Driving to Opportunity? Ride-Hail and Delivery Work as a Complement, Supplement, and Replacement to Traditional Work for Low-Income Drivers

2026/07/23 by Anne Brown

paper · doi:10.1177/0739456x261466639

Abstract

Ride-hail and delivery platforms offer new ways to earn income using a car. But the ways that ride-hail and delivery platforms shift or fit into work opportunities for people earning low incomes remain unclear. Focus groups and a national survey of low-income ride-hail and delivery drivers in the United States examine motivations to drive and how driving relates to broader work opportunities. Findings show that driving complements (fills employment gaps), supplements (provides extra money), or replaces traditional work. Drivers leverage flexibility and adjust work hours based on changing needs. In many ways, driving reflects the systemic economic precarity faced by low-income workers.

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