ByJanice Gassam Asare, Ph.D.,
Senior Contributor.
Male drivers for Uber and Lyft have claimed gender discrimination and are suing the rideshare companies because of a feature in the rideshare apps that allows women to request non-male drivers. According to Time, the dual class action lawsuit alleges that male drivers are disadvantaged by the feature, claiming fewer economic opportunities and discrimination because of their gender. In July, Uber announced the new gender-based feature and Lyft has had this feature, called Women+ Connect, since 2023. Four plaintiffs are requesting $4,000 in damages for each male driver to address their perceived losses in revenue. The law firm representing the plaintiffs did not respond to a request for comment.
Both Uber and Lyft saw record growth in 2024. Lyft reported a “record-smashing” year in 2024, having serviced 44 million people annually across the U.S. and Canada as well as strong rider and driver growth and engagement, with 17% year-over-year rider growth. Uber reported a strong 2024 as well with 18% year-over-year rider growth along with 171 million monthly active platform consumers (MAPCs). Despite record growth for both companies, Dan Ocampo of National Employment Law Project published a report highlighting “predatory rates” that both companies paid drivers, reporting that in 2024, Uber drivers earned less than the prior year and Lyft drivers worked fewer hours in 2024 but their earnings declined a disproportionate amount, decreasing 14% compared to 2023. Both companies failed to pay drivers a livable wage, according to the report, which indicated that drivers’ wages were “less than the applicable minimum wage, while at the same time increasing consumer prices by over 7%.” Uber and Lyft did not respond to requests for comment.
