Almost a third of Brisbane Uber drivers were unemployed before signing up to work with the company.
With the Brisbane unemployment rate hovering about 5-6 per cent, the statistics reveal the disruptive ride-sharing company is helping people earn a living in a difficult market.
The figures, provided to Fairfax Media, came amid a taxi and limousine industry campaign over the impacts the ride-sharing company had on profits and the worth of taxi licences.
Uber surveyed more than 3000 of its Brisbane drivers to find 32.14 per cent of its drivers were unemployed before they signed up to drive with the app-based service.
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More than 24 per cent of drivers were employed full-time by a third party, 14.27 per cent were in casual work, 9.98 per cent were employed part-time and 19 per cent were self-employed.
Of those who said they were unemployed before joining Uber, 35.32 per cent reported they were out of work for more than a year.
Uber driver and boilermaker Nick Pikos, 39, said he was struggling with a lack of work stability doing agency jobs as a labourer before joining.
"You'll go for two days [of work as a labourer] or you may have nothing for six or seven weeks," the Brisbane father-of-two said.
"[With Uber], you work when you want to work, you can pack up your day and have a good break in between and you get to meet people day in and day out."
Mr Pikos, who drives at least 55 hours a week with Uber, said increased government regulation on Uber could make him reconsider.
"I'd have to start looking elsewhere for work as well so I can try and make up what I need," he said.
Uber Queensland general manager Alex Golden pointed out the employment positives of the company in Brisbane.
"We know it can be hard to bounce back after losing work in a tight job market and we're pleased to see hundreds of Queenslanders getting back on their feet with the flexibility of ride sharing," Mr Golden said.
There are more than 10,000 Queenslanders driving on the Uber app – up from 5000 in September 2016, when it was legalised in the Sunshine State.
Queensland's major parties have revealed their ride-sharing policies, with the issue likely to stay on the agenda in the lead up to the next election.
Labor, the LNP, Katter's Australian Party and One Nation have varying plans but they all lead to greater regulation of ride sharing.
A second stage of reforms is set to be debated in Queensland Parliament this year, including a new $237.26 annual fee for ride sharing drivers, driver fatigue management and a zero blood-alcohol reading requirement.
The employment benefits of Uber in Brisbane are likely to enrage the taxi and limousine industry, which is building a multi-million-dollar campaign fund in the fight against ride sharing in the lead-up to the election.
Drivers have spoken out about the decreasing value of taxi licences – worth about $200,000 at the end of 2016, according to a committee report.
Almost 100 per cent of eligible licence holders have claimed transition payments from the government's $60 million scheme.
The government also waived operator accreditation, licence renewal fees, taxi industry security levy and driver authorisation renewal fees for 12 months as a result of changes in the industry.
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