Labor Behavior and Caring Responsibilities of Female Drivers in Ride-Hailing Industries
Abstract
This study examines the labor behavior and caring responsibilities of female drivers in the ride-hailing industry under algorithmic management. As ride-hailing platforms increasingly rely on algorithms to regulate working hours, allocate orders, and evaluate drivers, female drivers face distinctive challenges arising from the intersection of platform-based labor and family responsibilities. This study investigates how algorithmic labor mechanisms affect female drivers’ work arrangements, income, and ability to balance employment with childcare and other caring responsibilities. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a questionnaire survey of 93 ride-hailing users with 3 individual-case interviews with female ride-hailing drivers. The findings indicate that algorithmic order allocation can increase female drivers’ workload by disproportionately assigning short-distance orders while providing fewer opportunities for higher-paying long-distance orders, thereby limiting income and increasing time and energy expenditure. Female drivers also face additional challenges related to physical needs and the demands of balancing work with family responsibilities. At the same time, the flexibility of ride-hailing work can partially alleviate conflicts between employment and family care, allowing some drivers to adjust their schedules around family needs. The survey further shows generally positive perceptions of female drivers among passengers, particularly regarding safety, cleanliness, and service quality, suggesting that gender discrimination from passengers may be less significant than initially hypothesized. Overall, the study demonstrates that algorithmic management simultaneously provides flexibility and creates new forms of labor pressure for female drivers, highlighting the need for more gender-sensitive platform policies, improved order-allocation mechanisms, and stronger protections for drivers’ working conditions and caring responsibilities.