The percentage of female rideshare drivers is higher than ever. As 2015 winds down, we’re confident in saying that this has been one of the biggest demographic shifts among drivers in 2015. Now, over 1 out of 5 rideshare drivers is a woman. Compare that to the traditional taxi numbers which has around 2% female drivers (2006 study).
In this article, we look into the numbers and trends and give some perspective on why you should care. Over the last year, we’ve published numbers of female drivers a couple of times, based on the SherpaShare driver pool. We thought it was important to share the latest trends, show the differences between Uber and Lyft, and share why we think this trend is so important.
By the numbers: Women in the rideshare industry
In October 2014, we first looked at our SherpaShare user base to approximate the number of female drivers in the rideshare workforce. The distribution among Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar looked like this:
- Uber: 8% female
- Lyft: 19% female
- Sidecar: 15% female
As part of that article, we also included our commentary on how it indeed was impressive, given what we knew about the taxi and limousine industry, and their 1-2% female workforce.
In October 2015, we completed a major survey on the top demographic trends of the on-demand workforce, and pulled out more in-depth research on women in the rideshare industry. The overall percent female was this:
- On-demand workforce: 20% female
- Drivers between 40-55 years old: 22% female
As part of that research, which was covered in national news media, we also observed that female drivers work less hours on average, and therefore earn less then men in the on-demand workforce.
- On average, women drivers report making 34% less gross driving income per month than men, but are for more likely to drive part-time.
The difference between Uber and Lyft
In December 2015, Uber released a new survey about its drivers that highlighted flexibility and convenience. The survey found that 19% of Uber’s partners are women, up substantially from a year ago.
Uber’s women drivers is slightly lower according to our survey. In our October 2015 survey, which included over 1,000 responses from primarily Uber and Lyft drivers, women made up 16% of the Uber drivers.
Lyft, however, has nearly double the percentage of female rideshare drivers. This finding is based on our October 2015 survey as well. 30% of Lyft’s drivers were women. 
Why are more women becoming drivers?
Rideshare driving is broadening its appeal, as rideshare in general grows in popularity and is viewed as a safe and important flexible work option. Flexible work is becoming more mainstream – and women, according to some of our anecdotal evidence, do feel safer as drivers.
There are a couple age groups that seem to particularly be drawing more women: Women in their 20’s and women in their middle ages, 40-55. For the former, students are finding they can pick up work in between studying and classes quite easily. For the latter, women who may be ’empty-nesters’ now have more time, and see Uber as fitting in with their schedule.
Lyft may still be a more friendly ‘gateway’ for female drivers. The fact that Lyft still has a signficantly higher percentage of female drivers seems consistent with everything we’ve heard from female Lyft drivers: Lyft’s passengers are friendlier and Lyft’s persona is friendlier. Lyft ‘feels’ like an easier, safer, part-time option to dip your toes into. However, if Uber’s last 3 months is an indicator of their workforce trend, Uber may very soon have a the same overall percentage of female drivers as Lyft, or higher, in their workforce.
Why is this trend significant?
In our view, the broadening of driver appeal is huge – huge for the rideshare industry and the on-demand workforce in general. It points to a few things: Maturity, Acceptance, and Inclusivity.
- Driving is becoming more accepted. The rideshare industry is not just former taxi drivers switching to app-based ride hail companies. It is creating new jobs for people that likely never considered driving for income as an actual option.
- The industry is maturing. The rideshare industry is being viewed as a more stable option. People that decide to fit in driving around their schedules do it because they realize there’s a higher degree of reliability. Yes, it is still fare from “middle-aged” but the industry is mature enough in many markets to be seen as a legitimate form of side income.
- Ridesharing feels safer and more inclusive. Drivers, especially women drivers who may have felt less safe alone behind the wheel, do realize that background checks and ratings are continually improving, to create a safer network of drivers and passengers. Besides the rare high-profile incidents, which undoubtedly get national media attention, drivers (or potential drivers) realize their risk of incident is extremely low.
Are you a female driver? Which companies do you prefer? And do you agree with observations? Tell us!
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