Work On Demand in Español: Enhancing Economic Opportunity in Los Angeles’s Latino Communities

On May 24, Uber was joined by Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino and leaders from organizations like the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) to launch, for the first time ever, Work on Demand in Español — a continued initiative committed to onboarding 12,000 new driver-partners in 12 months in neighborhoods across the Los Angeles area.

The event brought a regional effort to help enhance economic opportunity and access to reliable transportation for thousands of Angelenos to the Southland’s Latino communities. As part of this effort, Uber hosted an onboarding event in both English and Spanish and made Spanish-speaking partners aware of their ability to participate in uberESPAÑOL. uberESPAÑOL is a product that allows Uber riders to choose to be matched with Spanish-speaking drivers and also provides driver-partners the option to work in Spanish.

https://youtu.be/E6ZWCGnMD4k

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 20 million Americans are forced to work part-time for “non-economic reasons” like child care or education, and research has also consistently shown that most people in America say they have too little money and too little time. The two are closely connected and Americans say they want more control of both.

Here in Los Angeles, Uber helps solve for both of these pain points.

A Pew research study also found that access to ridesharing services like Uber is not only reducing reliance on private car ownership, but also providing access to underserved communities. Half of the ride-hailing users surveyed agree that these services provide access to neighborhoods that taxis won’t visit, communities that many Latinos call home – and 54% agree that these services are a good option for people who have trouble hailing cabs.

uberX and uberESPAÑOL allow drivers to make money on their own time, and the flexibility gives them the freedom to meet family commitments, further their education, or continue to work in their full-time profession, all in the language of their choice. On the rider side, uberX and uberESPAÑOL enable people to get a safe, affordable and reliable ride, regardless of the neighborhood they live in or the language they prefer to speak, in a matter of minutes. For both riders and drivers, ridesharing can have an important impact on their lives.