With the pandemic entering the endemic phase and eating out slowly going back to the norms, food delivery riders in Singapore are seeing a decline in their earnings.
According to Shin Min Daily News, a 57-year-old food delivery rider said that he worked about 11 hours during one of his shifts and earned only $90, meaning his average hourly earnings was about $8.18/hr.
The food delivery rider, Mr Sun, who has been delivering food for three years, said that it was about a 50 per cent decline in his daily income.
The food delivery industry was initially well paying during the pandemic because of the restrictions on dining out, but with the reopening of Singapore’s economy, food delivery riders have seen a huge hit in their earnings.
Delivery riders are at risk of falling into the “in work poverty” situation where they are finding difficulties in increasing their income, secure job promotions or find positions that are more lucrative because of the lack of career progression in the line.
Food delivery riders are working at least 10 hours more than PMETs in Singapore and clock in 55 hours per week, or more.
According to a survey of 37 food delivery riders, they said that they worked a minimum of 40 hours weekly to secure an income of $2,000 a month, with one of the riders saying that working 40 hours a week is too little for them.
The rider told SMDN that those who work hard and don’t rest can earn good money if they work for 7 days straight and more than 12 hours each day.
Also, many of the food delivery riders who joined the industry during the pandemic, have since returned to their past jobs after the pandemic situation.
These workers were previously laid off during the onset of the pandemic, with only about a third of them doing food deliveries full time on a long term basis.