Delivery Apps Deliver Jobs

Qdoba in Midwest City is looking to hire new employees. (Photo by Michael Palacios)

By Nathan Fox
Sports Editor

The U.S. labor market is experiencing a major crisis: labor shortages.

While many sectors have been hit hard by mass employee walkouts, none have  suffered more  than food and leisure industries. According to a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, these industries have witnessed a quit rate of 5.2% since July 2021.

That’s nearly double the national average.

After the pandemic, theaters reopened with limited staff, and countless mom-and-pop shops closed due to employee shortages. Even now, both fast food and sit-down restaurants struggle with being fully staffed. Called “The Great Reshuffle,” many former food service employees have taken to the gig economy to make ends meet. The popularity of delivery services soared during the pandemic.

Everything from groceries to meals could be delivered with little to no cross-contamination with the added bonus of contactless payment.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, delivery services saw a 12% labor increase from the beginning of the pandemic to now.

“I started full time with DoorDash in February 2021,” said Brittany Paul, a single mother of two children. “I was barely making minimum wage working as a waiter and just decided to make the switch. I’m really glad I made that decision.”

As a single mother, Paul found she needed the flexibility that comes with delivery work.

“Flexibility is the most important thing to me,” she said. “During the school year, I can work while my kids are at school. I can’t afford childcare, so I don’t work during the summer. I’m still able to meet all of our needs.”

There is, however, a major drawback to working for a delivery service like DoorDash.

“It’s extremely stressful,” she said. “The job is fast-paced as I try to complete as many deliveries as possible.”

During one particular delivery, things got quite stressful.

“I remember one specific job I had to do,” she said. “I was fulfilling an online grocery order. I had several items already in a shopping cart and was reaching for an item that was perched high on a shelf. A random lady came by and just took my cart. I didn’t know what to do.”

Even after Paul explained to the woman that she was completing an online delivery order, the woman still didn’t seem to understand.

“My purse and gloves were in the front of the cart. Ultimately, I got my cart back, but this is the type of stress I have to deal with while out in the field.”

There are also other important factors to consider when it comes to working for a delivery app.

“The wear and tear on your car is quite high,” she said. “In the past year, I’ve driven 30,000 miles. That’s even with taking the summer off. I don’t mind it. I have a reliable vehicle, but I could see it being an issue if that wasn’t the case.”

While the labor market continues to struggle, delivery workers are reaping the benefits of an ever-evolving system of transporting goods and services. The popularity of these jobs doesn’t seem to be going away, and for the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, becoming a delivery driver grows more appealing by the day.