A new World Bank report, "Working Without Borders: The Potential and Risks of Online Sporadic Work," tracked online sporadic workers around the world, including those who work on local platforms or use languages other than English, often overlooked in most research.

The report found that the prevalence of online sporadic work globally is much higher than previously estimated, with as many as 435 million people engaged in such activity, often on a secondary basis.

In developing countries, sporadic work platforms are opening up unique avenues of employment, with significant potential for youth, women and people in remote areas who may have been excluded from more traditional labor markets.

Beyond that, online casual work represents a much-needed source of income during periods of crisis or transition, helps develop digital skills for young workers, and offers flexible income-generating opportunities for all.

In El Salvador a good portion of the population has a job working for digital platforms such as Uber, which leaves them with earnings to support themselves.

However, there are still too many workers who do not have access to the opportunities that online odd jobs can generate: almost 3 billion people worldwide were not using the Internet in 2022, mostly in developing countries. To address this challenge, the World Bank is working with governments and the private sector to close this gap.

This work includes policy reforms, public and private financing, and targeted subsidy programs for specific population groups to boost the deployment of digital infrastructure in rural areas and increase the affordability and use of high-speed Internet services and digital devices. In addition, it is essential to develop digital skills.

Translated by: A.M