A single paycheck just isn’t enough. The number of Americans with two or more jobs has reached its highest point since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began tracking the number in 1994.
A record-high 8.9 million people in the U.S. reported working multiple jobs in February, per BLS’ latest jobs report released last week. That amounts to 5.4% of all employed workers, a share last seen during the Great Recession in April 2009.
Some sources place the number even higher. According to a Bankrate survey, more than one-third third of U.S. adults have a second job, while Side Hustle Nation reports that 39% of working Americans have a side gig.
Related: Nearly 50% of Parents Now Have Side Hustles, According to a New Survey
According to data published by the St. Louis Fed earlier this month, Americans with more than one job average 35 hours per week at their primary job and 13.5 hours at one or more additional jobs. Their average age is 42.5 years old and they make around $57,865 per year compared to the $56,965 averaged by those with a single job.
Rising prices for rent, groceries, and other necessities may have led Americans to seek multiple income sources. The latest consumer price index report, released earlier this week, showed that prices for food, shelter, energy, and other essentials rose 2.8% in February compared to the same time last year. Egg prices were up 10% from January to February due to shortages related to an avian flu outbreak, while energy prices rose 0.2% month-over-month in February because of higher fuel oil and natural gas prices.
Americans are also taking on multiple jobs in response to a competitive labor market where more people have college degrees. The number of college graduates has nearly doubled from 21.2% in 1994 to 37.7% in 2022. According to the St. Louis Fed, in 1994, 31% of Americans with more than one job were college graduates. Now half of those with more than one job have graduated from college.
Related: MBA Graduates From Top Schools Including Harvard, Northwestern, and Stanford Are Having Trouble Finding Jobs, According to a New Report
It’s additionally easier now to find a second job working for a rideshare company like Uber, which has more than seven million monthly drivers and couriers globally, per a September 2024 report. A number of side hustles require little to no experience, such as working as a virtual assistant or website tester.
Americans can also pack in an extra job while working from home, with reports of some employees working two remote jobs simultaneously. BLS data showed that about 35% of employed people did some or all of their work at home in 2023, up from 24% in 2019.
However, working more than one job can take a toll. Chanda Corkrean, 41, told The Wall Street Journal that she works 40 hours a week from home for a medical supply distributor, making $45,000, and 20 to 25 hours in person in the evenings at Pizza Hut for $12 an hour.
“I’m tired,” she told the outlet. “It’s hard to adult between the two jobs.”
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