- Jayla, a single mom, switched from being an Uber and Lyft driver to a school bus driver for stability.
- Despite consistent hours, her earnings from gig driving dropped over two years, leading her to seek steadier employment.
- Jayla’s new job as a bus driver enabled her to secure an apartment and enroll in college classes.
Jayla, 28, spent two years driving for Uber and Lyft and struggled to find stable housing and provide for herself and her son. But after switching jobs and becoming a bus driver in late 2023, she’s now living in her own apartment.
The single mother, who moved to Akron, Ohio, from Houston in 2023, said finding housing or getting a new vehicle was a struggle as a 1099 employee . She spent two years living in various shelters. Her earnings from Lyft and Uber also declined over the two years of driving, even though she drove a consistent 40 hours a week, and after failing to get accepted into Lyft’s rental program, she decided to look for more stable work.
After landing a bus driver position and a W2, she secured an apartment in Akron despite no luck in Texas. She said the new job gives her more freedom to take college classes and works better with her son’s day care.