Deliveroo to hire 15k new riders

Deliveroo has announced it will employ an additional 15,000 riders by the end of the year, in contrast to the hospitality industry it supplies, which is continuing to haemorrhage jobs.

The food delivery company said the recruitment drive means it will have more than doubled the number of riders from 25,000 to more than 50,000 in the UK over the course of 2020.

Deliveroo is currently onboarding 2,000 riders per week to its network, which it said is the highest number on record.

The tech company has come under criticism for its role in the zero-hours economy, where it is accused of giving couriers no job security.

It says its drivers on average earn “well above the minimum wage”, with nearly half its drivers globally being students.

Deliveroo is also criticised by restaurants for charging too much commission, and cutting wafer slim margins further still.

The Amazon-backed business said its growth underlines the “vital role that Deliveroo is playing in the pandemic” to provide business opportunities for restaurants, bring people food during lockdowns and to provide work opportunities for riders.

There are now 11,500 new UK restaurant partners on Deliveroo - 8,800 small and independents.

Deliveroo has also signed-up 16 new on-demand grocery partners this year, such as Aldi, Morrison’s, Waitrose and Co-op, reaching customers right across the UK.

During lockdown, Deliveroo helped deliver 750,000 free meals to NHS frontline staff and charities

Will Shu, CEO of Deliveroo, said: “Riders are heroes and we are so proud of the vital role that they are carrying out in their local communities during the pandemic. It is fantastic that we can now recruit even more riders and will create a record 15,000 new opportunities by the end of the year. With a record number of riders and restaurant partners on the platform, we can now reach even more amazing customers across the UK, delivering the food that people need and want.”