Drivers for ridehailing services in Chicago earn less than the $15-per-hour minimum wage and would be paid substantially more if they were classified as employees instead of as independent contractors, according to a study that draws on city government data and research done for Uber and Lyft.
The study by the labor-backed Illinois Economic Policy Institute and researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign concluded the typical driver in Chicago makes $12.72 an hour after expenses. The hourly pay could exceed $21 per hour if drivers were classified as employees, with vehicle expenses paid by the ridehailing companies, the report said.
