美国优步司机收入大揭秘 比你想的要少得多!

Data taken from leaked internal documents has suggested that some Uber drivers in the US are making less than their state's minimum wage. According to a report, Detroit drivers make just $8.10 an hour – 40 cents less than the state's minimum wage.

近日，优步公司流出的内部文件数据表明，美国国内一些优步司机的收入尚未达到其所在州的最低工资标准。据一份报告显示，底特律地区优步司机的时薪仅为8.10美元，比该州的最低工资少了40美分。

Despite these initial calculations, a Washington Post report lowered the meagre earnings figures further. As Uber drivers are technically independent contractors and not direct employees of the online taxi service, the drivers also pay out twice the amount of standard tax for usual workers.

除初步估算之外，《华盛顿邮报》的算法则令司机的收入数据进一步降低。由于优步司机属于独立运营商，不属于优步公司的员工，因此缴纳的标准税额是普通工人的两倍。

After factoring this into its calculations – as well as the average hourly mileage costs for travelling to a pick-up spot without a passenger – Detroit's drivers were estimated to earn $6.60 an hour, with Houston and Denver following at $8.43 and $11.21 respectively.

如果再减去税额和司机接乘客途中的空车费，底特律的司机的时薪变为6.60美元，休斯敦和丹佛的司机的时薪则分别为8.43美元和11.21美元。

The paper spoke to an anonymous Uber representative regarding the initial report, who said "It would be wrong, or at least very challenging, to calculate expenses with such a diverse clientele."

《华盛顿邮报》采访了优步公司的一位匿名代表，该代表对此发表了看法：“优步公司面对的是多种多样的乘客，这样的计算方式存在问题，或者至少会引起争议。”

Washington Post also spoke to Lawrence Mishel, the president of the Economic Policy Institute, a DC-based think tank. Mishel stated: "Uber likes to play it both ways. It claims that it's the future of work, while it also emphasises that most of the drivers work less than 10 or 12 hours a week. They want to be the wave of the future, but they also want to picture themselves and their drivers earning [extra] money."

《华盛顿邮报》还采访了位于华盛顿特区的经济政策研究所的主任劳伦斯·米舍尔。米舍尔表示：“优步希望向外界展示自己在两方面的优势。优步一方面声称这样的工作方式才是未来的工作方式，另一方面则称优步司机每周的工作时间还不到10小时或12小时。优步希望这能成为未来的潮流，但同样希望令世人相信，公司和旗下司机确实在挣钱。”

While the calculations are only applicable to Uber drivers in the US, this isn't the first time accusations of low levels of pay has been levelled at the app-based taxi firm. In February, IBTimes UK spoke to James Farrar and Lucas Malec – two UK-based drivers disillusioned by Uber's commission rates and overall support. Farrar in particular estimated that after expenses he earned just 5.03pounds an hour – well below the 7.20 pounds for UK workers over the age of 25.

尽管上述估算仅适用于美国，但是外界对优步司机收入较低的质疑却由来已久。今年2月份，IBTimes的英国分站采访了两位司机，詹姆斯·法勒和卢卡斯·马拉克。二人对优步支付的佣金和总体支持政策深感沮丧。法勒表示，在交纳各项费用后自己的时薪仅为5.03英镑，远低于英国25岁以上工人7.20英镑的时薪。

While Uber has recently settled two class-action lawsuits in the US in Massachusetts and California, this was followed by further legal challenges claiming that the company violated the Fair Labor Standard Act.

优步近日在马塞诸塞州和加利福尼亚州的两起集体诉讼中和原告达成了和解。随后美国又陆续出现了对优步违反《公平劳动标准法》的指控。