App-based workers already form a contingent of almost 2 million people in Brazil, according to a survey by IBGE conducted in partnership with Unicamp and the Labor Prosecutor's Office. The survey provides a detailed portrait of who uses digital platforms to earn their livelihood.
The survey reveals that 1.8 million Brazilians work through apps as their main activity. Of this total, six in ten (58.9%) work in passenger transport, including taxi drivers, representing nearly 1.2 million people. Another 29.9%, or about 585,000 workers, were engaged in delivery activities.
The predominant profile of these workers is men, with intermediate education, who work for themselves. Most of them do not have a formal employment relationship with the platforms they use.
The study was released on Friday and offers, for the first time, official data on the size and characteristics of this rapidly growing segment of the Brazilian economy.
