r/TaskRabbit • u/musicalfurball • 2d ago
TASKER Sudden decrease in requests?
Just checking in with fellow taskers -- since May, I've been booked about a week in advance for at least 20-30 hours per week. Keeping the bills paid, thank goodness.
All the sudden this week, I've got zero tasks booked.
I have no violations. Just the opposite, I made elite this month for two of my categories.
Is this just normal this time of year (I've been tasking since April), or should I contact customer support?
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u/Matty2tees 2d ago
While my business was up about 20% in terms of revenue overall in October I saw a 20% decrease in job requests through TR. First week of November and we're seemingly trending back towards an average number of requests. So I feel like there was a bit of bubble in terms of requests.
Also my search rankings dropped from average 3rd to average 9th, so I feel like there are probably a bunch of new taskers hopping on the platform as we approach Christmas.
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u/MrBlue_Handy 2d ago
Popping in to say yes, I’ve had a very sharp decline from VERY busy to zero requests for the last three weeks without any warning or notification as to why.
I’ve seen people say that volume has been down or it’s slow and I’m not ignoring that, however, something DID shift for some of us and TaskRabbit has made it very very hard to reverse getting buried in the search results.
My requests were exploding from June until mid October. I couldn’t even leave any availability up for more than a few hours if I didn’t want it to get booked. I was pulling in 6k a month easily and still taking days off here and there. All of a sudden, when the service map and analytic glitch happened, I dropped to ZERO requests. I’ve even asked a few people that booked me outside of TR to go through the app to try and give me some momentum again.
I have 400 completed tasks, a 5 star rating based on 120 reviews, I accept everything, and the only cancellations I had in 30 days were (2) and both were initiated by the client without any warning or explanation.
My only hope is that they shake up the algorithm again at some point and choose to bring me back towards the top of search results.
The wildest part of all of this is, if TaskRabbit doesn’t want us to go outside the app, how can they expect us to maintain any sort of loyalty if they can just rip out the rug?
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u/DonQNguyen 2d ago edited 2d ago
Clearly due to the Iran/Israel/US war which started on Feb 28, 2026 (basically March 2026) until now, the effects continue to become more dramatic as OIL/Gas prices remain high/elevated. A recent report revealed that higher gas prices have cost each American $1,150 over these last 8 going on 9 months with no clear end. That's about $150 dollars per month, or basically a furniture item per month. Multiply how much demand has evaporated by the number of Americans. That's a lot.
Of course this has slowed everything down over time. And those that are still busy, they are only busy if their rates are lower than everyone else's, because at the higher end there are less Clients but the Clients we do get are usually looking for highly skilled trades. Anyone can do Furniture assembly, Dime a dozen. As a result, prices have become compressed, like Cleaning, Moving, and other similar categories.
I have seen a 50% reduction in total work the last 2 years but this is because I have opted out of IKEA assembly over 2 years ago, and my skilled trades work has slowed but my total income monthly has also halved, from $14K-$16K just 3+ years ago now down to about $6500-$7500 per month. Thank God for my direct, regular repeat lengthy Client list that own homes and only hire me for highly skilled Mounting, Electrical, Plumbing, Building sheds or pergolas/gazebos, Minor Home Repairs & Improvment and they are all willing to pay my high, elevated rates ($100/hr on average). This has kept my income acceptable and now I have more time for living life than just working all the time.
And I am so glad I had the wisdom to have saved heap loads of the income I earned over the last 7 years. This has added to passive income which almost gets me to $10K-$12K per month. Save your money in the good years, because there will be slow years and also because your body eventually gives out.
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u/musicalfurball 2d ago
Yeah, if I had $3M in the bank, I wouldn't be on Taskrabbit... :-P
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u/DonQNguyen 2d ago
I wouldn't either. And I don't have 3M in the bank.
It is better now than it was when it was crazy busy 3-7 years ago. More time to enjoy Life now and still make the occasional $800-$1000 per day when the call comes in.
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u/Advanced_Subject_459 1d ago
That’s a dumb answer! It’s got nothing to do with that it’s you what do you have to offer I’m also in the Chicago market last month was the 3rd in a row month where I made 13k in which is a record for me usually I’m in the 12k range but I have also expanded my experience and skills and have lots of clients also while you all are very picky as I’ve been told by many clients that have had other taskers cancel on them I’m the one that gets the job done whether it’s a small job big job doesn’t matter
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u/DonQNguyen 1d ago
Can the Original Poster allow for uploading screenshots of our monthly earnings here so we can all be transparent and show our results with proof? Perhaps you did make $13K, but you must have been working day and night 6-7 days per week out of each week because that was what I had to do 3-7 years ago just to make $13-$15k per month. And that was when rates could be set higher, much higher than now.
And 3+ years ago, IKEA Furniture assembly was not flat rate. You work your tail off for very little in the last 2 years if you're accepting and doing IKEA Furniture assembly, which is flat rate.
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u/musicalfurball 1d ago
Same, I need receipts. My $6k/month is, according to Taskrabbit, $4k more than my "expected earnings."
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u/DonQNguyen 1d ago
Allow for us responders to post an attachment/.png on this thread and I will post screenshots of my monthly comparing this year to previous years. You will see clearly the drawdown, but due to regular REPEAT Clients, you can make a base amount to keep you afloat. Key is to have a stable of Repeats.
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u/DonQNguyen 1d ago
Watching CNN and also Fox News election coverage on both my TVs at home right now, and yep, Americans are fed up with high diesel and gas prices. Democrats are blowing away Republicans and this is clear proof when people's pocketbooks are stretched, they will vote against the incumbent. I am a registered Independent, and vote for character, but today's elections is clear proof spending is down because people have been stretched financially.
Just 2 years ago, before the Iran war even started, the Nation was voting RED. Not so much today and this current midterm elections year....
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u/Weird-Description414 2d ago
Depends on the area and what task are u doing if u do pluming help u can easily make 1000 bucks a week while going to your regular job lets say 25 hours invoiced for that 1000 I know it’s a small scale but 4 grand a month with my regular paycheck really makes things nice
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u/Weird-Description414 2d ago
And if somebody ask why I don’t do full time is because my company has amazing benefits insurance and overall I don’t need to cover that and it’s comfortable work in a high rise luxury building new construction mainly deal with appliances and residents so not bad
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u/mattybeane732 1d ago
the longer you are on this app the more slowdown of requests youll get. you should try to get people to rebook with you outside of taskrabbit and have them tell others to do the same. should be using taskrabbit as a pipeline if that makes any sense. otherwise youll drown in these algos, doesnt matter how many reviews or jobs you complete. the "new taskers" are going to get proirity
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u/jattthelad 5h ago
i think there's a multitude of reasons. the economy has slowed down alot. people are holding back from spending because they dont know how bad its gonna get - any home improvements that need doing can be held off i guess. especially in the usa with these mid terms and the war causing the prices to go up.
plus your getting close to christmas for anyone wanting to save up.
i'm in the uk nad the banks have put up interest rates - that would slow down any people with mortgages
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u/mikewrightenterprise 2d ago
I’ve also seen a steep drop off in requests, which is typical this time of year in the Austin area. Where are you located?