Working one job is no longer enough to cover living costs:
The number of multiple jobholders surged 499,000 in October and November, to a record 9.3 million.
This figure has risen +3.9 million since the 2020 low.
This is also 1.2 million above the 2008 Financial Crisis peak.
As a % of total employment, multiple jobholders rose to 5.8%, nearly matching the 2 previous highs seen over the last 25 years.
At the same time, Americans working primary full-time and secondary part-time jobs jumped to 5.3 million, the 2nd-highest in history.
As a % of employment, this metric now stands at 3.4%, the 2nd-highest since 2000.
The cost of living crisis is real.
https://x.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2003104230945464505
Multiple Jobholders Account for 5.8% of Workers in November 2025
What are the long-term trends for multiple jobholders in the US? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has three decades of historical data to enlighten us on that topic, courtesy of table A-16 in the monthly Current Population Survey of households.
In November, the employment level was at 163.741 million and there were 9.471 million people working multiple jobs in the U.S. This means that multiple jobholders now account for 5.8% of civilian employment, the highest level since 1999. The survey captures data for four subcategories (in pie chart at right) of the multi-job workforce, the relative sizes of which are illustrated in a pie chart. The distinction between “primary” and “secondary” jobs is a subjective one determined by the survey participants.