In line with global trends related to the technological disruption of the labor market, the platform economy is a constantly growing and evolving reality in Paraguay. Since the launch<\/a> of the country\u2019s first ride-hailing app, the national company MUV, the ecosystem has seen remarkable growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A study<\/a> by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is one of the first detailed reports on the platform economy in the country, reveals that there are more than 40 digital intermediary platforms operating in Paraguay. The study defines the platform economy as economic activities mediated by a platform through which independent workers or sellers can sell a service or a good, thus including e-commerce platforms. However, it also notes the existence of multiple transportation and delivery platforms, which form part of the scope of this study, along with other cloud-based service platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on various media reports, as well as studies analyzing this ecosystem<\/a>, it is reasonable to conclude that passenger transportation and product delivery apps dominate Paraguay\u2019s current platform economy. It is also evident that these platforms employ a significant workforce. Statements<\/a> made to the press by the national head of Bolt indicate that there will be 15,000 drivers operating on that platform nationwide by 2024. Public policy<\/a> impact reports from the same company, however, cite a figure of 20,000 drivers. The MUV platform<\/a> also mentioned, as early as 2022, a fleet of approximately 8,000 drivers. It is important to note that, to date, there are no official statistics on the size of this ecosystem from institutions such as the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security (MTESS) or the National Institute of Statistics (INE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to continue expanding the body of knowledge and understanding of platform work in Paraguay, the TEDIC team\u2014in partnership with researchers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay, and under the coordination of the prestigious Adolfo Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez University in Chile<\/a>\u2014determined the need to generate comparative data from diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on a shared conceptual framework<\/a> that recognizes platform workers as an emerging workforce performing tasks organized and mediated by technological systems\u2014ranging from passenger transportation, the sale of goods and services, and content creation to the digitization and classification of information that fuels the operation of computational algorithms\u2014a study was conducted that proposes an analysis of platform work through the lens of social imaginaries<\/a>. This concept allows us to analyze how platform workers interpret and justify their participation in these activities within specific contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on this understanding, and following the collaborative development of a questionnaire that addressed issues such as why workers engage in this type of work, their perceptions of its positive and negative aspects, and their future prospects, the survey was conducted in these countries during the first half of 2025, resulting in more than 100 interviews with workers on various types of platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The study conducted in Paraguay presents an analysis based on interviews with delivery workers, passenger transport workers, and cloud-based workers, with the aim of better understanding the needs and opportunities they identify in their respective jobs, and to highlight their experiences within this ecosystem, with a view to fostering an informed debate on the subject. A total of 27 workers were interviewed from the delivery sector, passenger transport, and international companies that hire people virtually (or \u201cin the cloud\u201d) for data analytics, intelligence, online betting services, and translation. A total of 11 cisgender women, 15 cisgender men, and 1 transgender man were interviewed. The age range of the sample is broad, spanning from 20 to 60 years old. The study represents a novel contribution to the still-emerging platform work ecosystem in Paraguay, as while there are various studies documenting work on platforms such as Uber, Bolt, and PedidosYa<\/a>, information on cloud workers in Paraguay remains scarce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The testimonies highlight a series of daily and situational experiences that reveal a complex landscape involving various stakeholders: customers, restaurants and service establishments, platform workers, traffic officers, as well as the platforms themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to note that, based on the interactions among the stakeholders mentioned above, a number of discrimination issues specific to the delivery sector have emerged, which must be addressed appropriately. While the testimonies do not directly point to the platforms as the source of discrimination\u2014but rather to interactions with various types of customers and product suppliers\u2014it is clear that there are no preventive mechanisms in place to stop these situations from occurring in the first place. In this regard, platforms must actively design anti-discrimination policies that foster a healthy coexistence within the platform ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, the digitization of work has led to an apparent dehumanization of workers, particularly in delivery and cloud-based work, which requires attention from the platforms. Various accounts from these two types of work point to feelings of being treated like machines\u2014perceptions that do not emerge in interviews with passenger transport workers. It is imperative to reject a future that does not allow various members of the platform ecosystem to maintain a minimum degree of recognition for the workers who make these sectors viable, and to implement educational policies for the entire platform ecosystem, not just for workers. Such policies must be implemented for different audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, and regardless of the digital interface that dominates this type of work, various accounts from delivery, gig economy, and transportation workers highlight the need for and search for community as an indisputable part of their work. Such needs must be taken into account by the platforms. Policies that encourage in-person and virtual gatherings, as well as spaces for interaction to exchange experiences or simply socialize within the context of the workers\u2019 duties, are crucial to preventing feelings of isolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, and as an important point to highlight based on the various testimonies collected, it is clear that the flexibility and autonomy perceived by the interviewees constitute undeniable benefits associated with the work they perform. These perceived benefits must be preserved in any discussion regarding regulation of the sector, in order to guarantee basic working conditions currently denied to these workers, without eliminating the benefits that keep them tied to the sector despite the problems they recognize within this ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBroadening the Perspective on Platform Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusions and Recommendations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n