The Office for National Statistics Measures the Sharing Economy
The ONS has released a progress report on the feasibility of measuring the UK’s Sharing Economy.
With the help of our members, the ONS has released an article on the feasibility of measuring the UK sharing economy. It looks at the challenges of analysing sharing-economy characteristics using survey responses from known sharing-economy businesses in the UK but also the differentiation between sharing economy businesses and non-sharing economy businesses.
Some of the main points from the research were:
Sharing economy businesses reported a decrease in turnover compared to normal expectations for the time of year.
The proportions of sharing economy businesses who applied for and received government coronavirus support was similar to other businesses across all industries.
The proportion of employees in the sharing economy on furlough leave was similar to all industries.
E-commerce Survey results show that sharing economy businesses are more likely to generate turnover via their own website or app than non-sharing economy businesses.
The article highlights how many of our members have shown resilience and innovation in a time of crisis, “Sharing Economy UK have published examples of how some sharing economy businesses responded to the crisis by sharing their services and expertise for free or at reduced costs.”
Jon Gough, Statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said:
“Defining and measuring the sharing economy is challenging in this emerging sector, and working with Sharing Economy UK and its members has helped broaden our understanding. Our data are helping to inform policy and drive public debate in this cutting edge industry”
Read the article on the ONS website here.
