Timeka Gomillion is working two jobs — as an usher at an event space, and a receptionist at the student center — while finishing her computer engineering studies at the University of the District of Columbia.
The 35-year-old said she’s juggling multiple jobs out of financial necessity — and with rising living expenses, she expects to maintain several jobs even after she lands a position on her career track.
“One job would be easier, but I know that if I have another one, that’s a check I can either put to the side or could just be my play money,” she said.
Gomillion is among the rising number of Americans who are “income stacking,” or taking on multiple jobs to build financial security. That revenue stream might be a side hustle or freelance work on top of a full-time job, for example, or several part-time roles.
After dropping during the coronavirus pandemic, the share of people working more than one job has increased over the past few years, government data shows. In April, nearly 8.4 million U.S. adults, or about 5.2% of the workforce, were working multiple jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“It’s important context to look back and see that actually around Covid, that number plummeted from the pre-Covid era to an historic low,” said Andrew Garin, assistant professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College.
Platforms like DoorDash and Uber for delivery, Fiverr and Upwork for freelance work and TaskRabbit for odd jobs, as well as gigs as social media influencers, have provided many avenues for workers to earn extra income.
“[Technology] has really opened up a new kind of side hustle for a lot of people,” said Garin.
Income stacking can build new skills
Gen Z workers are blurring the boundaries between personal and professional.
Seventyfour | Istock | Getty Images
Some income stackers are also looking to diversify their experience. At age 19, Aidan Hoo is working three gigs as an audiovisual and broadcast technician while working toward a degree in computer science. “Taking in jobs, for me, mostly helps pay for my college, but it also helps me learn new skills,” said Hoo, a student at Northern Virginia Community College.
In a 2025 survey from Fiverr, 64% of Gen Z respondents in the U.S. said having multiple ways to earn money is essential for financial security. More than half, 55%, said they believe traditional employment will become obsolete, and 39% reported that they are already freelancing or plan to do so to create an additional revenue stream.
The online freelance marketplace polled 5,001 Gen Z and 2,000 Gen Alpha people in the United States.
Concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, and mass layoffs, have led some workers to seek backup sources of income so that they can quickly pivot should the need arise. “I think that is a symptom of the job market. It has been squirrely for a while now,” said Paul Wolfe, a former chief human resources officer and author of “Human Beings First.”
Companies can benefit from workers’ income stacking, too, he said, if their additional jobs help build new skills and exercise talents.
The key for employers is to keep lines of communication open, Wolfe said. “When you police it … people just like, hide it,” he said.
A better approach for employees with a side hustle, he said, is: “Let’s disclose what you’re doing. And if we run into an issue, let’s agree that we’re going to talk about it.”
Hoo said he secured a scholarship that will culminate in a full-time job at the Defense Department upon graduation. Still, he says he hopes to continue doing audiovisual work, too: “With every single gig, I get to learn how a specific piece of software or hardware works.”
CNBC’s Sharon Epperson contributed reporting.
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