Multiple Jobholding After the Pandemic: A Richmond Fed Analysis

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has published a piece titled "How Prevalent Is Holding Multiple Jobs in the Postpandemic Labor Market?" — a question aimed at a quietly important slice of U.S. work life.

Multiple jobholding — the practice of holding paid work with more than one employer at the same time — has long been a measurable feature of the labor market. The Richmond Fed is asking how the pandemic years changed that slice, and what the prevalence rate signals now.

What does the question cover?

Multiple jobholding can take several shapes. A full-time employee might freelance on the side. A worker might pick up shifts at a second employer in the same industry. A driver might stack gigs across platforms. A professional might keep a part-time role while building a consulting book.

Each configuration carries different implications for income stability, scheduling control, and benefits access.

Why does prevalence matter for individual workers?

For workers, the headline number matters less than what it signals. A rising rate can mean single-employer wages aren't keeping up with household costs. A falling rate can mean wages have caught up, or that workers prefer consolidating hours, or that gig work has shifted from supplemental to primary.

The pandemic reshuffled several drivers at once. Remote work removed geographic constraints, letting a worker hold roles in two cities. Gig platforms lowered the friction of adding side income. Industry layoffs in 2022-2023 pushed some professionals toward freelance hedges.

What does multiple jobholding look like across the workforce?

The pattern is uneven. Some industries — including health care, skilled trades, and education — have long supported supplemental work, with workers commonly combining employers. White-collar professional services have seen more fractional and consulting arrangements, where one worker holds a part-time role and a portfolio of project engagements.

For hiring managers, the practical implication is straightforward: candidates increasingly maintain parallel income streams, and assumptions about a single full-time role as the default are worth pressure-testing.

What's worth watching next?

As labor markets continue to settle after the pandemic disruptions, tracking how many people hold more than one job will tell workers, employers, and policymakers something real about whether single-employer earnings meet household needs. The Richmond Fed's question is the one worth keeping on the table.