‘Pushed to breaking point’: Labour force data reveals surge in Aussies working multiple jobs
Under Labor there has been a dramatic rise in the number of Australians working multiple jobs – but the Government and Opposition have very different explanations why.
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The number of Australians with multiple jobs has surpassed a million people for the first time, with the Coalition blaming the high cost of living for a surge in full-time workers taking on second roles.
The rate of people taking on more than one job has grown by 6 per cent annually under Labor – almost double the average during the previous nine years of Coalition government, according to new analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data.
About 6.7 per cent of Australians have multiple jobs as of December, compared to 6.3 per cent when the Liberals left office in 2022.
The Opposition has argued the increase is a sign “one job no longer pays the bills”, while the Albanese government has attributed it to factors like the popularity of flexible work.
The Coalition has highlighted the rise in the number of people who already work full-time hours in their main job, yet are taking on another part-time position, as proof the trend is actually being driven by higher living costs.
In the last three years under Labor, the rate of people in this position has grown by 8 per cent annually to now 336,000 workers who have both a full-time and part-time job, while under the Coalition the growth rate of this cohort was only about 2.7 per cent.
Coalition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said thousands more Australians are now “slogging away” in multiple jobs, “just to keep the lights on”.
“This is Labor’s Australia – where working one job no longer pays the bills, and more Aussies than ever are being pushed to breaking point just to make ends meet,” she said.
“This isn’t ambition, this is survival.”
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said there were a “range of reasons” people might choose to share their time between multiple jobs, including to gain extra skills and training, “boost” their budget, or have “more flexibility” in their work hours.
“With over a million extra jobs created since May 2022, it’s no surprise the number of Australians choosing to share their time across roles has kept pace,” he said.
Mr Watt accused the Coalition of planning to “cut wages and conditions,” which would mean “more Australians will be forced to work multiple jobs”.
In the final three months of last year, multiple job-holders worked an average of 30.6 hours in the main job, and nine hours in the secondary job, according to the ABS.
This total of 39.6 hours per week on average was only slightly higher than the average 34.9 hours worked by single job-holders.
The ABS said some industries “lend themselves to multiple job-holding” like seasonal roles in agriculture, and labour hire workers in administrative roles.
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Originally published as ‘Pushed to breaking point’: Labour force data reveals surge in Aussies working multiple jobs
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