Quality-of-Life Mapping for Gig Households: A Multidimensional Perspective
Keywords:
gig economy household well-being quality of life indonesiaAbstract
Indonesia’s gig economy is expanding rapidly, yet debates on its welfare impact remain largely income focused. This paper widens the lens by mapping the quality of life of gig-worker households using nationally representative SUSENAS 2022 microdata and a Quality-of-Life Index (QLI) composed of seven policy relevant dimensions: food security (FIES), housing quality and crowding, access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, household energy (electricity and cooking fuel), digital assets and connectivity, children’s school attendance, and health insurance coverage. Gig households are identified consistently through three complementary scopes core, extended, and broad classifying a household as gig when at least one member meets the respective criteria. Beyond comparing average QLI scores and dimension level components between gig and non-gig households, we estimate binary logistic regressions to assess the association between gig status and the likelihood of being classified as “well-off.” The results indicate that gig-worker households are, overall, less well-off than other households, driven primarily by lower housing quality, more limited ease of access to household energy, and lower health-insurance coverage; by contrast, they display a clear advantage in digital connectivity, and differences in children’s school attendance are not consistent. The gap is more pronounced among low-expenditure households, in rural areas, and in female-headed households, while urban and better-educated gig households show narrower differences. Policy directions follow directly from these patterns: prioritize affordable housing quality improvements, ensure easier access to household energy alongside targeted energy assistance for vulnerable gig households, and leverage digital channels to deliver information, skills training, and access to job opportunities more effectively.
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