Extending Social Insurance to Workers in the Platform Economy in Viet Nam : Part I - Large-Scale Online Survey of Platform Workers

Overview & Synopsis

Over the past decade, technology has fundamentally reshaped traditional work patterns, creating new ways in which work is contracted, performed, managed, scheduled, and paid. Platform workers are gig workers whose work is mediated by digital platforms, which can be categorized as web-based or location-based. A growing number of both international and locally operated platforms have emerged, offering a wide range of services. Understanding the status and willingness to participate in the social insurance as well as the types of benefits most valued by platform workers remains a critical gap, which our study intends to address. This note lays out policy agenda for better and more inclusive social protection for platform workers in Viet Nam. The purpose of this note is to better understand local gig and platform work in Viet Nam with the aim of informing policies to support their participation in the Government’s social insurance initiatives. Together, both the qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment, grounded in extensive international research help inform policy interventions to support platform workers’ participation in the social insurance system in Viet Nam. This note has four sections. Section 1 provides an overview of the contribution of the gig and platform economy to Viet Nam’s economic development and the emergence of new forms of employment, noting that despite rapid growth, most workers remain excluded from the public social insurance system. Section 2 examines work arrangements across platforms, the types of insurance currently provided, and the challenges in supporting workers’ participation in different schemes. Section 3 provides an overview of current social insurance and tax legislation in Viet Nam. Section 4 summarizes key findings of the survey on employment patterns, income, insurance priorities, willingness to save, and social insurance design options, providing critical evidence to inform policy recommendations alongside the international overview presented in Part II of the report.