The majority of workers across Japan, or 57.0%, said having a side job has increased their job satisfaction and motivation, according to a survey by Persol Career Co., Ltd., part of Persol Holdings.

The most common reason cited by respondents who said their satisfaction and motivation increased was ‘I gained a new perspective/broadened my horizons’ (51.3%). Other reasons were ‘It led to improved skills and productivity (39.9%)’, and ‘I was able to produce new results (39.5%)’.

Meanwhile 29.3% of respondents answered that their motivation towards work was ‘high’ before starting their side job. On the other hand, after starting a side job, more than half (50.7%) answered ‘high’.

Furthermore, Persol’s survey found that 55.1% of respondents answered that ‘doing a side job has a positive impact on their main job.’ It also found that 55.5% of respondents felt that　　　if they continued their side job, they would feel more satisfied and motivated towards their main job.

Approximately one in three people who were considering changing jobs changed their mind after starting a side job.