Too Good to be true?
The modern workforce is steering ahead with innovative ways, refusing to settle for one job they are doubling up. According to Henley Business School’s report, 25% of adults now have side hustles and account for £72 billion of the UK economy (around 3.6% of GDP). This shift seems to progress further; in fact, 53% of all present side businesses were founded in the past two years. This heralds a wide economic reset and not just some peculiar Gen-Z experiment.
Contrary to the stereotype of overworked and exhausted, the data show that these statistics are individually motivated. 20% of personal income has been generated through side hustling. 69% of people feel upbeat and optimistic about life when juggling two roles, and almost half of them (47%) would stick to their job even if their business were to hit a sudden boom. Meanwhile, the sentiment among employers has been divisive. 49% of the hiring force are adamant about their no policy on side work, yet 63% believe that without adaptation, they will miss out on talent.
Life is unaffordable without a side hustle
America’s side job economy isn’t a niche trend; it’s a hustle to survive in the backdrop of capitalism. A 2025 survey by Lending Tree reports 38% of Americans now work double jobs, out of necessity. A staggering 61% of single job workers claim that life is unsustainable without additional income. The average income earned through side hustling is estimated to be $1,215 monthly, with the median only being $400. The gap in numbers shows how, in dire times, even results are unfair; only a few enjoy a big sum, while most are merely staying afloat.
Increasing costs and economic uncertainty seem to be the driving motivators. 29% began extra work to sustain bills, 28% for discretionary use, and 24% to pay away debts. 49% hold the economy and 42% inflation accountable for their predicament.
The mixed reality of Multiple careers
Perhaps the workforce is much happier with side hustling, but it’s not always healthier. Contrary to popular belief that part time jobs are a response to dire financial situations. There is much hidden in the data; beneath the surface, the truth is messier. As per, the Phys.news side hustlers often come from privileged sections of society. Nearly two-thirds of them hold degrees, and side gigs aren’t particularly paying well: with a side income on average of about 50% of their main job’s pay. What’s worse is that 65% are oblivious to their earnings in three months. For this workforce moonlighting is another way to find an extension of their passion, not for survival. The money holds weight, but it's often described as play money. The happiness factor through side hustle is tangible only for those who pursue it like a creative outlet with unpredictable pay. But for those single job workers, who are oscillating between a sinking and tough financial spot, a second career isn’t the real win, it's the stability and room for life outside of work that second hustles quietly chip away at.