> Most Uber/Lyft drivers say they don't want to be considered employees because, for most of them, this isn't actually their job. It's just a side gig
For some, sure. Most of my rides have been with Indian/African/East European drivers who do it basically full time. Easily 90% or more.
A small number have been part-timers, mostly stay-at-home moms and retired people. One was a retired bartender and he did Uber mostly because his joints gave out which made standing hard, and Uber allowed him to make some petty cash while talking to people. But hands-down, these were the exceptions, not the rule.
This also heavily implies that online discourse skews away from the full-timers, because:
1. They tend to be from less-online demographics
2. If 90% of rides come from drivers working 50 hours a week, and 10% come from drivers working 5 hours a week, then more than half of the drivers work 5 hours a week. Those 5-hour drivers also probably have a lot more time and energy to discuss things on the internet.
This might also explain the disconnect between "what the survey says," "what my friend says" and "what I say," and what the driver associations are saying. It's conceivable that people who are doing this full time are more likely to let an interest group do the talking for them.
Long story short, I'm inclined to say that any source of opinion that isn't breaking drivers' views down by quartiles, is a highly selective version of the story.
For some, sure. Most of my rides have been with Indian/African/East European drivers who do it basically full time. Easily 90% or more.
A small number have been part-timers, mostly stay-at-home moms and retired people. One was a retired bartender and he did Uber mostly because his joints gave out which made standing hard, and Uber allowed him to make some petty cash while talking to people. But hands-down, these were the exceptions, not the rule.