Uber’s CEO claims that the company creates 50,000 new jobs every month

How fast is Uber growing? Pretty darn fast, CEO Travis Kalanick claims the company adds tens of thousands of new drivers every month. “There are hundreds of thousands of partners connected to our system,” he said at TechCrunch Disrupt this morning. “We’re in the neck of 50,000 new jobs every month that are being created.” Kalanick admitted he didn’t have the exact number, but that’s a pretty massive increase. Back in May, the company said it was adding an average of 20,000 new drivers every month. You’re not alone in thinking those numbers seem a little optimistic. By comparison, the entire US added 142,000 job in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs report.

Uber is having an uber impact on the global economy, at least according to the company’s CEO. Travis Kalanick, CEO and cofounder of Uber, revealed on Monday that there are “hundreds of thousands of partners” connected to Uber’s platform and noted that the company is now creating 50,000 new jobs globally each month. The figures, announced during Kalanick’s interview at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, were later confirmed to Mashable by an Uber rep. “At its current rate, the Uber platform is generating 50,000 new driver jobs around the world every month, up from 20,000 in May,” the rep said in an email. While the company may be signing up thousands of new drivers, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s adding that many net jobs to the industry. After all, many drivers likely switch from the established taxi industry to Uber, or between the various taxi startups. Nonetheless, it’s a gripping stat that shows the fast growth of Uber’s network and perhaps puts a more positive spin on the company in the midst of some recent critical press coverage. During the interview, Kalanick tried to re-introduce himself to the general public in an effort to explain his tendency towards tough talk and hyper competitive tactics at Uber.