When one job isn't enough: Young women and multiple jobholding

Young women in the UK are increasingly likely to juggle multiple jobs in order to secure enough income and working hours. This reflects deep-rooted problems
in the labour market, including low pay, insecure contracts, unpredictable hours and weak enforcement of employment rights.

Multiple jobholding is not a choice for many young women, but a necessity driven by precarious employment. It is associated with low mental well-being and reduced leisure time. Economic insecurity early in life may be associated with poorer long-term economic security, including weaker pension outcomes.

Yet standard labour market statistics systematically undercount multiple jobholding, meaning that the scale and severity of the issue remain hidden from policymakers. Without targeted intervention, these patterns risk entrenching gender inequalities across women’s working lives.