[HN Gopher] Gig workers worked more but earned less in 2024, a n...
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       Gig workers worked more but earned less in 2024, a new study shows
        
       Author : wallflower
       Score  : 44 points
       Date   : 2025-02-22 22:22 UTC (38 minutes ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.businessinsider.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.businessinsider.com)
        
       | johnnyanmac wrote:
       | Not too surprising. That California Prop 22 from 2020 and similar
       | props throughout the country is finally paying off. A waning
       | economy and rising costs also make the gig workers suffer the
       | most.
       | 
       | >In response to the report, an Uber spokesperson told BI that its
       | drivers make more than $30 an hour on average.
       | 
       | Gotta love the ol' "well the average is decent" line in times of
       | unprecedented standard deviations. Though there may be even more
       | creative accounting for their average compared to:
       | 
       | >Uber hide-hailing drivers saw their earnings for 2024 fall 3.4%
       | on average to $513 a week, according to a study released Tuesday
       | by data analytics company Gridwise. At the same time, Uber
       | drivers worked 0.8% more hours in 2024.
       | 
       | roughly $13/hr.
        
         | artificialprint wrote:
         | I eat bread, Uber CEO eats marble steak. On average we eat a
         | burger
        
       | buckle8017 wrote:
       | But did they earn more than they did before doing gig work?
        
         | xyst wrote:
         | "Gig work" was always shitty pay _after_ you consider all of
         | the expenses and depreciation in assets. You are an
         | "independent contractor" after all.
         | 
         | If you drive for a TNC, you may on paper earn more per hour but
         | after gas, wear and tear on vehicle (changing out brakes, tires
         | much faster), increased maintenance, steep depreciation of
         | vehicle, higher insurance premiums for commercial auto.
         | 
         | Then you factor in having to buy your own health insurance on
         | the market, dental insurance, and other expenses that a normal,
         | salaried, full time job comes with. Don't forget about the
         | taxes you have to pay out at the end of the year that would
         | normally be taken out with each paycheck.
         | 
         | I remember doing gig work when those companies were shelling
         | out $1,000s for new drivers. But once those teasers expired and
         | rates got cut, it didn't make much sense from a financial
         | aspect to continue doing so.
         | 
         | Great beer money for a college student but I don't see how
         | folks make a sustainable living on the slave wage.
        
           | mx_03 wrote:
           | Are you really an independent contractor if you cant set your
           | own prices?
           | 
           | To me Uber drivers are neither employees nor independent
           | contractors. Working as much or as little as they want is not
           | enough to be considered independent contractor.
        
           | missedthecue wrote:
           | For how many people is gig work their sole source of income?
        
         | beepbooptheory wrote:
         | Its not really something you do to get an improvement in your
         | salary.. It would be tough to find something lower paying in my
         | state at least!
        
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       (page generated 2025-02-22 23:00 UTC)