With one of the worst unemployment rates in Europe, gig work has become one of few viable options to make a living in Italy during the pandemic.

In a country that had one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe even before the virus struck, gig work has become one of the few viable options to make a living in Italy's post-COVID-19 economy. As more jobless Italians are forced to join the gig economy rat race, riders are competing with an even greater number of colleagues -or rivals, depending on how you look at it -to secure orders from large online delivery platforms.

In Italy, there have been several attempts to regulate the sector. In February, a Milan court fined food delivery platforms Foodinho-Glovo, Uber Eats Italy, Just Eat Italy and Deliveroo Italy