Employment Status Transformation of Online Transportation Workers at the City of Palembang in the Demographic Bonus Era

Abstract

This study was designed to explain the transformation of the employment status among online transportation workers in the City of Palembang in the demographic bonus era. It employed mixed methods that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches and revealed that in the demographic bonus, the employment statuses of workers before joining online transportation were unemployed, formal-sector workers, and informal-sector workers. More than fifty percent of workers in the formal and informal sectors left their employments following their decision to focus on working in a mobility service provider. This change offered several benefits; for instance, they could manage their working time, earn a higher income, communicate with various individuals, and acquire many friends and knowledge of many locations in the city. On the other side, the disadvantage was that customers might occasionally cancel their orders. As for those who also continued to work in the formal and informal sectors, they could earn an additional income, even though it fluctuated uncertainly because sometimes passengers paid less than the specified tariff. Another disadvantage was that they rarely had the time to gather with their families.

Keywords: Transformation, Employment Status, Demographic Bonus.