Women make less in the gig economy. A new study asked why.

When Jennifer Cartlidge lost her job at a pet supply store after covid-19 began shuttering businesses last March, she rushed to find work that minimized face-to-face contact. Cartlidge, 40, is a kidney cancer survivor with autoimmune issues, so she’s considered high-risk.

Signing up to drive for the food delivery app DoorDash near her St. Louis home seemed like her best bet. “It’s been a lifesaver,” said Cartlidge, who’s a mother of four school-age children. “I can take time off when my kids are sick and help them with remote learning.”

Cartlidge said she doesn’t take orders that offer less than $1 per mile, and she rarely delivers farther than a 10-mile radius. “I’d like to see a higher base pay, but I make it work,” she added.

Since the pandemic began, women have been disproportionately suffering from job losses; female-dominated fields such as retail service have shrunk; and many women have had to abandon their 9-to-5 jobs to care for children. For some women like Cartlidge, turning to gig work on popular Web and app-based platforms such as DoorDash, Instacart and Uber is the best solution.