Multiple Jobholding Dynamics in Labor Market Studies

Multiple jobholding has emerged as a significant feature of labour markets worldwide, reflecting both economic necessity and strategic career planning. Studies show that workers with additional jobs manage a complex interplay of financial incentives, skill accumulation and work–life balance. Financial drivers such as income supplements during economic downturns and uneven wage growth spur moonlighting, while non-pecuniary motivations include professional development and personal fulfilment. Multiple jobholding patterns vary markedly by demographic group, sector and region; for instance, knowledge workers in information and communication technology often pursue side-hustles to capitalise on skill variety, whereas lower-paid service workers may take on extra shifts to meet basic living costs. Research methodologies range from large-scale register analyses of unemployment cycles to qualitative interviews with older cohorts, revealing heterogeneous experiences: some multiple job holders report enhanced job satisfaction and resilience to market shocks, while others face fatigue, scheduling conflicts and health risks. Policy interest has turned to how labour regulation, social protection and human resources practices can mediate outcomes for multiple job holders. Evidence suggests that supportive organisational practices—such as flexible scheduling and targeted training—can reduce adverse effects and harness positive spill-over benefits. As labour markets evolve under technological disruption and demographic change, understanding the dynamics of multiple jobholding provides critical insights into workforce adaptability, income distribution and the future of work.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored how job satisfaction and organisational commitment shape moonlighting decisions in knowledge-intensive industries. Empirical analyses using structural equation modelling demonstrate that higher job satisfaction increases commitment to primary roles, which in turn reduces intentions to moonlight. Human resources practices further moderate this relationship, strengthening the link between satisfaction and extra-job engagement. Findings highlight that half of the variance in moonlighting intentions can be explained by interactions between satisfaction, commitment and HR interventions, emphasising the role of workplace policies in managing multiple jobholding dynamics.

Multiple Jobholding Dynamics in Labor Market Studies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multiple jobholding dynamics in labor market studies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Multiple jobholding: The practice of working in more than one employment position concurrently.

Moonlighting: Taking on a secondary job or side-hustle in addition to a primary employment role.

Role breadth self-efficacy: An individual’s confidence in performing a variety of work roles beyond prescribed tasks.

Organisational commitment: The psychological attachment and loyalty a worker feels towards their primary employer.

Side hustle meaningfulness: The perceived significance and personal fulfilment derived from secondary work activities.

References

1. The effect of job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions with mediating and moderating effects of commitment and HR practices an empirical study. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024).
2. Influence of Individual Skill Variety on Side-Hustle Intention: The Mediating Effect of Role Breadth Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Side-Hustle Meaningfulness. Sustainability (2023).
3. Multiple job holding, local labor markets, and the business cycle. IZA Journal of Labor Economics (2016).
4. Experiences with multiple job holding: a qualitative study among Dutch older workers. BMC Public Health (2018).
5. What made you do moonlighting? A tale from the Indonesian labor force survey. Cogent Social Sciences (2024).
6. Multiple job holding, working hours, and hypertension by race/ethnicity and sex. PLOS ONE (2024).