For many younger workers, one paycheck no longer feels sufficient — or secure enough.
Instead of following a traditional 9-to-5 path, more Gen Z workers are piecing together multiple income streams to stay financially afloat, LADbible reported.
While that approach can offer flexibility, it also comes with a troubling reality: A substantial share of people juggling multiple jobs still struggle to pay for basic necessities.
Here's what to know
As younger workers rethink what financial stability looks like, more of them are embracing what's often called "income stacking."
The idea involves combining a full-time role with freelance work, side hustles, or other part-time jobs.
The concept overlaps with the "portfolio career" model that has been discussed for years, but the current version carries more urgency.
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CNBC described income stacking as "taking on multiple jobs to build financial security" through "a side hustle or freelance work on top of a full-time job, or several part-time roles," as rising living costs and fading confidence in the job market push workers to seek supplemental income.
That frustration was summed up by Fast Company.
"Gen Z isn't buying into what they see as a broken social contract, where a linear path up the career ladder is the most reliable route to success and financial stability," the outlet reported.
The data helps explain why.
Analysis from the UK Women's Budget Group, using HMRC payroll and self-reported survey data, found that one in four young women aged 16 to 29 had worked multiple jobs in a year.
More background
The Office for National Statistics says 1.35 million adults in the U.K. hold two jobs, the highest level since tracking began.
Extra work does not always solve the problem.
Research cited by LADbible found that one in six people working more than one job still struggle to cover their household bills.
One survey predicted a recession and job losses by the middle of 2027, making extra income feel less like a personal preference and more like a safety net.
Flexibility may be appealing, but it can also mean longer hours, less downtime, and ongoing uncertainty if wages remain too low.
What can be done?
A second or third job may help build a cushion, but it can also create scheduling conflicts, burnout, and inconsistent pay.
Tracking take-home earnings, commuting expenses, and unpaid time can help clarify whether an extra job is actually making a meaningful difference.
Predictable hours, even a modest emergency fund, and roles with stronger earning potential can provide more stability than simply taking on more hours.
The trend points to a need for better wages and more dependable support for workers whose primary job no longer covers essential costs.
If more people are taking on extra work simply to reduce financial risk, that says as much about the economy as it does about changing work habits.
Student Timeka Gomillion, who works two part-time jobs while pursuing her degree, explained that mindset plainly to CNBC.
"One job would be easier, but I know that if I have another one, that's a check I can either put to the side or could just be my play money," she admitted.
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