A new survey finds that 44% of all working-age Americans have a side hustle amid inflation, up 13% from 2020. The top side hustlers are GenZers, with 62% stating they have an extra income. Inflation is hitting families particularly hard, as and parents with children younger than 18 report the the most likely to need the extra money from a second source.
As Inflation hit 40-year highs of 8.2% earlier this fall, the latest figures hover around 7.7%. Now, 43% of those with a second or third job report that they need the money from their side hustle to pay their primary expenses or bills and 71% aren’t certain they’d still be able to pay all their bills if their side hustle disappeared.
As the millennials ages 26 to 41, get older, their hustle is kicking in. Approximately 55% of that generation say they have a side job, bringing in an average $473 a month or almost $5,700 a year.
“With inflation running rampant, more and more people have embraced side hustles out of necessity,” said LendingTree’s chief credit analyst, Matt Schulz. “Life is really expensive today, and many people need that extra side hustle income to make ends meet or to provide themselves with a little bit of financial wiggle room. Yes, many Americans have started side hustles to follow dreams and chase big goals, but for others, they’re doing it because they need to.”
So where to turn for the extra income?
The most common gigs are making and selling items on an online marketplace like sites like Etsy (8%); babysitting, pet sitting, and caretaking (7%); and delivering food or groceries with services like Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats (6%).
LendingTree commissioned Qualtrics to conduct an online survey of 2,073 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 76 from Nov. 1 to 3, 2022.