Living in Survival Mode: The Rise of Multi-Job Workers
Over one million people in the UK now hold second jobs as escalating living costs, job insecurity, and shifts in various industries drive more workers into the expanding gig economy.
Billy-Jo Pierce describes her life in Bristol, the UK's second most expensive city, as "living in survival mode," balancing multiple jobs to manage financially.
She is among a growing group who have taken on additional paid roles to address the cost of living crisis and to establish financial stability and flexibility.
Originally from Birmingham and aged 29, Pierce expresses passion for her work but acknowledges the toll it takes, stating that the "burn out is real."
Her weekly workload ranges from 50 to 60 hours, including running a business that decorates customers' teeth with cosmetic gems, alongside reception duties, bar work, festival jobs, and selling clothes online.
'Part of a Rat Race'
Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates approximately 1.3 million people in the UK currently hold a second job, a slight decrease from the record 1.35 million recorded in 2025.
Pierce's entrepreneurial path began during her university studies in interior design.
Despite graduating with a first-class degree, she faced difficulties securing employment in her field and took a 9-5 job in gaming while developing her business on the side.
"I'd finish work at like five, six pm and then go straight to my own business and stay there till like 11 pm.
"I was working way too much, I had no social life. I felt like I was part of a massive rat race that I wasn't going to win in.
"I was working so hard but I wasn't saving and I wasn't really living."
After being made redundant last year, she chose to dedicate herself full-time to her business.
However, rising expenses and Bristol's high cost of living have made it challenging to survive on a single income.
Research indicates that material costs in the beauty industry have increased by over 90% in the past decade.
To reduce expenses, Pierce now lives in a van and maintains multiple jobs to support her business.
Her typical weekday involves working in the studio from 10:00 to 19:00, followed by reception shifts that can extend until 23:00. Weekends often include bar or festival work.
Despite her efforts, she continues to worry about financial stability.
"Work is a lot and I still feel like I'm not earning a good monthly wage to ever get close to owning a house," she says.
"I feel like it's quite the norm at the moment to work multiple jobs. There's definitely something wrong with what's going on at the moment."
The UK unemployment rate recently rose to 5%, while job vacancies have dropped to their lowest level in five years.
Simultaneously, the gig economy—comprising freelance or contract work rather than permanent employment—has expanded significantly.
Nearly five million people now engage in gig work, including food delivery, freelance design, cleaning, dog walking, or selling clothes online, though only about 20% rely on it as their main income.
When unemployment increases, more individuals turn to gig work.
For many, particularly younger workers, depending on a single employer no longer offers security.
"People are taking second jobs mainly because one income is no longer stretching far enough," says Dr Emily Beaumont, associate professor of enterprise and entrepreneurship at the University of Gloucestershire.
She notes that having a second job or side hustle has become more common but is not always "empowering" in an entrepreneurial sense.
"The rise of side hustles tells us the economy is becoming more fragmented and risk-shifted," she adds.
'AI Eradicated Demand for My Work'
Engy Elboreini, a freelance graphic designer based in Bristol, reports having to diversify her work due to industry changes.
"The last two years have been my worst trading years," she says.
"I've noticed that within the digital design industry, tools like AI and Canva being so accessible to my client base means that they end up doing a lot of the work themselves."
After more than ten years in design, the 35-year-old states that AI has "eradicated" much of the demand for traditional design services.
Alongside freelance projects, she now undertakes creative production and coordination roles and is retraining in events management.
"Whenever there is scarcity, as humans, we find solutions," she said.
"Especially if you're creative - you'll always find solutions."
Financial pressures have compelled her to reduce spending on luxuries such as holidays and festival tickets.
"Is this the lifestyle that I want to live? No. But being in Bristol is fun and being embedded in creative circles is more than fulfilling."
For others, the shift to multiple jobs is influenced by personal circumstances as well as financial needs.
Hollie, from Bristol, became a single mother and required flexible work to support her son Max while living on a single income. Through a recommendation, she began working as a life model.
"It wasn't something that I ever planned, but when you're in that position, you become open to things you might not have considered before," she said.
The 41-year-old, who also works part-time as a legal assistant and occasionally as a TV extra, appreciates that the work fits around school hours.
"I'd rather take my clothes off and stand in a room full of artists than work a minimum wage job where I'm rushed off my feet and can't make ends meet and miss the time with my son," she said.
She adds that the work has helped her overcome feelings of vulnerability.
"I'm worried a lot of time about money or about my son. But I don't feel that fear naked in a room full of strangers," she said.
Like many gig workers, she notes that the absence of long-term security creates a "constant pressure."
"I'm always thinking about the next bill, the next job, even though work is coming through, there's no real security," she said.
Despite the instability, she believes evolving economic realities are reshaping attitudes toward work and the lengths people will go to make ends meet.
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