Greedy Uber and Lyft are Picking the Pockets of New York City’s Rideshare Drivers, Paying Less Than Minimum Wage

Uber is lying about driver pay. New York City drivers do not earn more than EMTs and other city workers. In fact, a new city audit of rideshare driver pay found that New York’s rideshare drivers are currently making less than minimum wage and a pay increase is required. Meanwhile, Uber tripled the amount it takes from each fare.
Uber’s greed is hurting thousands of New Yorkers. Now is the time for the city to act. Raise minimum driver pay rates. Uber and Lyft drivers with the Independent Drivers Guild organized for more than two years to win the nation’s first minimum wage protection for New York City rideshare drivers. But despite record profits and ridership, Uber and Lyft scammed drivers out of fair pay this year, leaving thousands on the brink of homelessness. Now, Uber has launched a barrage of lies in an aggressive and deceitful PR and lobbying campaign to cut driver pay and avoid paying New York’s drivers a minimum, livable wage. Here are the facts.

Uber Drivers are NOT making more than City Employees.

Uber’s claim that New York City’s rideshare drivers earn more than city employees and EMTs is false. Our laws simply enforce the minimum wage after expenses. Prior to NYC’s law, 96% of drivers were earning less than minimum wage after expenses. While Uber’s report admits New York drivers face large upfront and ongoing expenses, the company’s tally of approximately $20,000 per year in expenses failed to account for the full costs drivers incur for vehicles, cleaning, tickets, and countless other expenses.¹

Uber is lying about driver pay because it’s really their greed that is the problem.  

Uber recently petitioned the city to cut driver pay and blamed reduced trip growth on having to pay their drivers a minimum wage. However, Uber’s own greed is driving up fares in New York City.Uber went from taking less than $2 per trip to pocketing nearly $7 per trip – more than tripling their per trip fees in New York City. Five years ago, Uber took an average of $1.86 per trip in New York City. Today, Uber is pocketing a whopping $6.55 per trip.²

Uber is taking more from each trip fare, leaving drivers with less.

Expenses for the city’s hardworking rideshare drivers have soared, but Uber slashed the percentage of each fare going to drivers to keep more for themselves. Five years ago, Uber kept 10% of each fare in New York City. Today, Uber is taking nearly 25% of the fare.3

Uber and Lyft cheated New York City Drivers out of Millions of Dollars in 2024.


To cheat on New York’s pay laws and avoid paying for all of their drivers’ working time, Uber & Lyft locked 99% of NYC drivers out of their driver apps between trips this year.4 For the 80,000 rideshare drivers in New York who make their living as professional drivers, being suddenly and unexpectedly blocked from working caused widespread panic and economic harm.

9 in 10 NYC Rideshare Drivers report reduced pay, struggle to afford their rent or bills

As the frontline organization for rideshare drivers, IDG has heard directly from thousands of NYC Uber and Lyft drivers about the impact of Uber and Lyft’s lockouts this year. Many are on the brink of homelessness and worry about feeding their family.

1 The Uber-commissioned report by HR&A Advisors, Inc concluded that the average expenses for New York City Uber drivers is $19,966 per year.
2  IDG analysis of data scientist Todd W. Schneider’s data dashboard utilizing New York City’s trip level data, accessed November 2024.
3 Ibid.
4 Independent Drivers Guild survey of more than 3,000 New York City rideshare drivers, conducted August 26 – 29, 2024.
5 Independent Drivers Guild survey of more than 5,000 New York City rideshare drivers conducted November 1 – December 3, 2024.