relationship with income change. These findings highlight the importance of platform-specific learning for adapting to dynamic market demands and achieving sustainable income growth in the online gig economy.

Monday, 11th May 2026, 15:45- 17:15, Duisburg, Centre for Global Cooperation Research, Schifferstraße 44, Horst-Schimanski-Saal