Washington: Millions of US workers are taking on multiple jobs to cope with rising living costs, as exemplified by 26-year-old Delaware resident Cindy Dionicio, who juggles roles as a waitress, sales assistant and cleaner.
Dionicio, who has nearly nine million fellow Americans working more than one job, shares her hectic routine on TikTok, where her videos receive tens of thousands of views. She says she wakes at 3.30am twice a week to begin a three-hour shift at Dunkin’ Donuts, before dropping her son off at school and moving on to a sales shift at luxury brand Tory Burch. Some days she also cleans a dental office in the evening and sells cleaning services for homes and holiday rentals. She is also beginning to earn income as a social media influencer.
Despite the heavy workload, Dionicio says she does not regret leaving her full-time job and strives to maintain a balance, ensuring she has weekends off, attends church on Sundays and spends time with her family. She and her husband both work and are saving for a house, although they currently live with her parents.
People with multiple jobs
US government data shows the unemployment rate remained relatively low at 4.4 per cent in December. However, the number of people holding multiple jobs has risen, particularly among women. The share of women working two part-time jobs increased by 20 per cent year-on-year. Updated figures for January are due to be released on Wednesday.
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Women are more likely than men to hold several jobs, with 6.1 per cent of women working multiple roles compared with 4.9 per cent of men. Federal Reserve official Michelle Bowman warned in January that the labour market is becoming more fragile, noting that the number of people working part-time for economic reasons has risen substantially. “This has coincided with a rise in the share of multiple job holders, suggesting that an increasing number of workers struggle to make ends meet,” she said.
For 59-year-old art conservator Valeria, the reality of juggling multiple jobs is far from a choice. Divorced and unable to financially support her daughter studying in Prague, she says she is left with only a few hundred dollars at the end of each month and has no capacity to save. Her income fluctuates depending on the assignments she receives from institutions and private clients. She has also worked at a high-end supermarket but said the pay was poor.
Valeria says she cannot afford to fall ill, fearing she could face foreclosure if hospital bills force her to miss mortgage payments. She does not expect to be able to retire for another 15 years.
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Some research suggests that younger workers may opt for multiple part-time jobs rather than a full-time role. Laura Ullrich, director of North America economic research at employment platform Indeed, said affordability is a major factor for many families, especially following inflation and rising housing costs.
Valeria said she feels the American dream is increasingly out of reach and believes neither the Trump nor Biden administrations have done enough to support those struggling to make ends meet.
(AFP)
