The Wall Street Journal

Americans Are Side Hustling Like We’re in a Recession

The two-job trend these days is about necessity, not pursuing a passion

Alexa Gaxiola, a sales assistant by day, moonlights as a club DJ.
Alexa Gaxiola, a sales assistant by day, moonlights as a club DJ. Photo: CJ JARENCIO

Does your friend with a second job know something you don’t?

The share of working Americans holding down multiple jobs rose to between 5.3% and 5.5% during the first five months of the year. That’s a range we haven’t seen since the recession of the aughts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

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