A Hybrid Social Protection Model for Gig Workers in the Digital Era: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the forms and mechanisms of social protection for gig workers and formulate a hybrid social protection model that is relevant to the context of developing countries. The research uses the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method with the PRISMA 2020 approach, covering 44 main articles and 3 additional articles obtained from the Scopus database for the period 2021–2025. The data were analyzed descriptively and thematically based on three dimensions of social protection: formal, institutional, and community. The results of the study show that most gig workers are not covered by the formal social security system because their employment status is categorized as independent contractors. The institutional protections provided by platform companies are still voluntary and limited, while informal social protections are growing strong through the solidarity of the working community as an adaptive mechanism to the uncertainty of digital work. Based on the synthesis of results, this study proposes a Hybrid Social Protection Model that integrates the role of the state, digital platforms, and working communities to create an inclusive, flexible, and sustainable protection system. This research makes a theoretical and practical contribution to development.