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Millennials outpace other age groups for taking on side gigs, survey finds

September 29, 2016

Millennials significantly outpace other age groups for taking on side jobs, according to a CareerBuilder survey released today.

The survey found 29% of workers have a side job, a trend that is especially strong among the millennial demographic. Forty-four percent of those ages 25 to 34 and 39% of those 18 to 24 have a side gig, compared to 29% of those 35 to 44, 22% of those 45 to 54 and 19% of those ages 55 and older.

Workers at all income levels take on side work, the survey found. Nearly one in five workers with a side gig, 18%, make more than $75,000, and 12% of those making more than $100,000 currently have a gig outside of their full-time job. This is compared to a third of workers, 34%, making below $50,000 and 34% earning below $35,000.

Regionally, workers with side gigs were more common in the South at 34%, followed by 29% of workers in the West, 27% in the Midwest and 23% in the Northeast.

  • Leisure and hospitality: 34%
  • Retail: 33%
  • Transportation: 32%
  • Healthcare: 30%
  • Sales: 30%
  • IT: 27%
  • Financial services: 24%
  • Manufacturing: 19%

“Side hustles not only provide financial benefits to workers, but they make them more attractive candidates to employers, especially in a competitive job market,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “When you’re applying to jobs, especially when you’re at the start of your career, other applicants could have more experience in your particular field. If you bring more skill sets to the table and have a unique perspective on how things can be done, you’re sure to stand out from the crowd and be seen as a valuable potential hire.”

The nationwide survey was conducted online within the US by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 3,244 employees between May 11 and June 7, 2016.