But poly-employment trend among Australians expected to remain
Australia's multiple job-holding rate declined in the March quarter, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The number of people working multiple jobs went down to 963,100 people, equivalent to 6.5% of all employed people in Australia.
This number is down by 2.8%, or 27,400 people, from December 2024, when there were 990,500 multiple jobholders (6.7% of all employed people).
"Between 1994 and 2019, the multiple job-holding rate remained between 5.0% and 6.0%," the ABS said.
"However, following a large decline at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, the multiple job-holding rate rose and has remained at an all-time high between 6.5% and 6.7% since December 2022."
Women were more likely to be multiple jobholders, at 7.6%, compared to 5.3% of employed men.
Workers aged 20–24 years old were also most likely to be working multiple jobs, with 9.3%, according to the report.
The findings support recent data from Robert Half, which found that Gen Z employees are more likely to seek an additional source of income to enhance financial security.
"This trend reflects the economic pressures many Australians are facing, with high living costs prompting them to seek additional sources of income," said Nicole Gorton, Director at Robert Half, in a statement last year.
By industry, employees whose main jobs are in the administrative and support services industry were most likely to have multiple jobs.
On the other hand, multiple jobholding was least common among employees in electricity, gas, water, and waste services.
"It is important to note that some industries lend themselves to multiple jobholding. For example, some workers in agriculture, forestry, and fishing may work several seasonal jobs for different employers in addition to their main job; and some labour hire workers may work for a number of businesses in administrative and support services," the report read.
Kylie Green, Managing Director APAC at Reward Gateway, said poly-employment will likely remain an ongoing trend across age groups and industries despite the decrease in multiple jobholders.
"Poly-employment, the gig economy, and a more fractional workforce are signs that flexibility and multiple income streams are becoming the norm," Green said in a statement to HRD.
"For many employees, this shift offers greater freedom and autonomy, but it also changes what they need and expect from employers."
Gorton previously said employers must acknowledge the reality of employees having multiple jobs and determine the factors prompting these employees to do so.
"While there is a myriad of potential benefits of a multi-skilled workforce like bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, organisations need to ensure they are providing salaries and benefits in line with industry standards to not only retain their staff but to create a supportive culture," she said.
