Over One Million UK Workers Juggle Multiple Jobs as Living Costs Escalate
In Bristol, recognised as the UK's second most expensive city, Billy-Jo Pierce articulates a prevalent sentiment, stating she is "living in survival mode." Pierce, 29, exemplifies the growing number of workers undertaking additional roles to contend with the cost of living crisis and to forge a semblance of financial stability.
Working 50-60 hours weekly, Pierce manages a cosmetic teeth-gem business alongside reception shifts, bar work, festival engagements, and online clothing sales. While acknowledging a passion for her work, she concedes that "burn out is real."
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate approximately 1.3 million people across the UK currently have a second job, a slight decrease from a 2025 peak of 1.35 million.
After graduating with a first-class degree in interior design, Pierce initially struggled to secure industry work, leading her to balance a full-time gaming job with developing her business. Redundancy last year compelled her to focus solely on her entrepreneurial venture, yet escalating costs, particularly in Bristol, necessitated taking on further employment.
Dr. Emily Beaumont, an associate professor at the University of Gloucestershire, notes that while multiple jobs are increasingly common, this trend often signals an economy where "one income is no longer stretching far enough," rather than pure entrepreneurial empowerment. She argues this points to a "more fragmented and risk-shifted" economic landscape.
The UK's unemployment rate has recently climbed to 5%, with job vacancies reaching a five-year low. Concurrently, the gig economy, encompassing freelance and contract work, has expanded significantly, now involving nearly five million people. While only a fifth rely on gig work as their primary income, it often serves as a recourse during periods of rising unemployment.
Engy Elboreini, a Bristol-based freelance graphic designer, has diversified her work, retraining in events management, following a decline in demand for traditional design due to accessible tools like AI. Similarly, Hollie, a single mother also from Bristol, took up life modelling and other part-time roles to gain the flexibility needed to care for her son, Max.
These workers, while adaptable, consistently express concerns over financial precarity and the absence of long-term security inherent in fragmented employment. "I'm always thinking about the next bill, the next job, even though work is coming through, there's no real security," Hollie explains, underscoring the systemic pressures driving the multi-job workforce.
