More than a million people in the UK now hold down two or more jobs — and for many, it has nothing to do with ambition. It is about survival.
Billy-Jo Pierce is one of a growing number of people who have taken on an extra paid role to combat the cost of living crisis. The 29-year-old from Bristol runs a tooth-gem decorating business, but also picks up reception shifts, bar work, and festival gigs on top. She works 50 to 60 hours a week and lives in a van to keep her expenses down. 'I still feel like I'm not earning a good monthly wage to ever get close to owning a house,' she says. Rising costs and Bristol's high living expenses made it difficult to survive on one income.
Pierce is far from alone. Official figures show around 1.3 million people in the UK currently juggle multiple jobs — close to a record high. At the same time, the gig economy has expanded sharply, with nearly five million people now taking on freelance or contract work. Experts say this fragmentation of the workforce reflects a deeper economic shift, where risk is increasingly transferred from employers to individuals.
Technology is accelerating the pressure. Engy Elboreini, a freelance graphic designer, says AI has eradicated much of the demand for her core work. Clients who once hired her now use AI tools and platforms like Canva to handle design themselves. After more than a decade in the industry, she has been forced to diversify into creative production and events management just to stay financially afloat.
'The rise of side hustles tells us the economy is becoming more fragmented,' says Dr Emily Beaumont, associate professor of enterprise and entrepreneurship at the University of Gloucestershire. For younger workers especially, depending on a single employer no longer feels like a secure strategy. What was once a safety net has quietly become the new normal.
