More Amazon and gig workers are turning to SNAP and Medicaid to make ends meet, study finds
The GAO says 13.8 million employed adults were on Medicaid and 10.6 million on SNAP in 2024 as gig platforms overtook Walmart among food-stamp recipients.
- A new Government Accountability Office report found that Amazon workers enrolled in SNAP and Medicaid nearly tripled between 2020 and 2025 across 11 states, while gig platforms including Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash emerged as the largest single category of SNAP recipients.
- The GAO reviewed enrollment data from 11 states representing roughly one-fifth of the U.S. population, revealing that while Walmart remains the largest traditional employer of Medicaid recipients, Amazon's share of public-assistance beneficiaries has surged significantly since 2020.
- Data shows 12,346 Amazon workers relied on SNAP and 11,338 on Medicaid, prompting Senator Bernie Sanders to argue that taxpayers are effectively subsidizing low-wage business models unable to cover basic living expenses.
- Responding to the findings, Amazon contended the report is misleading for focusing on raw figures rather than percentages, while gig industry group Flex defended the sector, stating many workers "turn to flexible work to bridge the gap.
29 Articles
29 Articles
13.8 million U.S. workers are enrolled in Medicaid and 10.6 million depend on SNAP, and two thirds of them work full-time, 35 hours or more a week. The figure, from a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published on July 22, complicates the argument behind the new job requirements: if the goal is for people to work harder to stop relying on aid, the data shows that many are already employed.The report puts the focus on a lit…
Study finds spike in delivery app drivers, Amazon workers receiving federal benefits
A new study released on Wednesday finds that dependence on food stamps and Medicaid for gig economy workers has spiked since the start of the pandemic. A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the number of Amazon workers relying on federal assistance programs has tripled between February 2020 and September 2025. Walmart and…
More Amazon and gig workers are turning to SNAP and Medicaid to make ends meet, study finds
A growing number of Amazon and gig economy workers earn so little that they rely on public assistance to put food on the table and obtain health coverage, a Government Accountability Office study released Wednesday found.
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