Students making extra money by microtasking

Students making extra money by microtasking

Many students may want to do this as a way of making extra money or to support themselves while in school. As a student, when I was reading about microtasking I was able to relate to this.

U of T Signals Sprinter

I found conversations, research, and other information on microtasking in the GTA through social media. The primary platforms I used were Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter. On these platforms, users discussed how microtasking allowed them to make extra money. The discussions on some of the threads also included what microtasking is, and the applications used to microtask.

I also spoke with friends and classmates to see if they had heard about microtasking, or did similar work to microtasking. When browsing the internet some of the microtasking jobs and small jobs I saw were on my YouTube feed. Some of these microtasking jobs showed up when streaming online shows and websites. One-off tasks usually don’t pay, however, they do guide you to more sources and links if you want to continue answering surveys or want to earn money.

As a group, we also concluded that microwork was more prominent in the United States than Canada. U.S companies are the primary source of microtasking jobs however, many jobs are open to anyone regardless of their location.

What factors are behind microwork’s popularity?

Some of the data found after doing research on microtasking:

• Tasks are available around the world
• People must have basic computer knowledge and an electronic device
• No particular knowledge is needed in order to participate in microtasking
• Making extra cash along with a regular job or other responsibilities are benefits of microtasking 
• Microtaskers are often students or stay at home parents
• Looking at gender, more women microtask, however, for youth and students, it was a mix

My colleague writes about how students may want to microtask as a way of making extra pocket money or to support themselves while in school. As a student, when I was reading about microtasking I was able to relate to this. It does give you some money for doing small tasks that you can do on your own time and can access through a laptop. For stay-at-home parents, microtasking is a way to make some money when not busy with other responsibilities. 

One clear advantage of microtasking is that each task takes a small amount of time and you can pick up tasks when you have time. This is very different from having a part- or full-time job. Microtaksing also gives you flexibility as it allows you to decide what tasks you want to participate in. 

I found this interesting, as it gives users flexibility but also a choice. In conclusion, microtasking is a job that is accessible to almost everyone. It is a way to make extra money or have a side hustle. In our collective signals, we did see some people who did this as a full-time job but it was not common. Microtasking as a side gig was more common.

Are students making money microtasking?

When scanning articles, I found it difficult to find information about microwork’s popularity more specifically in Toronto. I was able to see some opportunities listed on online news articles, blogs, and social media feeds. When speaking to my colleagues, I found they encountered the same issues. We found some sources for Toronto but started to realize that microtasking was not specifically in Toronto. Microtasking was more of a global gig/job. Another challenge was finding specific opportunities. Microtasking is not advertised as a single job. Instead, microworkers find work through an application that lists jobs. An example is Timebucks, which is a website that allows you to select surveys you want to answer.

Questions that came up were:

• Why are youth, students, and stay-at-home parents microtasking?
• Is this because this type of work is more flexible and more accessible to them?
• For students, could more frequent social media use and comfort using technology be a factor?
• Are young people the major target for microtasking?

Microtasking is a form of precarious work because of the low pay rate. In my conversations with other students, I found it interesting to find that many people are combining a regular job with this type of work to make a living or extra money. It could show that extra income is wanted and needed by people to meet their expenses. This made me think deeper about the types of jobs people have and how much they are being paid. It also made me consider how the concept of precarious work differs from country to country. Finally, I question whether precarious work will become more common across all age groups in the future.

Related reading

Kristy Milland: The state of microwork

Microtasking as a quick fix to ease the cash crunch

Phase 1: Microtasking signals sprint

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TWIG Microtasking Team

Toronto Workforce Innovation Group is a leading-edge research and partnership organization responding to the diverse needs of local communities and businesses in the area of workforce development.

Latest posts by TWIG Microtasking Team (see all)

• TWIG’s microwork library - February 29, 2020
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• City of Toronto: Inclusive economic development - February 11, 2020