Gig Economy and Youth Migration: Reflections on the integration of young Latin American food delivery couriers in Spain

Abstract

This study examines how gig work on food delivery platforms impacts the migratory trajectories and integration processes of young Latin American migrants in Spanish cities. The objective is to analyze this work modality as a phenomenon that, while offering initial opportunities, also generates precariousness and exclusion. Information on the experiences of delivery couriers was collected through interviews and participant observation. The findings indicate that workers view this occupation as a temporary solution while they regularize their legal status and access formal employment opportunities. However, such precariousness can disrupt their educational and professional trajectories, compounding disadvantages compared to the local population and perpetuating social exclusion. Simultaneously, gig work on food delivery platforms fosters individual empowerment, rooted in the acceptance of precariousness as a rite of passage accompanied by the hope for a better future. Personal agency can also evolve into collective agency and solidarity, strengthening social bonds, mutual support, and resistance. This highlights the need to further explore how these collective ties influence social integration, even as integration with the local society remains limited. The study concludes by underscoring the urgency of implementing reforms in migration policies and platform regulations to foster a more equitable and effective integration process.