IMPACT
The app-based industry is made up of the technology platforms that connect consumers, businesses, and individuals to work, products and services that improve their lives through convenience, accessibility, flexibility, and income.
Our industry is:
Meeting the needs of today’s workers
App-based work provides workers flexibility, financial security, and equitable access to work opportunities.
“I love how flexible shopping on the Instacart platform is. I am able to shop whenever I want, and it helps to supplement my income from my full-time job. Shopping allows me to provide more for my kids and my family.”
- Roman J., New York
Delivering critical goods and services
App-based delivery platforms make groceries, meals, and other essentials more accessible for many who are unable to leave their homes, including the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, over the course of the pandemic, app-based platforms have helped get food, groceries, and necessities to people who are staying home.
“With the recent spike in drunk driving deaths, rideshare services are more important than ever, as they expand safe transportation options and help people plan ahead for a non-drinking, unimpaired driver. MADD looks forward to collaborating with Flex to help prevent deaths and injuries caused by impaired driving,”
- MADD National President Alex Otte
Helping people get what they need and where they need to go safely
App-based platforms help riders find a driver who can get them where they need to go efficiently, seamlessly, and reliably — whether it’s getting to work, to the doctor, to see friends or loved ones, or to get home after a night out. And especially for communities that lack public transportation, we make finding a way to get around easier and more equitable.
“National Urban League (NUL) has a rich history of supporting pathways to entry earning opportunities that promote upward economic mobility, financial security, and the ability to build generational wealth. NUL supports the efforts of Flex to expand and protect these critical opportunities to historically underserved communities.”
- Marc Morial, President & CEO, National Urban League
Supporting businesses, communities and the economy
Flex companies boost local economies by supporting businesses around the country with technology and delivery services, creating opportunities for people to earn income, helping people get to and from work, and serving as good community partners.
“Being able to continue to deliver and rolling out curbside kept our heads above the water. Had DoorDash not been in place, we would have been in a world of pain. It would have been devastating.”
- Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs
Resources
Member Impact Reports
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Grubhub: Fact Sheet (2022)
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Instacart: Community Impact (2022)
The Experiences and Perspectives of Workers
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Wharton: How Workers Create Meaning in the Gig Economy (2022)
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Lyft: Independence + Benefits: What Drivers and Voters Want (2021)
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DoorDash: Understanding Dashers (2021)
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Instacart: Beyond the Cart | A Year of Essential Stories (2021)
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Better Cities Project: Communities and the Gig Economy (2021)
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Morning Consult: Lyft Releases Survey Showing Most Independent Contractors Don’t Want to Be Classified as Employees (2020)
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Upwork: Freelance Forward (2020)
Economic Contributions of the Industry
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Rice University: Launching with a parachute: The gig economy and new business formation (2022)
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University of Riverside: An Analysis of Delivery Network Company (DNC) Activity in California During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)
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Uber: Merchant Impact Report (2022)
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NYU: COVID-19 and Digital Resilience: Evidence from Uber Eats (2020)
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DoorDash: The Impact of DoorDash on Economic Activity and Restaurant Resilience (2019)
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Instacart: Instacart's Impact on America's Grocery Industry, by the Numbers (2021)