Measuring new forms of employment in Labour Force Survey in Mexico, INEGI, Mexico

This document aims to summarize the conceptual and methodological design and results of measuring dependent contractors (DC) and digital platform work through the Labour Force Survey (EFL by its acronym in Spanish) 2019, an experimental statistic carried out by Mexico’s NSO, INEGI, to implement the conceptual framework aligned with the resolutions adopted by the 19th and 20th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS). EFL made it possible to measure new forms of employment based on the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18) and work related to the use of digital platforms. The EFL 2019 was meticulously designed based on six previous cognitive tests, which provided the statistical test questionnaire's wording, structure, and thematic sequence. The units subject to analysis are the dwelling, household, the usual residents, and the selected person. The target population is individuals aged 15 and over. The collection method was a direct interview (face-to-face) with a paper questionnaire. The survey period was from November 4 through 29, 2019, and included a sample of 11,998 dwellings. The EFL considers DC nominally self-employed workers (not employees) who are operators of a third entity. This firm or company determines the entire market policy, for example, the final price of the product or service. Measuring this category makes it possible to make visible forms of work that combine dependent and independent work features. This has implications for access to contingency protection and retirement and pension schemes. On the other hand, platform workers in the EFL were identified as workers in any status in employment who responded if they usually use an app or website to promote or sell products or services, to respond to requests for services, to provide monitoring to the service given to the client, and others. This contributes to understanding the quality of employment concerning the occupation diversity regarding safety versus economic risk, operational autonomy versus lack thereof, and stability versus flexibility in employment relationships. In addition, the new insertion modalities through digital platforms give rise to the whole range of on-demand and gig economy works.