'I live in survival mode': The rise of the multi-job workforce

More than a million people in the UK now have second jobs as rising costs, insecure work and industry changes push workers into a growing gig economy.

Billy-Jo Pierce says she is "living in survival mode", juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat in Bristol, the UK's second most expensive city.

She is one of a growing number of people who have taken on an extra paid role to combat the cost of living crisis and build financial security and flexibility.

Pierce, 29 and originally from Birmingham, says she loves her work but admits that the "burn out is real."

She works 50-60 hours a week running a business decorating customers' teeth with cosmetic gems, while taking on reception shifts, bar work, festival jobs and selling clothes online.

'Part of a rat race'

Pierce's entrepreneurial journey began while studying interior design at university.

Despite graduating with a first-class degree, she struggled to find work in the industry and took a 9-5 gaming job while building her business on the side.

"I'd finish work at like five, six pm and then go straight to my own business and stay there till like 11 pm.

"I was working way too much, I had no social life. I felt like I was part of a massive rat race that I wasn't going to win in.

"I was working so hard but I wasn't saving and I wasn't really living."

After being made redundant last year, she decided to focus on her business full-time.

But rising costs and Bristol's high living expenses made it difficult to survive on one income.

Pierce now lives in a van to cut expenses and works several jobs to support her business.

A typical weekday sees her in the studio from 10:00 to 19:00, followed by reception shifts until as late as 23:00. Weekends are often spent working in bars or festivals.

Despite this, she says she still worries constantly about money.

"Work is a lot and I still feel like I'm not earning a good monthly wage to ever get close to owning a house," she says.

"I feel like it's quite the norm at the moment to work multiple jobs. There's definitely something wrong with what's going on at the moment."

The UK unemployment rate recently increased to 5% while the number of job vacancies has fallen to its lowest level in five years.

At the same time, the gig economy – freelance or contract work rather than permanent employment – has grown significantly.

Just under five million people now take part in gig work- such as food delivery, freelance design, cleaning, dog walking, or selling clothes online - although only a fifth rely on it as their primary income.

For many, especially younger workers, relying on one employer no longer feels secure.

"People are taking second jobs mainly because one income is no longer stretching far enough," says Dr Emily Beaumont, associate professor of enterprise and entrepreneurship at the University of Gloucestershire.

She says it has become more normal to have a second job or a side hustle, but that it is not always "empowering" in an entrepreneurial sense.

"The rise of side hustles tells us the economy is becoming more fragmented and risk-shifted," she adds.

'AI eradicated demand for my work'

Engy Elboreini, a freelance graphic designer from Bristol, says she has had to diversify her work as the industry changes.

"The last two years have been my worst trading years," she says.

"I've noticed that within the digital design industry, tools like AI and Canva being so accessible to my client base means that they end up doing a lot of the work themselves."

After more than a decade in design, the 35-year-old says AI has "eradicated" much of the demand for traditional design work.

Alongside freelance projects, she now works in creative production and coordination roles and is retraining in events management.

"Whenever there is scarcity, as humans, we find solutions," she said.

"Especially if you're creative - you'll always find solutions."

Still, financial pressure has forced her to cut back on luxuries such as holidays and festival tickets.

"Is this the lifestyle that I want to live? No. But being in Bristol is fun and being embedded in creative circles is more than fulfilling."

For others, the move into multiple jobs is driven by personal circumstances as well as finances.

Hollie, from Bristol, became a single mother and needed flexible work to support her son Max as she survives on a single income. Through a recommendation, she began working as a life model.

"It wasn't something that I ever planned, but when you're in that position, you become open to things you might not have considered before," she said.

The 41-year-old, who also works as a part-time legal assistant and occasionally as a TV extra, says the work allows her to fit employment around school hours.

"It came out of necessity.

"I'd rather take my clothes off and stand in a room full of artists than work a minimum wage job where I'm rushed off my feet and can't make ends meet and miss the time with my son," she said.

She says the work has helped her overcome feelings of vulnerability.

"I'm worried a lot of time about money or about my son. But I don't feel that fear naked in a room full of strangers," she said.

Like many gig workers, she says the lack of long-term security creates a "constant pressure."

"I'm always thinking about the next bill, the next job, even though work is coming through, there's no real security," she said.

Despite the instability, she believes changing economic realities are reshaping attitudes towards work and what people are willing to do to get by.