The St. Louis Fed recently analyzed how the portion of American workers who work multiple jobs has changed since the pandemic. During the COVID-19, the rate of people working multiple jobs dipped to around 4%. This was significant because this was historically low. Since then, around March 2025, that rate had recovered to about 5.5% which translates to over 8 million people. Alongside that, the number of people working multiple part-time jobs also fell between March and July, which could indicate that some workers returned to full-time roles or quit their part-time employment.
These changes are important and have some implications for the labor market. Rising rates of people holding multiple jobs often indicate financial pressures or when money is tight. On the other hand, it’s important to consider that some of this increase may not be because of financial pressure, but rather done willingly because of life-style changes or related circumstances. At the end of the day, the consistency of millions of people working more than one job highlights the current challenges in the economy and home income.
5 comments:
I almost picked up a second job this summer due to not getting the hours I wanted at my current job. Luckily, I was able to end up getting what I wanted, so I could stick to just 1.
It is sad that some people have to work 80 hours a week to get by. I like how you mentioned that sometimes people are willingly working this much, not just because they have to.
The rise in multiple jobholders back to pre-pandemic levels shows both economic strain and shifting work preferences. While some workers may be taking extra jobs out of necessity, others are embracing flexible arrangements by choice. Either way, it underscores ongoing pressures on household incomes and the evolving nature of the U.S. labor market.
The part that caught my attention is the drop in people holding multiple part-time jobs between March and July. That could be a sign that at least some workers are finding more stable full-time employment, which would be a positive development. At the same time, the overall rise in multiple jobholders back above 5% shows that financial pressure is still a real issue for many households. It feels like the labor market is sending mixed signals right now.
I like how you did a great job summarizing the key findings from the St. Louis Fed’s analysis! You clearly explained the trend in multiple jobholding before, during, and after the pandemic, and I like how you connected the data to possible reasons such as financial pressure versus lifestyle choices. This helps show that the issue isn’t one-dimensional and makes your summary much more thoughtful.
Do you think the rise in workers holding multiple jobs is more a sign of economic weakness (people needing extra income to get by) or economic strength (workers having more opportunities and flexibility to take on extra roles)? How could policymakers use this data to guide decisions about wages or labor protections?
It's interesting how many people are working multiple jobs again, over 8 million by 2025 compared to the drop during COVID. I feel like a lot of this is because of financial pressure with costs still high but I also get that some people might pick up extra work for lifestyle reasons. I currently work 2 jobs and I still am constantly struggling with not having enough money. To me, the fact that so many Americans need more than one job shows how tough it still is for a lot of households to keep up.
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