There is a meme among politicians and social media pundits regarding our terrible economy causes many workers to hold more than one job.
Except it is not true.
Just over 5% of those age 16 and up hold more than one job. (The 16+ is the official government category.)
About half of those are working 2+ jobs due to “economic necessity”, and others are pursuing side opportunities by choice. Those side opportunities include driving for Uber or Lyft, or starting their own business on the side while still employed.
Of this small group (5%) that are doing more than one job:
- About 55+% are combining a full time job with a part time job.
- About 25% are combining multiple part time jobs.
- Less than 5% of those are trying to do two full time jobs.
How Does This Compare to the Past?
The % working more than 1 job is down from the 1990s.
1994–1997: Peak era; 6.0–6.2%.
1998–2010: Gradual decline toward ~5%.
2010–2019: Around 4.7–5.0%.
2020–2021: Pandemic (~4.4%).
2022–2026: Has risen back above 5.2–5.4%.
