New data has revealed that women are almost seven percent more likely than men to work multiple jobs at the same time. In 2024, 4,404,000 women were found to work more than one job simultaneously, compared to 4,027,000 men (as per U.S. economic data). Many of these roles are low paid.
In terms of industrial sectors, women working in the office administration and support industry are the most likely to hold multiple jobs at once. This is particularly consequential for lone parents, and women and families lacking appropriate support.
The data review comes via business lawyers at Romano Law PLLC, who analysed data provided from the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics in order to determine the age categories, genders, and industries with the highest number of individuals working multiple jobs.
The study reveals that women are almost 7% more likely to work multiple jobs at the same time than men. In 2024, 4,404,000 women were found to be working more than one job at the same time, compared to 4,027,000 men.
There are important health and wellbeing implications of multiple low-paid work for women’s lives.
Number of women in comparison to men as multiple jobholders in 2023 and 2024
| Gender | Total number of multiple jobholders in 2023 | Total number of multiple jobholders in 2024 |
| Women | 4,183,000 | 4,404,000 |
| Men | 3,904,000 | 4,027,000 |
As indicated above. women aged between 25 and 54 are the most likely to be multiple jobholders, with a total of 2,897,000 women in this category working multiple jobs at the same time. Meanwhile, the data shows that there are 2,769,000 men in the same age category who have more than one job.
Interestingly, the generation with one of the biggest gender gaps is Gen Z. In 2024, 475,000 women aged between 20 and 24 worked multiple jobs, as opposed to 292,000 men.
The data also depicts how the gender divide begins as young as 16, with 143,000 women aged between 16 and 19 holding more than one job at the same time. Meanwhile, 81,000 men in the same age category were found to be multiple jobholders.
In 2023, there were a total of 4,183,000 women who worked multiple jobs at the same time, demonstrating a 5% rise in the number of women becoming multiple jobholders over the past 12 months. Similarly, there has been a 3% increase in the number of men working more than one job since 2023, demonstrating the nation’s growing cost-of-living crisis.
Number of multiple jobholders broken down by age groups in 2024
| Age Group | Women | Men |
| 16-19 | 143,000 | 81,000 |
| 20-24 | 475,000 | 292,000 |
| 25-54 | 2,897,000 | 2,769,000 |
| 55-64 | 670,000 | 624,000 |
| 65+ | 218,000 | 260,000 |
Women working in office administration and support are the most likely to work multiple jobs, with 13.1% of women in this industry reporting secondary employment. Meanwhile, only around 4.5% of men in the same industry were found to be multiple jobholders.
Education and healthcare were also found to be prominent industries for multiple jobholding women.
Meanwhile, men working in management, sales, and transportation are the most likely to work more than one job simultaneously.
Since 2023, 344,000 more people have begun to work multiple jobs, bringing 2024’s total number of multiple jobholders to 8,431,000.
Domenic Romano, the Managing Partner of Romano Law PLLC, tells Digital Journal: “It’s staggering to see the rise in people seeking out secondary employment over the past 12 months. This upward trend can clearly be linked to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and increasing inflation rates. =”
Romano places to blame at the doorstep of Donald Trump: “It’s likely that recent economic uncertainty, triggered by Trump’s trade wars earlier this year, has been responsible for an increase in people finding secondary employment.”
Expanding on the findings, Romano teases out: “The study also represents the concerning gender gap surrounding secondary employment, with a clear imbalance between the number of men and women who are multiple jobholders. The gender pay gap is likely one of the primary reasons why women are seeking out secondary employment to make ends meet, demonstrating the fact that more still needs to be done to secure equal pay between men and women across all industries.”
This leads to multiple factors impacting on the status of women in society: “As women are often still responsible for primary caregiving responsibilities in the family, inflexible schedules mean that women are more likely than men to hold part-time and lower-paying jobs, often obligating them to seek out additional employment.”
In terms of the socioeconomic impact, Romano opines: “The alarming increase in people working multiple jobs during 2024 raises concerns surrounding work-life balance and mental health in the workplace. Holding two jobs at the same time can take a significant toll on employees’ mental and physical health, especially in relation to high stress levels, difficulty maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, and feelings of isolation from family and friends.”
Risks of working two jobs at the same time
Working two jobs at the same time elevates the risk of burnout, resulting in mental and physical exhaustion. In physically demanding industries, such as construction or farming, this level of fatigue can place both an indiviudal’s health and safety and that of others at risk.
Seeking secondary employment can also increase stress levels, which can negatively impact physical and mental health. This can also negatively affect work performance, reducing the quality of output.
