Workers Stretch Commute to 29 Miles on Average to Boost Income
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 12, 2026 / Demand for flexible labor kept climbing in April, with businesses on the Instawork platform posting shifts at a double-digit pace for the fourth consecutive month.
Workers met that demand by commuting farther than ever. The average Instawork Pro traveled 29 miles for their shift, up from 22 miles in March, at a time when gas was averaging $4.53 nationally with many states above $5.00.
Despite those rising costs, fill rates held steady at 98%. Meanwhile, wages on the platform were essentially flat year over year, a signal of stability in a market absorbing sustained demand.
BY THE NUMBERS: APRIL 2026
|
+Double Digit% Shift Growth 4th consecutive month |
51 → 50 YoY Wage Index Wages essentially flat |
Warehouse Associate Top Role 4th consecutive month |
29 miles Avg Commute Up from 22 miles in March |
WHERE THE GROWTH IS: HOSPITALITY, WAREHOUSE AND THE SUNBELT
Warehouse associate held the top spot on Instawork for the fourth month running. April’s growth markets were Atlanta, Austin, Kansas City, KS, and Arlington, pointing to Midwest and Sunbelt momentum.
The top shifts – warehouse associate, line cook, dishwasher, food server, event server – signal that hospitality demand is back and running alongside industrial work. The government’s April jobs report confirmed this: Leisure and hospitality rebounded after February declines, with manufacturing holding steady, consistent with what Instawork’s platform has been tracking in real time.
That demand is showing up even as businesses and workers navigate an increasingly uncertain environment. The Federal Reserve’s April Beige Book captured the employer mindset: Businesses want capacity without the permanence of a full-time hire, making flexible labor a reliable way to meet demand.
Workers, for their part, are absorbing the pressure of the labor market by staying in their current jobs. Job-loss fears edged up slightly to 14.6% in April, just above the 12-month trailing average, according to the NY Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations. The voluntary quit rate dipped to 18.2%. Confidence in finding a new job held at 46%, reflecting workers’ cautious mindset.
ABOUT THE INSTAWORK PAY INDEX
The Instawork Pay Index is a monthly analysis of real-time platform data covering shift volume, wages, worker mobility, and geographic demand trends across Instawork’s network. April 2026 data reflects activity from April 1-30, 2026. The Pay Index is released following the BLS Employment Situation Summary.
ABOUT INSTAWORK
Instawork’s mission is to create economic opportunities for businesses and hourly workers across the globe. As the leading AI-powered marketplace for hourly labor, Instawork connects light industrial, hospitality, retail, and robotics companies to skilled workers, turning staffing agility into a competitive advantage. Instawork helps more than 10 million workers earn on their terms while developing valuable skills. Backed by leading investors including Benchmark, Craft, Greylock, and Spark Capital.
Media Contact:
Amanda Pires
Head of Communications, Instawork
apires@instawork.com | 650-208-3728
SOURCE: Instawork
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