While scores of Americans have long maintained secondary jobs to make ends meet, the rise of the gig economy and the explosion of e-commerce saw side hustles surge in popularity. But according to a Bankrate survey, side gigs are declining: 27% of respondents reported having a secondary gig this year, down from 36% in 2024 and 39% in 2023. Roughly 4 in 10 said they use their second job to generate discretionary income. One analyst warned that more economic volatility could make side hustles tick up again.
Got a side job? You're not alone. Roughly one in four Americans has some sort of side hustle they use to bring in extra money, whether it's to help cover the grocery bill, make ends meet, or allow full-time workers to take a break from their hectic day jobs and change up their routine.
With inflation still cooling down and with the economic uncertainty posed by tariffs and trade wars, taking on a side hustle may seem like a no-brainer.
Here's the twist: Side hustling is down, and fewer side hustlers are doing so out of need.
📉 Side hustling is down from last year. Only 27% of U.S. adults have a side hustle, the lowest percentage since 2017 and down from 36% last year.
🏃♀️➡️ Gen Z is leading the pack for side hustling, with 34% supplementing their income with a side job, ahead of 31% of millennials, 23% of Gen Xers, and 22% of boomers.
💸 Fewer side hustlers are doing it out of necessity. 41 percent of those with side jobs are using their extra income for discretionary expenses.
Here's the essential question: If the economic uncertainty looms, why do side hustles seem like an optional extra?
The answer may lie with the side hustling Gen Zers, who, while mainly using their side hustles for fun money, may be pursuing the side job grind as backup for when the economy turns sour.
“Young people are already inherently more vulnerable financially than their older counterparts because they haven’t had as much time to build up a safety net,” says Sarah Foster, economic analyst for Bankrate. “But we also find in surveys that they feel concerns about job security more intensely, likely stemming from the lasting impact of launching their careers in a challenging market, which has undoubtedly left a mark on their mindset.”