Almost Half of Workers Are 'Polyworking' or Have a Side Hustle

By Aoibhinn Mc Bride

From zero commuting times to taking a nap on the couch during your lunch break to going for a run in the afternoon, remote work undoubtedly affords workers more autonomy during working hours, away from the daily grind of getting to an office building before 9 am and staying there until the early evening.

But more “me” time isn’t the only reason why so many workers are keen to remain in hybrid positions.

According to recent data compiled by Owl Labs as part of its State of Hybrid Work 2023 report, 46% of workers in the U.S. are “polyworking,” aka working an additional job on top of their full-time one, 11% have more than one additional job and 16% are planning on getting one in 2024.

Owl Labs’ research also uncovered that more men than women are taking on additional work, 62% versus 38%, and millennials continue to champion the grind, accounting for 74% of those who polywork, compared to 13% of Gen Z, 11% of Gen X and 13% of boomers.

Rise and grind

While hustle culture is not a new phenomenon, why are so many workers taking on more work instead of prioritizing work-life balance and downtime?

Unsurprisingly, money is the biggest motivation when it comes to explaining why so many workers are working more than one job, with 39% stipulating they need the extra income to cover expenses.

Over a third (34%) shared that their side gig allows them to indulge their true passion and that they’d like to work in it fully in the future, while 33% shared that their passion projects wouldn’t stack up financially in a full-time capacity.

Additionally, 36% admitted that they had taken on extra work because their full-time job is “easy” and they have extra time during the working day to focus on something else.

Long term impact

Aside from side hustles or pet projects that fuel your passions or personal interests outside of work, the downsides to taking on another role are manifold.

For starters, overworked employees are more likely to suffer from burnout and mental health issues, and Owl Labs’ report found that in the last year, 56% of workers said their stress levels had increased since last year.

The alternative to polyworking? Finding a role in a company that remunerates you accordingly, allows you to achieve your financial goals, and fulfills you professionally.

The Hackernoon Job Board is the perfect place to focus your search as it features thousands of jobs in companies that are actively recruiting, including the three below.

Cyber Engineer, Senior, Booz Allen Hamilton, Norfolk

In this Cyber Engineer role, you will conduct analysis to develop a plan to operationalize the cyberspace concepts in support of capability development efforts. As such, you will develop plans and procedures that will support future concept operationalization efforts, support the operationalization of the concepts by acting as an SME during requirements definition and prepare relevant briefing materials, as required, and deliver presentations. View additional details here.

Software Engineer, Leidos, Alexandria

Are you interested in joining a dynamic team of developers, engineers, and analysts dedicated to building new capabilities for Leidos and its customers? The Airborne Mission Operations division is seeking a Software Engineer to support the Army Geospatial Center’s Instrument Set, Reconnaissance and Surveying Capabilities (ISRSC) Program. In this role, you will be required to update software with the latest features utilizing software development best practices to generate clear and concise code. You will also collaborate with an Agile Development Environment to develop, maintain, and support a large codebase system and participate in daily Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) practices to maximize efficiency. See the full job description here.

Principal System Software Architect, Servers, NVIDIA, Santa Clara

Do you want to be a part of the artificial intelligence revolution? NVIDIA is developing processor and system architectures that are at the forefront of accelerating machine learning, building data centers, and enabling other high-performance computing applications. As Principal System Software Architect, you will collaborate with hardware and software engineers to craft the next generation SoC and CPUs and bring a deep understanding of software architecture, system software technologies, and modern OS’ to drive hardware architecture decisions. Want to know more? Find out how to apply here.

Accelerate your career in tech today via the Hackernoon Job Board