In 2014, the Benenson Strategy Group performed a survey to study the reasons behind drivers choosing to work for Uber. Their survey showed that drivers opted to work for Uber since it gave them a degree of freedom other opportunities did not provide.
Since 2014, Uber has gone through many upheavals, including drivers that came and went like chaff in the wind. While the number of Uber drivers grew from a paltry 160,000 in 2014, there are now over 2 million Uber drivers, and the number is continuing to grow, but not at the exponential growth that they started off with between 2014 and 2015, where figures more than doubled.
What the Benenson survey showed Uber back in the bad old days of Kalanick was still in power is true today too.
Check out the latest statistics collated from various sources and true for 2018.
- Out of all the US-based drivers, 27% are women
- Female Uber drivers make 7% less than male drivers who are roughly $1.24 per hour less
- Female Uber driver turnover stands at 76% every six months, compared to 60% for men
- Nearly a quarter of Uber’s drivers are over the age of 50
- 19% are under age 30.
- The majority of drivers are white 40.3%.
- 87% of those working for Uber do so because they want to be their own boss.
- 24.8% of the drivers report Uber is their sole source of income
- 71% say that their Uber partnership is more profitable than their previous income
- Over 80% of the drivers don’t schedule themselves
- 50% drive on average fewer than 10 hours per week
- 40% say when they drive depends on their schedule
- 38% set an earnings goal
- 16% drive a set amount of time.
- Flexibility is the biggest motivational factor, where 88% started driving with Uber because it fits their life well.
With this updated diversity of data, comes some other interesting statistics:
The reasons why drivers partner with Uber are:
- 51% due to flexible hours
- 19% for the money with no boss
- 11% to spice up their lives and meet more people
Uber drivers also have their issues.
- 26% state it’s not as profitable as they thought.
- 25% claim that driver relations are terrible
- 17% complain about bad tipping
- 14% complain about destination issues
- 9% complain about one-sided ratings
Uber, the drivers, and the world have progressed over 4 years since the original survey, and yet, when you compare findings and review available survey data, read up reviews, and participate as a client or as a driver, you find that most of the issues are tangible and that the main reason Uber is so successful is that it allows everyone and anyone to earn money irrespective of his or her culture, color, and sex (age is limited), and that an average driver will earn around $14 per hour.
