Uber drivers in Latin America and the Caribbean are overwhelmingly male (91%) and have a high level of university education (57%), and most treat the job as part-time work to supplement their income, according to a study released Wednesday by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Average gross earnings per hour of driving are $7.30. Men on the platform work nearly 20 hours per week, while women average 16 hours, the study found. More than 13,700 drivers were interviewed across eight countries in the region: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
“Most work part time and value the autonomy this kind of job offers, even above salaried jobs with similar earnings,” two IDB experts wrote in a blog post published by the institution. With labor markets often unstable and household budgets under pressure, drivers, who average 41 years old, turn to this flexible but precarious form of work, the study said.
Flexibility was cited as the main advantage by respondents, who also acknowledged they lack social protection. Only about one-third of drivers contribute to a pension through Uber. “Drivers turn to Uber during recessions, periods of unemployment, or personal crises. The platform offers immediacy and liquidity, but not necessarily stability,” the text said.
“Uber drivers are often presented as a symbol of the future of work. In Latin America and the Caribbean, they may be something different: a reflection of the present,” the authors added. “Their experiences show how millions of people already navigate unstable incomes, weak safety nets, and the constant need to adapt.”
