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Most days, Los Angeles-based Jesus Cadena starts work early, heading to his first job as a cake decorator. At night, he clocks in again — this time as a server in a restaurant. Working about 54 hours across two jobs over six days, Cadena is doing what a growing number of young people are: working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
Cadena wasn’t always “polyworking,” as this trend is known. After graduating from high school in 2010, the 33-year-old skipped university and went straight to culinary school, later training as a baker. “I kind of followed my passion,” he says.
He eventually became head baker for a cake shop — his dream job — where he earned around $6,000 a month. But the long hours took a toll. “It was a very demanding job, which required me to be present at the bakery at all times,” he says, noting that he often worked 12-hour days, stretching to 16 during the holidays. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he left the baking industry and dipped into his savings, pivoting to serving to cover his basic expenses.
Jesus Cadena decorating a cake. Courtesy Jesus Cadena/Handout via REUTERS
Cadena returned to cake decorating this year, now earning just under $3,000 a month — half of what he used to make. While he plans to continue polyworking for now, his goal is to save enough to eventually return to just having one. “I do believe in hard work, and I know this is going to help me advance,” he says.
THE WIDER TREND
Polyemployment hit a decade high in 2025, with Gen Z making up 55% of the polyemployed workforce in the U.S., according to a recent report by global workforce management platform Deputy.
Jeffrey Judge, a founding partner at Chesapeake Financial Planners, says the biggest mistake polyworkers make is “getting blindsided by a tax bill in April because their employers never coordinated (tax) withholding.”
When someone holds multiple jobs, each employer may withhold taxes as if that job were the worker’s only source of income, which can result in underpayment over the course of the year. To avoid a surprise tax bill, the judge says workers should adjust their tax withholding or make extra payments.
Once taxes are in order, Judge recommends prioritizing an emergency fund — amounting to roughly three to six months of expenses, ideally kept in a high-yield savings account — to build greater financial stability.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
One paycheck may no longer feel sufficient. For many young people, rising living costs and broader economic uncertainty mean a single full-time job no longer covers basic expenses. Cadena took on a second job not to get ahead, but to stay afloat.
Make sure your taxes are in check. If you earn income from multiple jobs, don't assume taxes are being deducted correctly. Each employer may calculate withholdings as if it were your only source of income, increasing the risk of an unexpected tax bill.
Build an emergency fund. Without cash reserves, workers may be forced to dip into retirement savings during financial stress, undermining long-term planning. Financial advisers like Judge typically recommend keeping three to six months of expenses in an accessible savings account.
Have a money lesson or story to share? Tell us what worked for you — or what didn’t — by emailing hani.richter@tr.com.
Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Dan Wallis; Visual Production by Morgan Coates