The Bad PlaceBBC News | 'I live in survival mode': The rise of the multi-job workforce
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The article reports that more than a million people in the UK now hold a second job as rising living costs, insecure employment and industry changes push workers into a growing gig economy. It follows three Bristol‑based examples: Billy‑Jo Pierce, 29, who juggles a cosmetics‑teeth business, reception, bar and festival work and even lives in a van to afford the city’s high rents; freelance graphic designer Engy Elboreini, who has diversified into creative production and events management after AI tools and services like Canva reduced demand for traditional design; and single mother Hollie, 41, who combines life‑modelling, legal‑assistant work and occasional TV‑extra gigs to fit her son’s school schedule. Official data shows around 1.3 million UK workers have a second job, a slight dip from a 2025 peak, while unemployment has risen to 5 % and gig work now involves nearly five million people, though only a fifth rely on it as their main income. The piece highlights how financial pressure, the rise of freelance platforms, and the erosion of stable, well‑paid roles are reshaping attitudes toward work, forcing many to adopt multiple, often precarious, jobs just to survive.
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