Side hustles are twice as prevalent as government data suggests, indicating that more Americans must work multiple jobs to meet ends amid historically high inflation.
According to the latest work-from-home survey conducted by economists including Stanford University’s Nicholas Bloom, nearly 10% of workers reported having a main job plus at least one other side gig. By contrast, the January employment report showed 8 million, or about 5% of U.S. workers, had multiple jobs, according to the Labor Department.
Despite a strong labor market underscored by historically low unemployment and solid wage gains – which, for some workers, are finally outpacing inflation – the cost of living is still a huge financial strain for many Americans. That’s leading them to load up on credit cards and tap into savings to make ends meet, and, in some cases, pick up another paycheck.
The Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes has collected more than 100,000 responses since May 2020. Bloom, along with researchers Jose Maria Barrero and Steven J. Davis, are the authors of the 2021 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper “Why working from home will stick.”
The survey also found:
– Days worked from home dropped to 27.2% in January, from a peak of 61.5% at the height of the pandemic. While the share has dipped slightly in recent months, Covid-19 is estimated to have permanently increased WFH by the equivalent of almost 40 years of pre-pandemic growth.
– 13% of full-time employees are fully remote, 59% are full-time on-site, and 28% are in a hybrid arrangement
– Employers are extending less flexibility. On average, employees can now work from home 2.2 days per week, down from 2.3 days in the middle of last year.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.
-
Boston Celtics
Celtics dismantle Bucks in showdown, 140-99
-
Schools & Education
Turner-based school district directors take no action on citizen-proposed policies on student health
-
Crime
Standish woman charged with sexual abuse of minor
-
News
Leeds voters to decide on higher budget at town meeting Saturday
-
Lewiston-Auburn
Developer moves ahead with plan for 1,100 residential units on Gracelawn Road in Auburn