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Uber signage on a vehicle at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, US, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. <\/p>\n
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
For more than a decade, Alvaro Bolainez has ferried passengers around the Los Angeles area in his SUV as a rideshare<\/a> driver<\/a>. He’s never seen anything like what’s happened with gas<\/a> this month.<\/p>\n “It’s changing so quick,” Bolainez told CNBC. “It’s insane.”<\/p>\n In Bolainez’s eyes, it feels like prices at the pump have skyrocketed “overnight” following the U.S.-Israeli strikes<\/a> on Iran<\/a>. Bolainez has tried to avoid shorter rides to ensure he’s turning a profit as a result. In a Facebook group, he shares tips from his years driving for a living to help others navigate this shift.<\/p>\n Bolainez is part of a network of millions of Americans offering services like making deliveries or ride hailing as a source of income. Because these gig-economy<\/a> jobs typically require a car<\/a>, the workers are acutely feeling the impacts of the rapid surge in oil prices.<\/p>\n “We have no choice,” Bolainez said. “If we don’t drive, we won’t be able to afford to pay rent or pay bills.”<\/p>\n The average price of unleaded gas jumped 22% over the last month to about $3.59 per gallon on Thursday, according to AAA<\/a>. The national average is at its highest level since May 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Prices last week recorded their biggest three-day increase since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans more than two decades ago, Bespoke Investment Group found. This month, gas has seen its steepest 10-day spike on record, according to Kevin Gordon of the Schwab Center for Financial Research.<\/p>\n “For a segment of gig workers, increasing gas prices are not only immediately painful, but also can sort of inject some fear in their day to day,” said Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at financial education platform NerdWallet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bolainez isn’t the only one in the gig economy world racing to adapt as costs climb.<\/p>\n Adrian Mussio, a food courier on platforms like DoorDash<\/a>Changing course<\/h2>\n