What Is the Sharing Economy?

The sharing economy has provoked controversy – advocates claim that it provides opportunity and flexibility while critics argue that it exacerbates inequality. This study investigates whether the work on the platforms and the uncertainty in the sharing economy can contribute to the increasing inequality. This is discussed based on results from independent interviews with suppliers on the platform Airbnb and with a sharing economy expert. These are compared with studies done in the United States. In the sharing economy, the union organization is often non-existent and there are no collective agreements, which means the employees are excluded from the security system. The sharing economy can therefore strengthen the trends that previously caused inequality: people treated as independent entrepreneurs and the economic and social risks of employment are the responsibility of the worker. Not everyone can do well in the sharing economy. The platform-earnings goes to those with a already fairly good income - to do well on Airbnb, you need some kind of capital to rent out. Findings show us that highly educated people use Airbnb to increase their current income - this could mean that the sharing economy contributes to increased incomes in the upper middle class. This group performs work that has traditionally been performed by people with lower educational status, whose jobs could be "pushed away".