Multiple jobholders make up a small but significant portion of the labor force. In 2013, the national rate of multiple jobholding was 8.3 percent (Beckhusen, 2019). Previous research has shown that this rate fluctuates considerably by region and state, with 22 states higher than the national average (Campolongo, 2015). Reasons why workers choose to hold multiple jobs vary. For some, holding more than one job may help make ends meet or provide financial benefits. Others may work multiple jobs due to an inability to work full time or competing schedule demands.

Research on multiple jobholders is extensive. Annual and monthly rates of multiple jobholding have been available for decades from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Scholarly articles are plentiful too, with researchers examining individuals’ motivations for multiple jobholding, as well as the financial, professional, and psychological effects of holding two or more jobs (Campion and Moss, 2020; Bailey and Spletzer, 2021). Recent findings from the U.S. Census Bureau show how patterns of multiple jobholding  vary over the course of a year and across geographic regions.

The Census Bureau has previously released research and data tables on these workers using the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). This report offers an updated look at multiple jobholders using more recent data from the SIPP. Additionally, a common Small Area Estimation model is used to estimate state- and metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-level estimates, which adds a novel aspect to this segment of the labor force (Fay and Herriot, 1979).

The SIPP is a nationally representative panel survey that provides detailed information on up to seven jobs and businesses held over a 12-month period. These data allow researchers to study the dynamics of employment by providing comprehensive information on jobs held and businesses owned throughout the prior calendar year. Households are interviewed annually in the SIPP, with each panel spanning approximately 4 years.

Taking advantage of the unique qualities of the SIPP, this report uses data collected in calendar year 2020 to explore multiple jobholdings in the United States throughout 2019. In addition, the Longitudinal Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) produced by the Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program was used to model multiple jobholding for smaller geographies. This report answers four main questions. First, what proportion of working men and women held multiple jobs and how do their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics compare? Second, how does the propensity to hold multiple jobs vary throughout the year? Third, what types of jobs or businesses were held simultaneously? Finally, how does multiple jobholding vary geographically?