西方“零工经济”盛行的生成逻辑与劳动形态研究——基于马克思主义政治经济学视角

A Study on the Generative Logic and Labor Forms of the Predominant Western “Gig Economy”—From the Perspective of Marxist Political Economy

摘要: 数字技术快速发展推动零工经济在西方发达国家快速扩张，覆盖网约车、外卖配送、平台兼职等领域，成为西方劳动力市场重要组成部分。零工经济表面是灵活就业创新，拓展劳动者就业选择，背后却存在劳动者权益缺失、收入不稳定、剥削隐蔽化等突出矛盾。立足于马克思主义政治经济学视角可以发现，西方零工经济兴起并非单纯技术创新结果，而是资本积累内在矛盾运动的必然产物，是资本应对积累危机、追逐利润最大化而调整生产与用工模式的产物。本文结合数字马克思主义、平台资本主义相关理论，梳理西方零工经济现实样貌，剖析其生成根源，揭示零工经济本质是资本主义剥削形式的数字化转型，分析其社会影响。既有助于把握当代资本主义新矛盾新特征，也能够为我国规范灵活就业、维护劳动者合法权益提供理论参考。

Abstract: With the rapid advancement of digital technologies, the gig economy has burgeoned prominently in developed Western nations, spanning diverse sectors such as ride-hailing, food delivery, and platform-based part-time work, thereby becoming a significant component of the Western labor market. While superficially embodying an innovative form of “flexible employment” that offers workers expanded occupational choices, the gig economy is concomitantly fraught with issues including the erosion of labor rights, income instability, and the covert nature of exploitation. From the perspective of Marxist political economy, the prevalence of the gig economy in the West is neither incidental nor merely a product of technological innovation; rather, it constitutes an inevitable outcome of the inherent contradictions of capital accumulation. It reflects strategic adjustments in production methods and employment patterns undertaken by capital to address accumulation crises and maximize profit. Grounded in Marxist theoretical frameworks and incorporating contemporary digital Marxism and platform capitalism theories, this paper examines the current proliferation of the Western gig economy to elucidate its deep-rooted causes. It reveals that the gig economy essentially represents a contemporary reconfiguration of capitalist exploitation. Furthermore, the paper explores its implications for Western societies, offering a theoretical lens to comprehend the evolving characteristics and contradictions of modern capitalism, while providing insights for China to regulate flexible employment and safeguard labor rights.