Uber’s bleak vision for the gig economy is dead

Uber’s bleak vision for the gig economy is dead
Uber drivers have to cover all their expenses, yet have no control over the price passengers pay. (Image: Unsplash)
Peter Griffin
In between lockdowns last year, I spoke to a number of people about what it was like trying to earn a living as an Uber driver.These were not 20-somethings with few commitments putting off finding a nine-to-five job. Most of them had children to feed and mortgages to pay. For a host of reasons – a lack of qualifications or English-language proficiency, health problems or complex family arrangements – they turned to Uber to scratch together an increasingly precarious living.The job sucked. Not only because the drivers had to cov...

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Staff reporters 15 Sep 2025