UK Uber drivers’ earnings cut after secretive algorithm changes
Many Uber drivers are earning “substantially less” an hour since the ride hailing app introduced a “dynamic pricing” algorithm in 2023 that coincided with the company taking a significantly higher share of fares, research has revealed.The findings are in a study released on Thursday by academics at the University of Oxford.They analysed data provided by 258 UK Uber drivers responsible for 1.5m trips.Having initially taken a fixed 20% cut of the UK fares charged, which subsequently rose to 25%, Uber introduced dynamic pricing in 2023, an algorithm that variably sets pay for drivers and fares for passengers.
It is a later iteration of Uber’s “surge pricing” that increased fares during periods of peak demand,Uber is now claiming a cut, or “take rate”, of 29% of a fare, rising to more than 50% in some cases, the researchers found,Unions criticised the move when it was made in 2023, claiming there was no transparency and that the technology “could push down working conditions by targeting drivers based on their willingness and ability to accept lower fares”,The Oxford research said: “Post-dynamic pricing, Uber’s passengers now pay higher prices, but the drivers are not better off,”The paper, which was published in partnership with the non-profit gig worker organisation Worker Info Exchange (WIE), concluded: “Our findings suggest that post-dynamic pricing, many aspects of Uber drivers’ jobs have gotten worse.
Average pay per hour on the app is stagnant, and is lower in real terms in the year following the introduction of dynamic pricing,“Uber’s median take rate per driver has increased from 25% to 29%, and on some trips the take rate is over 50%,Furthermore, the higher take rates are concentrated among higher-fare trips, which explains how Uber can extract an additional 38% [income] from its driver’s labour on average … Many drivers are earning substantially less per hour,”The findings follow a series of controversies to have engulfed the technology firm, including a 2021 UK supreme court ruling that Uber drivers are entitled to the minimum wage and paid holidays, as well as the 2022 release of the Uber files, a global investigation that revealed how the company duped police and regulators, and secretly lobbied governments across the world,After the release of the Uber files, Jill Hazelbaker, Uber’s senior vice-president of public affairs, said: “We have not and will not make excuses for past behaviour that is clearly not in line with our present values.
Instead, we ask the public to judge us by what we’ve done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come.”The Oxford research added that drivers’ average hourly pay was £29.46, using an Uber definition, or £15.98 if counting waiting time when they made themselves available to pick up passengers.Neither average takes into account costs including vehicle maintenance, insurance or fuel.
Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionUber said it did “not recognise the figures in this report”, adding: “Every driver is guaranteed to earn at least the national living wage.”One interviewee in the study said it was only when passengers volunteered the fares they paid in conversations with drivers that “you discover they [Uber] are robbing us and the customer”.An Uber spokesperson said: “Uber drivers in the UK took home over £1bn in earnings between January and March of this year, which is up on the year before.Drivers choose to drive with Uber because we offer total flexibility on when they work and provide full transparency over the trips they accept.“All drivers receive a weekly summary of their earnings, which includes a clear breakdown of what Uber and the driver received from trips.
We are proud that thousands of drivers continue to make the positive choice to work on Uber as passenger demand and trips continue to grow.”
Cost of children’s sport rises in Australia as voucher programs fail to budge participation
Parents of young cricketers, footballers and basketball players are now paying more than $500 a year on average for their children to play, plus more on equipment, according to a national survey highlighting Australia’s most expensive codes, as state governments pledge hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure sport is not just for the wealthy.But new research from the University of Sydney has found subsidising families’ sporting costs through the use of government vouchers alone is not enough, after two prominent recent examples – including a high profile New South Wales scheme – failed to increase sport participation at scale.This evidence comes as the Queensland government expands its voucher scheme, now costing taxpayers $62.5m a year, and similar programs have been in place in every state.At the same time, the increasing price of children’s sport has been highlighted by cost breakdowns in the government’s AusPlay survey, released again in 2025 after a year’s break due to a change in methodology
England are right to stick with a settled top six – Bethell should follow the Lara model | Mark Ramprakash
There always seems to be one man under pressure in England’s batting lineup and consensus over the winter seemed to be that Jacob Bethell’s emergence had put Ollie Pope’s place at risk. Pope has clung on to his place for the start of the India series and my view is that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum should be very careful before they mess with what is probably the most settled top six of any Test side in the world at the moment.There was speculation about Pope and Zak Crawley before they scored centuries in last month’s game against Zimbabwe, but that performance should have secured their spots for this series at least.Bethell is a huge talent and some really top cricketers have spoken very highly about his performances and potential – clearly his time will come. He was impressive in New Zealand over the winter and since then we’ve seen exhilarating glimpses of his ability in shorter formats
Hail the Prince: Shubman Gill’s India captaincy a prophecy fulfilled but Test doubts remain
After a run of greats at the helm, the tourists’ early promotion of their new leader is an intriguing choice to steady a listing shipShubman Gill was a pretty laid-back character when he played for Glamorgan three summers ago. So laid back, in fact, that early on during his time there he parked the brand new Volvo the club had arranged for him and apparently left the keys in the ignition. Sure enough, after training, he returned to find it had been pinched.Cue panic in the finance department at Sophia Gardens, calls to the insurers and the like. But at least his new teammates had material for some lighthearted mickey-taking
Wallabies name squad for Fiji Test as James O’Connor misses out ahead of Lions series
Veteran fly half James O’Connor has been overlooked for the Wallabies’ first Test of the year against Fiji next month, all but ruling him of out of British & Irish Lions series.Coach Joe Schmidt has preferred Noah Lolesio, Ben Donaldson and Tom Lynagh to the 34-year-old O’Connor, who moved to the Crusaders this season and is set to play off the bench in the Super Rugby Pacific final against the the Chiefs on Saturday.Schmidt said O’Connor’s skill set and versatility were attractive, and his experience could have been important for “player-to-player coaching”, but he wanted to stick with the three younger pivots.“We’ve invested in three guys in that [No.] 10 spot, and we felt trying to balance things up, we’re going to keep investing in those guys,” he said
Lakers to be sold to Dodgers owner at $10bn valuation, per reports
The Buss family is entering an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at a $10bn valuation, ESPN reported on Wednesday, marking the end of an era for one of the NBA’s most influential families.Mark Walter, the CEO and chair of holding company TWG Global, is set to take the majority ownership under the agreement, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania said in a post on X. Walter was already a minority owner in the Lakers and is also primary owner and chair of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, and the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.The Lakers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The late Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 and turned it into one of the most popular and valuable franchises in all of professional sports, winning five championships during their now-iconic “Showtime” era in the 1980s
Marcus Smith at full-back against Argentina as Lions aim to ‘set tone’ for tour
Maro Itoje will captain the British & Irish Lions for the first time against Argentina in Dublin on Friday after the head coach, Andy Farrell, included him and eight other Englishmen in the starting XV for the warm-up match for the upcoming tour of Australia.England’s other starters include Marcus Smith at full‑back along with Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith at half‑backs. Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong will be given the chance to prove his fitness after struggling with a calf injury that ruled him out of Leinster’s United Rugby Championship final win against the Bulls last weekend. Furlong is included on a bench that also features the hooker Ronan Kelleher, the only player to be involved against Argentina six days after taking part in the end-of-season finale.Farrell’s injury list looks like being clear by next week – it will most likely be clouded somewhat by the final whistle against the Pumas – but for now it is a good place to be
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