Record numbers work two jobs

A record 900,000 Australians worked more than one job during the three months to June, or about 7 per cent of all employed people.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus. Picture: Getty Images

A record 900,000 Australians worked more than one job during the three months to June, or about 7 per cent of all employed people.

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlight how the post-lockdown employment boom has created the tightest labour market in decades, with the 480,000 job vacancies representing 3.1 per cent of all available jobs – double the proportion leading into the pandemic.

ABS head of labour statistics Lauren Ford said “the high number of both filled jobs and vacant jobs reflects the continued strong demand for workers across the economy, coupled with widespread labour shortages”.

“The increase in secondary jobs and hours worked since early in the pandemic has coincided with a large fall in the number of part-time and full-time workers who would like to work more hours, with underemployment now at historical lows,” Ms Ford said.

The ABS figures also show that before the pandemic, there were 3.1 unemployed people per job vacancy.

The recent figures show that ratio was lower than one.

Holding multiple jobs was most common among arts and recreation workers, where 8.9 per cent worked more than one job.

That was followed by administrative and support services workers at 8.5 per cent, while about 7.5 per cent of workers in hospitality, education, and health care and social assistance held down more than one job.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the new jobs figures exposed how the 48-year low in unemployment “mask the reality of working life in Australia in 2022”.

“Record numbers of working people are being forced to string together multiple jobs in order to pay the bills,” she said.

 

“This is at a time when profits for our biggest businesses keep climbing and labour productivity is at the highest level in a decade.

“This just shows the need to update our workplace laws so wages move again.”

ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch, however, said the record number of people working more than one job highlighted how “when it is easier to get a job, more people tend to look for work”.

“For a lot of people who do want flexibility, that can help,” she said. She noted that unemployment among young Australians – who are more likely to work multiple jobs – has dropped to a record low of 7 per cent, versus 12 per cent pre-pandemic.

But Ms Birch also noted that falling real wages and the rising price of essentials could mean that the “push factors” referred to by Ms McManus could become increasingly important.

Ms Birch said about 25 per cent of all unemployed people have been out of work for at least a year – which was still higher than pre-pandemic.