Using administrative data on credit profiles matched with unemployment insurance (UI) for individuals in the U.S., we show that laid-off workers with access to Uber rely less on household debt, experience fewer delinquencies, and are less likely to apply for UI benefits. Our empirical strategy exploits both the staggered market entry of Uber across cities and the differential benefit of its entry across car owners based on car age, a key eligibility requirement of the platform. We conclude that the introduction of Uber reduced reliance on these alternative means of smoothing extreme income shocks.

中文翻译：

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零工：用安全网换方向盘


使用与美国个人失业保险 （UI） 相匹配的信用档案管理数据，我们表明，可以使用 Uber 的下岗工人对家庭债务的依赖较少，拖欠更少，并且不太可能申请 UI 福利。我们的实证策略既利用了 Uber 跨城市的交错进入市场，也利用了基于车龄的车主进入的不同优势，这是该平台的一个关键资格要求。我们得出的结论是，优步的引入减少了对这些替代手段的依赖，以缓解极端的收入冲击。