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The days of staying at one company and working your way up the ladder are long gone. With less job security, the rise of the gig economy and as wages lag behind the cost of living, more people are working multiple different jobs at once.
A study by the essay writing platform Academized shows that 52% of millennials in the US are working side hustles to earn extra money. Dubbed "polyworking", nearly a quarter (24%) of those workers have three jobs and a third (33%) have four or more income-earning roles outside their full-time work.
Money — or rather, a lack of it — is the key reason why people are polyworking. In the UK, the average worker is now £11,000 a year worse off than they would have been if wages hadn’t stagnated after the 2008 financial crisis. It’s a similar story in the US, where wages are stagnating and in some cases, falling.
Nicola Morrison, an HR director of The HR Dept Leicester and North West Leicestershire, says that there are other reasons why younger generations are adopting polyworking.
“The desire to work flexibly, cost of living pressures, exploring different career paths or passions are all factors,” says Morrison. “It’s also a lot more accessible with platforms like TikTok and Etsy (ETSY) providing a way of pursuing different income streams or interests, as well as providing more agility than what are considered to be more ‘traditional’ jobs.”
Read more: How 'emotional labour' is fuelling burnout
But with levels of burnout rising among millennials and younger generations, experts are concerned about the long-term mental health implications of the trend.
Around one in five people say they’ve needed to take time off work due to stress and poor mental health. According to the Burnout Report 2025, there has been an increase in those needing time off among workers under the age of 44.
So how can you manage multiple jobs without risking your health?
Don’t take on too much
When the pressure is on to earn more, the temptation is to say yes to every opportunity that arises. However, it’s important to avoid overcommitting.
“It’s easy to stretch yourself too thin,” says Sophia Mullins, a corporate wellbeing expert and founder of Wall Street Wellness LLC. “Time and energy are not unlimited. Without clear boundaries and realistic expectations, polyworking can become a fast track to burnout and not meeting the mark in any of your jobs.”
Check in with yourself
“Be alert to triggers such as reduced engagement, missed deadlines, or low energy, as it might indicate there are workload challenges,” says Morrison.