A Majority of Dashers Are Women. Here’s Why They Choose DoorDash.

Flexible schedules, supplemental income, and safety are top reasons women choose DoorDash

Since the pandemic began, millions of women have left the traditional workforce. When unemployment skyrocketed, many needed ways to earn that allow them to set their own schedules, often working around jobs or caring for children, parents, and other loved ones. We’re proud that at a time when flexible earning opportunities were more important than ever, so many women turned to DoorDash and found value delivering on our platform. 

We recently shared the results of our national Dasher survey, and given the influx of women to our platform – who now make up 58% of Dashers – we wanted to understand more fully what brings women to our platform and how they’re using their earnings. Here are some of the key findings among women Dashers: 

1. An overwhelming majority of women have other primary occupations and don’t rely on DoorDash as their main source of income.
   • Only 13% of women Dashers consider themselves full-time gig workers (16% of male Dashers)
     • 41% have a full-time job (44% of male Dashers)
     • 16% are full-time parents or caregivers (3% of male Dashers)
     • 13% have a part-time job (11% of male Dashers)
     • 9% are students (10% of male Dashers)*
     • 5% are self-employed or small business owners outside the gig economy (7% of male Dashers)
     • 4% are retired (8% of male Dashers)

2. Women, especially those who are parents or caretakers, value the flexibility to earn income on their own schedules. 
   • 80% of women Dashers say a main reason they deliver is because of the flexibility to set their own schedules (76% of male Dashers).
   • 60% of women Dashers who are also parents or caregivers say a main reason they deliver is because it allows them to earn money while also having time to care for a child or loved one (30% of male Dashers, regardless of being a parent or caretaker).
   • 88% of women Dashers strongly agree that the flexibility of driving/delivering is what made them choose this work instead of other options for earning income (compared to 78% of male Dashers).
   • 87% of women Dashers strongly agree that it is important that any changes protect the ability of driver to choose when, where, and how they want to work compared to 80% of male Dashers.

3. More women than men are using the platform to make up for lost income and cover expenses. 
   • 73% of women Dashers have used the platform to make up for lost income or reduced hours at work (61% of male Dashers).
   • 80% of women Dashers say they use the platform to pay monthly bills like rent, mortgage, car payments, etc. (77% of male Dashers)*.
   • 46% of women Dashers strongly agree that it would be hard to make ends meet without the extra income from driving/delivering (compared to 40% of male Dashers).

4. Women overwhelmingly prefer delivery over rideshare because they believe it’s safer. 
   • 97% of women Dashers say they prefer delivery over rideshare (95% of male Dashers).*
   • 86% of women Dashers have never driven for rideshare platforms and don’t plan on it (76% of male Dashers). 
   • 77% of women Dashers say they prefer delivery over rideshare because they don’t want to share their car with strangers (65% of male Dashers).
   • 61% of women Dashers say they prefer delivery over rideshare because delivery is safer than rideshare (50% of male Dashers).

“As a new mother of two, family is everything to me,” said Elashane Harris, a Dasher in Seattle, WA. “And after being diagnosed with postpartum depression last year, I wasn’t in the headspace to be my best self to my children. That’s when a friend suggested I sign up to become a Dasher. Dashing has allowed me to get out of my house on my own schedule, and encouraged me to connect with people — especially other parents — in my community, and helped me get back on my feet when I needed it most. DoorDash has been a lifesaver for me over the past year — it’s been an incredible way to meet my neighbors, get paid on flexible hours, and become the best version of myself for my children.” 

“Women, especially mothers and caretakers, have been handed a tremendous challenge over the last year and a half. While we’re hopeful that we can continue towards recovery, DoorDash recognizes that the pandemic is far from over and there continues to be a very real need for easily accessible opportunities to earn when, where, and for however long you want,” said Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean, Vice President, Communications & Policy at DoorDash. “Not only is access to flexible work critical for a large segment of the population, but DoorDash and platforms like it are answering a need among women, in particular. These insights further underscore the importance of developing products and partnerships that help ensure all Dashers feel safe and secure on the road, while continuing our pursuit of public policy solutions that reflect the needs of Dashers.”

Not only are we proud of the role DoorDash plays in helping women across the U.S. earn, but we are also grateful for the women-owned merchants in every market in which we operate. They are growing their local economies through our platform and we are committed to supporting them.

To honor these important small business owners and as part of Women’s Equality Day on August 26th, we are proud to partner with Grameen America, a non-profit dedicated to breaking down economic barriers for women and providing them the opportunity to succeed. On August 26th, for every order placed with a woman-owned business on our platform, DoorDash will donate a dollar to Grameen America, up to $50,000.** We’re looking forward to working together to ensure women have the power to achieve financial independence and revitalize their communities.

In March, we launched Made by Women, a multi-initiative effort to support women-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs through our platform. Partnering with a number of organizations including the James Beard Foundation’s Women Leadership Program, Kiva and Start Small Think Big, we’ve connected women entrepreneurs with the resources they need to continue to succeed, grow, and make an impact. In addition, earlier this summer, we wrapped up our inaugural Main Street Strong Accelerator program, which began in March and included a $20,000 grant and an eight-week curriculum for 100 restaurants, over 60% of which are owned by women. 

DoorDash will continue to support all women on our platform by providing them access to economic opportunity and resources designed to help them succeed. 

Survey Methodology

The survey was administered by Quadrant Strategies, who polled a random sample of Dashers who completed at least one delivery in the last six months. Quadrant Strategies conducted an online national survey of 4,083 Dashers across the U.S. between July 19 and 26, 2021. The margin of error is +/- 2%.

* The difference between the share of women and men is not statistically significant. 

** For every order placed on August 26th, 2021 on the DoorDash and Caviar platforms from participating women-owned businesses in all 50 US states excluding AL, MS, and HI, DoorDash will donate $1, up to a maximum of $50,000 total, to Grameen America. Participating women-owned businesses will be tagged in the app and featured in the Made by Women carousel.