Gendered Effects of Ride-Hailing: Uber’s Influence on Earnings for Non-Driver Carless Workers

• In Event: Approaches to Ensuring Wage Growth and Economic Mobility

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Uber’s entry on labor market outcomes for individuals in no-vehicle households, a population often constrained by limited transportation access. Using U.S. metro-level IPUMS data from 2007 to 2017 and a staggered difference-in-differences design (CSDID estimator), we examine whether Uber’s expansion improved earnings, wages, and working hours among non-driver workers, with a focus on gender-specific responses and potential mechanisms. Our findings reveal that Uber’s arrival led to statistically significant increases in both earnings and work hours among men in no-vehicle households, with no comparable effect for women. These earnings gains for men appear to stem from increased labor supply—rather than job switching or longer commutes—suggesting that improved mobility enabled them to work more hours in existing or supplementary roles. In contrast, women in carless households accessed higher-wage jobs without increasing total earnings due to reduced work hours, a pattern consistent with income-targeting behavior or caregiving constraints. These results provide new evidence on how platform-based transportation services affect labor market outcomes among economically vulnerable groups. By identifying heterogeneous treatment effects and unpacking gendered mechanisms, this study deepens our understanding of the broader role ride-hailing platforms play in shaping labor market dynamics—beyond driver participation—and offers important insights for inclusive transportation and workforce policy design.

Author

• Eun Jin Shin, Sungkyunkwan University
  Presenting Author