12.6% of professionals in Spain declare that they are currently holding more than one job, and 51% claim to have balanced several jobs at some point in their working life, according to a survey by Randstad conducted on a representative sample of 5,700 workers.
The report, released this Tuesday, reveals that just over half of those with more than one job in Spain do so for purely economic reasons. In fact, 86% of the consulted individuals believe that current salaries push many people to accept more than one position.
In detail, 25.4% of participants acknowledge that their main reason for holding multiple jobs is to make ends meet, followed by 19.7% who seek to increase their savings capacity, 11.3% who do it to pay off debts or face unforeseen expenses, and another 11.3% who refer to personal or professional development. 2.8% point to other reasons and 29.6% indicate that they have never had more than one job.
Although the current proportion of multiple employment is similar between women and men (12.8% versus 12.4%, respectively), the reasons that lead them to it differ significantly.
According to the study, nearly half of the women with multiple jobs (49.4%) state that they feel forced to balance jobs to make ends meet, more than ten points above men (38.9%). They, on the other hand, have a greater weight among those who seek to save (25.7% versus 21.7% of women) or pursue professional development (12.5% versus 7.8% female).
By age groups, young people aged 18 to 24 concentrate the highest rate of multiple employment (17.3%), although in their case the main motivation is saving (45.6%). From the age of 25 to 44, more than 45% resort to multiple jobs due to economic necessity, to be able to make ends meet and cover housing expenses or family responsibilities.
Education, the field with the most multiple employed professionals
The analysis by educational level shows that the highest incidence of active multiple employment is recorded among those without studies (16.7%), followed by individuals with postgraduate or master's training (14.9%) and with university degrees (13.2%). Basic and intermediate educational levels present lower percentages of multiple activity.
Randstad points out that, at the lowest educational levels, multiple employment is mainly associated with the need to increase income (more than 71% if we add those who declare that they do it to make ends meet and to pay debts), while, as qualifications increase, strategic reasons gain relevance. This is the case for profiles with postgraduate degrees, where 16.55% are multiple employed for professional development.
By sectors of activity, education is the sector with the highest presence of multiple employees, as 73.4% of its workers have or have had more than one job, and almost 30% maintain this situation currently. Following are the service sector (70.4%) and healthcare (69.1%).
Andalusia, Catalonia, and the Canary Islands concentrate more multiple employment
Randstad highlights that the phenomenon of multiple employment in Spain is "strongly conditioned" by the productive structure and geographical location.
With data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) of the INE, Spain has reached a historic high, with the service sector and hospitality grouping 87.5% of professionals who hold more than one position at the national level.
In territorial terms, the pressure of multiple employment is accentuated in Andalusia (16%), Catalonia (13.6%), and the Canary Islands (13.5%).
According to Randstad, the high presence of part-time or fixed-discontinuous contracts linked to tourism in these communities, along with the rising cost of rent and vacation housing, pushes thousands of workers to seek a second job to cope with their expenses.