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Lyft is referring drivers to jobs at Amazon after massive ridership decline

Lyft is referring drivers to jobs at Amazon after massive ridership decline

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Lyft is partnering with the e-commerce giant to help its drivers find work

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Lyft is now referring drivers on its platform to jobs at Amazon in a partnership between the two companies designed to alleviate financial hardships from a massive drop in ride-hailing usage.

Lyft notified drivers of the program on Friday via email, which the company has shared with The Verge, and said it’s encouraging them to apply to roles in Amazon warehouses and as part of the e-commerce company’s grocery and package deliveries platforms. Unlike Uber, which operates a food delivery platform, Lyft does not currently delivery meals or groceries, and its ridership has plummeted in recent weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Yet the company announced last week it would be expanding its delivery network to start delivering test kits, medical supplies, and meals to the elderly and vulnerable populations. Lyft says 100,000 drivers have signed up for the expansion so far. Lyft has also partnered with eight Medicaid agencies to use its platform to help people access vital medical services like dialysis appointments, chemotherapy, and prenatal care.

Lyft ridership has seen a massive decline, and drivers are in need of extra income

Amazon is among the few companies still able to hire at a time of record job losses, as demand for its delivery services surges due to city lockdowns and self-isolation and quarantine recommendations in effect throughout the country. Earlier this month, Amazon said it would raise its hourly rate by $2 through April and hire at least 100,000 new workers to keep up with strains on its warehouses and delivery network.

Through the new partnership with Amazon, Lyft says its drivers can sign up for jobs with the e-commerce giant through a dedicated web portal here. The company is also advising any drivers who do continue using its platform purchase plastic barriers for sealing off the front seat of the vehicle from the backseat. The company is informing its drivers of their eligibility for benefits as part of the historic stimulus package Congress passed earlier today with a new blog post posted today, too.

Screenshot by Nick Statt / The Verge

The Amazon program is not limited to just contract work through Amazon’s Flex package delivery network or Fresh grocery delivery service. The web portal indicates that Lyft drivers can find an Amazon job in as soon as seven days, and the work includes part-time and full-time jobs with “no resume or previous work experience required.” It includes roles in warehouses, as Flex drivers or through Amazon’s delivery partners, or as shoppers who work at Whole Foods markets to prep same-day Amazon deliveries and grocery pickups.

Update March 26th, 8:40PM ET: Added information about Lyft’s web portal for drivers to apply to Amazon jobs.