The majority of New Jerseyans who deliver DoorDash orders say the ability to earn flexible income helps them feel more financially stable.

As part of a newly released report, the third-party on-demand platform ran a survey of its drivers. According to the results, in New Jersey 89% of “dashers” said the ability to make their own schedules is one of the main reasons they deliver with DoorDash over other opportunities.

Participants in the local questionnaire also said that delivering orders, aka “dashing,” has helped them avoid applying for government benefits or taking out a payday loan (37%). Additionally, 90% said they prefer to maintain their status as independent contractors, while 97% believe it is important to protect the ability of drivers to choose when, where and how they work.

The San Francisco-based company noted that New Jersey’s responses mirror what other dashers across the U.S. and the 25 other countries where DoorDash has a presence said about the gig.

Additionally, the questionnaire found:

• 88% of dashers say that one of the main reasons they dash is because of the unique flexibility it provides, and 91% prefer to remain independent contractors.
• If flexible work were not available, 58% of dashers say they would spend less time caring for loved ones and 76% would cut back on household spending.
• 79% of dashers feel less stressed and anxious about their financial situation because they can dash whenever they need to.
• 40% of dashers would not choose an alternative way to replace this income were it to go away.
• Nearly 1 in 5 merchants surveyed (19%) said that, if not for DoorDash, their business would not exist today.
• Merchants also said DoorDash helped increase profits (70%) and tap new customers they would otherwise not be able to reach (87%).
• 94% of merchants plan to continue partnering with DoorDash for at least a year.

Overall, the 6 million people who dashed last year earned $15 billion, according to DoorDash. The platform also helped its network of hundreds of thousands of merchants pull in nearly $50 billion in sales, the company reported.

DoorDash’s Head of Policy Research Cheryl Young said in a statement, “DoorDash connects local businesses, Dashers, and consumers to what they need, when they need it.

“Our data-driven Community Impact Report demonstrates how people have leveraged DoorDash to achieve their goals. Whether that’s dashing for extra money for that very special occasion, using DoorDash to grow their customer base, or sending a warm meal to a loved one who’s sick, DoorDash’s community impact is felt every day.”

Conducted from Nov. 27-Dec. 7, 2023, the nationwide survey included responses from 6,957 dashers, 1,248 merchant partners and 2,645 consumers. The full report is available here.