{"id":119197,"date":"2023-12-13T08:51:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T12:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=119197"},"modified":"2023-12-13T14:53:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T18:53:42","slug":"working-multiple-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/working-multiple-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"Overemployment: Why Many Americans Are Working Multiple Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why are many Americans working multiple jobs at once? How does overemployment impact workers and employers? What\u2019s the future of overworking in the US? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overemployment\u2014working multiple jobs simultaneously\u2014is a growing trend that\u2019s enabling some Americans to significantly increase their incomes. While providing clear financial upsides, prolonged overemployment can negatively impact professionals\u2019 mental health, job security<\/a>, and relationships with employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a look at the upsides and downsides of overemployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Overemployment Is on the Rise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Across America, a small but rapidly growing group of white-collar professionals are secretly adopting an unconventional strategy to ramp up their income: working not just one, but two or even three full-time remote jobs at once while strategically keeping their employers out of the loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Overemployment, the practice of working multiple jobs at the same time<\/a>, has emerged as a quiet workplace rebellion of sorts in the US. Enabled by the shift to flexible remote and hybrid work models<\/a> during the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice is often seen among white-collar professionals in sectors including technology, business, finance, and marketing, where remote and flexible work options are more prevalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that close to 5% of the US workforce (7.5 million employees) held multiple jobs<\/a>. The figure jumps to 37% for remote workers<\/a> specifically, according to a January 2023 Monster survey. And over 300,000 overemployed professionals have found community<\/a> on digital platforms like Reddit and Discord, where they celebrate, commiserate, and exchange ideas related to working multiple jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overemployment Upsides<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts say that overemployment provides Americans several important benefits, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n