The economic realities of Gen Z are spreading rapidly.
The group, born between 1997 and 2012, are increasingly worried about their financial situation and are documenting their lives to engage with others.
There’s a reason the term “side hustle” has resonated in popular culture during the age of COVID-19.
Motivated by the rise in remote work in 2020 and the historic spike in inflation in 2022, many Americans chose to pick up second, third, and fourth sources of income.
Now, the pandemic is easing, inflation is calming, and many workers are being called back to the office.
But new research shows American workers still want extra income.
According to a nationally representative survey of 1,000 working adults conducted by resume writing platform MyPerfectResume, the majority of Americans, 72%, rely on at least one source of secondary income.
Here are the most popular side jobs
The top five sources of side income are:
- 14% of workers reported working freelance or “gigs.”
- 14% reported income from investments such as stocks and cryptocurrencies.
- 9% reported income from a side job.
- 9% reported passive income such as royalties or rent.
- 4% reported taking a second job with another employer.
Federal data suggests that more Americans are holding multiple jobs. The proportion of employees holding multiple positions has steadily increased since the early months of the pandemic, reaching 5.7% in November 2025, the highest level of the new millennium.
The findings come at a time when many American workers are feeling stretched. Another recent report from MyPerfectResume found that wages for the average worker increased by 18% from 2020 to 2024, while inflation increased by 21%.
As a result, the typical worker has less purchasing power than five years ago.
“You think of people who are just paying rent and food,” says Jasmine Escalera, a career expert at MyPerfectResume. “This is not a story of luxury. This is a story of necessity.”
The company’s 2026 Side Income Status Report, released on January 23, is the company’s second annual analysis of side hustles. Last year, 71% of respondents said they earned a second income.
Side jobs will continue
A new report suggests side hustles are no longer just a coronavirus-era trend, but are “woven into the fabric of American work,” the report says.
The survey, conducted in October 2025, found that more than half of workers said they expected to maintain the same level of side-hustle income in 2026. Around one in four people said they doubted that extra income would eventually replace a pay rise as a way to increase their income.
“Spending 40 hours or more on one job is enough,” Escalera said. “And now people are leaving work and heading to the next gig.”
Gen Z loves side hustles. Baby boomers, not so much.
Side jobs and gig work appear to be more common among younger workers. According to Bankrate’s 2025 Side Hustle Survey, this habit is most common among Gen Z (34%), followed by Millennials (31%), Gen X (23%), and Baby Boomers (22%).
Side jobs range from ride-hailing and food delivery to dog walking and freelance writing. A typical “hustle” salary is about $200 a month, according to Bankrate.
Vivian Ezugwu, a Gen Z hospital nurse in New York, works extra shifts as a school nurse on the side, Bankrate reports. Martin de Anda, another Gen Zer, chose to supplement his job as a loan underwriter in Los Angeles by handing out flyers for other businesses.
De Anda told Bankrate that she loves her side hustle so much that she wants to make it her full-time job.
