Nearly 1 Million Aussies Juggle Multiple Jobs as Cost of Living Crisis Deepens

The Rising Trend of Multiple Job Holders

Almost a million Australians are now working multiple jobs to make ends meet, as soaring energy costs and inflation put immense pressure on household budgets. Fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that the number of Australians holding down more than one job increased by 2.2% in the September quarter, reaching a staggering 973,000 individuals.

Gender and Demographic Insights

Women continue to outnumber men in the multiple-job landscape, with 7.6% of employed women reporting at least one other job, compared to 5.6% of employed men. However, the number of male multiple-job holders saw a significant rise of 10.5% to 428,200, while female multiple-job holders increased by just 0.9% to 530,500.

Historical Context and Pandemic Impact

The proportion of Australians working multiple jobs remained relatively stable between 5% and 6% from 1994 to 2019, but plummeted in June 2020 due to the pandemic. Since then, it has rebounded and has consistently hovered between 6.4% and 6.7% since June 2022.

Financial Pressure Spills into the Workplace

Kylie Green, Managing Director APAC at Reward Gateway, warns that this trend is a "clear sign that financial pressure is spilling into the workplace." She emphasizes that when employees are stretched across multiple roles, fatigue and disengagement follow, directly impacting performance and retention. Green advocates for employers to broaden support beyond salary alone by offering flexible benefits, genuine recognition, and programs that ease day-to-day financial strain.

Inflation and Rising Costs

The uptick in multiple job holders coincides with inflation soaring to 3.8% in the 12 months to October, driven by significant increases in housing (up 5.9%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 3.2%), and recreation and culture (up 3.2%). Notably, electricity costs spiked by 37.1%, exacerbated by the depletion of state government rebates and the rollout of the Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund. Without these rebates, electricity prices would have jumped by 5%.

Regional and Age Disparities

The burden of multiple jobs is not evenly distributed. Workers in less population-dense areas are more affected, with 9.1% of employed people in Greater Hobart and 8.7% in Western Australia outside Greater Perth holding multiple jobs. Rural Australians are more likely to work multiple jobs than their urban counterparts, with at least 7% of workers outside major cities juggling multiple occupations compared to 6.4% in capital cities.

Age also plays a role, with over 8% of those aged 20 to 24 holding multiple jobs, while only 4.8% of those over 65 do so.

Industry Variations

Certain sectors see higher rates of multiple job holders. Administrative and support workers lead with an 8.9% rate, while only 3.2% of those in electricity, gas, water, and waste services have another occupation.

A Personal Story: Bevan Jones

Bevan Jones, an Adelaide-based father to a three-year-old daughter, exemplifies this trend. To maintain a comfortable living standard for his family, he works full-time in radio sales while moonlighting as an MC, radio announcer, podcast host, and freelance journalist. Jones and his wife purchased a home just before the pandemic, and making mortgage repayments has become increasingly challenging as the cash rate rose from 0.1% to 4.35%. He notes, "The interest rates keep going up all the time and so do your household bills... I can see why so many people are struggling out there and needing to have more than one job."

This situation highlights the growing financial strain on Australian households and the need for comprehensive support from employers and policymakers alike.