The number of Britons holding multiple jobs has reached a record high, official figures show, as stagnant wages and rising living costs force workers into ever more precarious forms of employment. According to data released by the Office for National Statistics, the number of people with more than one job rose to 1.3 million in the final quarter of 2023, a 15 per cent increase year on year. This represents the highest level since comparable records began in 1992.
“I live in survival mode,” said Sarah Jenkins, a 34-year-old mother of two from Manchester, who works as a teaching assistant during the day and cleans offices at night. “I never thought I would be juggling two jobs just to keep a roof over our heads. But the bills keep going up, and my main salary just doesn’t stretch.”
Her story is increasingly common. The ONS data shows that the largest increase in multiple jobholding has been among women, particularly those aged 30 to 49. Many are working as part-time teachers, care workers, or retail assistants by day, and supplementing their income with evening or weekend work in hospitality, delivery services, or cleaning.
The trend reflects deeper structural cracks in the UK’s labour market. Despite official unemployment remaining low at 3.9 per cent, the quality of work has deteriorated. Real wages, adjusted for inflation, have fallen by 2.3 per cent over the past two years, according to the Resolution Foundation. Meanwhile, the cost of essentials such as food, energy, and rent has surged, leaving households with less disposable income.
The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates 14 times in a row to 5.25 per cent, the highest level in 15 years, has further squeezed borrowers. Mortgage payments have risen sharply, and landlords have passed on costs through higher rents. Private sector rents increased by 6.2 per cent in the year to January, the largest rise on record.
“The surge in multiple jobholding is a sign of a labour market that is not working for many people,” said Hannah Slaughter, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation. “People are taking on extra work not because they want to, but because they have to. It’s a survival strategy, not a career choice.”
The phenomenon is not confined to low-paid sectors. A small but growing number of professionals, including accountants, teachers, and NHS nurses, are reporting second incomes from freelance work, tutoring, or online services. The ONS reports that self-employment as a secondary job has risen by 20 per cent over the past year.
Critics argue that the government’s response has been insufficient. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget, delivered last week, offered a 2p cut to National Insurance and an extension to the Household Support Fund, but campaign groups say these measures fall far short of what is needed. The Living Wage Foundation estimates that one in five workers are paid below the real living wage of £12 per hour outside London.
“The government is presiding over a cost-of-living crisis that is pushing people into overwork and burnout,” said Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the trade union PCS. “Working two or three jobs just to survive is not a sign of a healthy economy. It is a sign of a system that is failing its people.”
The long-term consequences could be serious. Health experts warn that chronic stress from multiple jobs and long hours increases the risk of mental and physical illness. The Royal College of Psychiatrists notes that rates of anxiety and depression have risen sharply since 2021.
For now, the data suggests that the trend will continue. The ONS projects that the number of multiple jobholders could exceed 1.5 million by the end of this year if economic conditions do not improve. As Sarah Jenkins put it: “I hope one day I can just have one job, and have a life again. But right now, that feels like a luxury I cannot afford.”
