In a significant development, a report from Seattle highlights that average earnings for app-based delivery workers have increased to $15.98 per hour following the implementation of the city's pay law in January 2024. This figure contrasts sharply with previous estimates that placed earnings as low as $3.17 per hour before the ordinance.
The report, which encompasses data from 92,000 workers across the five largest delivery platforms, indicates a 3.2% rise in completed offers during the first 18 months of the law. Critics, including major companies like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart, have previously argued that the regulation led to decreased demand and driver earnings, claims that the new dataset appears to refute.
Seattle's Office of Labor Standards compiled this comprehensive dataset from legally required submissions by delivery companies. The findings suggest that base pay has become the primary component of worker compensation, while tips and bonuses have diminished in significance. Despite the ordinance imposing no fees, network company charges to customers averaged 19.3% of total order payments.