Lyft is referring drivers to jobs at Amazon after massive ridership decline
Lyft is now referring drivers on its platform to jobs at Amazon in a partnership between the two companies designed to alleviate financial hardships from a massive drop in ride-hailing usage, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Lyft notified drivers of the program on Friday via email and said it’s encouraging them to apply to roles in Amazon warehouses and as part of the e-commerce company’s grocery and package deliveries platforms. Unlike Uber, which operates a food delivery platform, Lyft does not delivery meals or groceries, and its ridership has plummeted in recent weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazon is among the few companies still able to hire at a time of record job losses, as demand for its delivery services surges due to city lockdowns and self-isolation and quarantine recommendations in effect throughout the country. Earlier this month, Amazon said it would raise its hourly rate by $2 through April and hire at least 100,000 new workers to keep up with strains on its warehouses and delivery network.
Through the new partnership with Amazon, Lyft says its drivers can sign up for jobs with the e-commerce giant, and that 100,00 Lyft drivers have already done so. The company is also advising any drivers who do continue using its platform purchase plastic barriers for sealing off the front seat of the vehicle from the backseat. The company is informing its drivers that they may be eligible for benefits as part of the historic stimulus package Congress passed earlier today, too.
It’s not clear if the partnership is limited to contract work like Amazon’s grocery delivery platform Fresh and package delivery platform Flex, or if Lyft drivers will be eligible for part- or full-time jobs at Amazon warehouses and elsewhere within the company. It’s also not clear exactly what benefits the partnership is providing Lyft drivers, like whether signing up means a driver can more quickly find and secure an Amazon job versus simply applying or signing up for an Amazon on-demand platform on their own. Lyft was not immediately available for comment.
Lyft is now referring drivers on its platform to jobs at Amazon in a partnership between the two companies designed to alleviate financial hardships from a massive drop in ride-hailing usage, according to a report from Bloomberg. Lyft notified drivers of the program on Friday via email and said it’s…
