1 in 10 Aussies working multiple full-time jobs to stay afloat

Extreme measures are being taken by a number of Australian workers to beat the rising cost-of-living crisis and property prices.

A new survey from Indeed has shown that one in 10 Australian white-collar workers are performing multiple full-time jobs.

Gen Z and Millennial workers are the most likely to juggle an 80-plus hour work week, with one in six being Gen Z and one in seven being Millennials. The resounding majority of both groups said they work such hours to save for property (87 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively) and to cover rising costs of groceries and other essential items (79 per cent and 57 per cent).

“As living costs and property prices continue to outpace earnings, Australian workers are responding by taking on additional paid work,” said Sally McKibbin, a career expert at Indeed.

“Purchasing power has not kept up with soaring property prices. For Gen Z and Millennials, the journey to property ownership is proving challenging and unachievable for many without multiple income streams.”

Nearly all white-collar workers (93 per cent) with multiple full-time jobs perform their additional job on their primary employer’s time, with 65 per cent doing so regularly.

To do so, however, these workers have been using AI to enable them to operate for such hours. Almost all (94 per cent) said AI helps them perform their primary job, and 92 per cent believe it helps them perform their additional jobs.

Without AI, many believe that holding down multiple jobs would be near impossible, with 91 per cent saying it’s a key reason.

“The use of AI to manage multiple jobs highlights how technology is reshaping the workforce. However, the toll on workers’ mental and physical health cannot be ignored. Balancing two full-time jobs – regardless of technology efficiencies – is pushing many to their limits,” McKibbin said.

Australian businesses are being affected by this trend of Aussies working multiple jobs, with many (82 per cent) saying their additional job is affecting their overall performance and productivity in their primary role.

The financial hardships, however, are the driving force for this, with those working multiple full-time jobs being unwilling to depart from this lifestyle unless they earned an extra $51,500 plus in their primary job.

“It’s concerning to see so many workers borrowing time from primary employers to manage second jobs, as this is very obviously going to have a significant effect on business performance and workplace dynamics,” McKibbin said.