Uber and Lyft attract more retirees as drivers

A recent New York Times story reports how a growing number of older drivers are signing up to drive for Uber and Lyft, and in fact an Uber survey last year found that nearly a quarter of drivers were aged over 50. The reasons are varied: obviously many are looking to earn extra cash, but some do it to beat loneliness and meet new people. Older drivers are now in such demand that last year Uber joined up with senior citizens group Life Reimagined on a recruitment drive. It seems this trend is set to continue, as the population ages the number of older workers will clearly continue to rise, and many people are now leaving the full-time work force with less money than they need to support themselves at a comfortable standard of living.

Drivers in Seattle who belong to the App-Based Drivers Association, a group allied with the Teamsters union, won the right last month to negotiate pay and working conditions. That makes a lot of sense to full-time drivers like Musse Bahta, 42, who said he had to spend more time on the road since Uber lowered the per-mile fare to $1.35.

“You have to work close to 50 hours a week to survive,” he said, pointing out that he has to subtract payments for his new Toyota Camry, gas and maintenance from his gross income. “If I did Uber on the side, there would be no complaints.”

For most senior drivers, the biggest advantage is the extra income. Many of those who continue working after 65 do so because they would be too poor otherwise, according to a new report from the labor-backed Economic Policy Institute that found the current retirement system inadequate.

But driving for a ride-booking service, some retirees said, also can offer more than money.

“I love the freedom, the flexibility — and the cash coming in every week,” said Maureen Mahon, 59, who first saw an Uber advertisement on the side of a bus in Manhattan. Ms. Mahon, who lives in Brick Township, N.J., said she had been laid off twice in recent years from Wall Street, and has been driving intermittently since mid-2014.

“I meet businessmen, college kids on their way out for the night, folks going to parties, pretty much the whole range,” she said. “You can drive as much or as little as you like. If the weather’s bad or you have a doctor’s appointment, you just don’t turn on the app.”