More Americans are juggling multiple jobs to combat frozen wages and mounting job insecurity, turning to side hustles and “polyworking” to bolster their income and create backup plans.
The trend reflects workers’ growing unease about stagnant salaries amid inflation and fears of layoffs, prompting many to diversify their income streams through gig work, freelance projects, and passion-driven businesses, experts say.
Katelyn Cusick exemplifies this new reality of the workforce. The 29-year-old visual merchandiser for Patagonia manages social media influencers for a German shoe brand 10 to 15 hours weekly, sells paintings on Etsy, and ushers at Bay Area concerts.
“Every day is different and every day feels like a new day,” Cusick said, according to AP News. “That is ultimately why I started doing all these side hustles, just because I wanted to switch it up. I don’t want to just do the same thing every day.”
The extra income helps her manage student loans and high living costs after years of flat wages at her primary job.
“We have seen stagnant salaries, we’ve seen inflation, we’ve seen the cost of living overall increasing, even beyond our inflation measures,” said Alexandrea Ravenelle, a sociologist and gig economy researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “So people are looking for ways to supplement and to build themselves a little bit of a safety net.”
Some workers are building “portfolio careers,” assembling various jobs that develop different skills. Others turn to apps like Uber and Grubhub for quick supplemental income.
“Rather than having one job that you can have for many, many years and thinking about your career progression as a linear pathway, some people are putting together multiple side hustles based on their skills and interests and making the money work by having multiple revenue streams,” said Elaine Chen, director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts University.
Career experts advise following genuine interests when starting side work. “You have to love it,” Chen said. “Usually it is something that the person is really passionate about.”
Josie White, 31, channeled her mental health struggles into a public speaking side business while fundraising full-time for Shelter the Homeless in Salt Lake City. She aims to help others facing similar challenges “to reassure people that there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.”
White started as an unpaid volunteer speaker, gradually building experience. She’s booked 10 engagements this year, with four paid opportunities.
“The goal is ultimately to get paid, but right now I’m putting in the legwork to reach that,” White said. “It’s starting to snowball.”
Tom Ritter, 39, supplemented his nonprofit job with Instacart and Walmart’s Spark delivery platform. The extra income proved crucial when he lost his primary employment.
“For me, even that extra couple hundred dollars a month went a long way, and it still does,” Ritter said.
However, Ravenelle warns against over-reliance on gig work. Platforms often adjust algorithms to reduce worker earnings, and the stigma can hamper future job searches.
“The house always wins when it comes to the gig platforms,” she said.
Scams pose another risk. Ravenelle encountered people who believed online videos promising thousands monthly from growing microgreens at home.
“They thought they could make thousands of dollars a month, working from home, growing microgreens in their kitchen, and then selling them to high-end restaurants,” Ravenelle said. “No. The person who sells you the grow lights and gives you the classes is the person who’s making the money.”
Time management remains challenging. White works 40-45 hours weekly, dedicating Fridays to her speaking business.
“I wouldn’t describe my life as balanced,” she said. “But am I enjoying it? Yes. And I think that matters.”