A recent Glassdoor report reveals a rise in professionals taking on side hustles as financial insurance rather than entrepreneurial ventures.
The number of workers with multiple jobs increased to 5.4% in early 2025, while new business applications remained flat.
Glassdoor’s parent company, Recruit Holdings, recently laid off 1,300 employees, highlighting job market volatility.
A new report from Glassdoor reveals a growing number of professionals are taking on side hustles not as a path to entrepreneurship, but as a financial insurance policy. This trend is creating an “Employee+” workforce that prioritizes a steady paycheck while building a supplemental income stream.
Show me the money: The data shows workers are voting with their time, not their business filings. While the number of people with multiple jobs rose to 5.4% in the first half of 2025, new business applications stayed flat. A poll confirmed the motivation is overwhelmingly practical, with roughly two-thirds of workers citing a simple income boost as the main reason to start a side gig.
Sanity over startup: The motivations are deeply personal, ranging from pragmatic to desperate. One user described their side hustle as an essential emergency backup plan, while another project manager called it a necessity for their sanity to escape a toxic primary job. For many, it’s less about ambition and more about mitigating risk in an uncertain economy.
The pragmatism feels particularly pointed coming from Glassdoor itself. The company’s parent, Recruit Holdings, recently laid off 1,300 employees across Glassdoor and sibling company Indeed, citing a strategic shift toward AI. In a job market where even job-finding platforms are volatile, the side hustle has become less a passion project and more a core survival strategy for the modern worker.
The wider view: The conversation around the future of work is heating up. While some Gen Z workers talk about “conscious unbossing,” data shows they’re still climbing the management ladder. Meanwhile, some executives predict AI could replace half of all white-collar jobs, amplifying the need for financial security. On a more optimistic note, others are exploring how to turn these side gigs from a safety net into a six-figure career path.
A recent Glassdoor report reveals a rise in professionals taking on side hustles as financial insurance rather than entrepreneurial ventures.
The number of workers with multiple jobs increased to 5.4% in early 2025, while new business applications remained flat.
Glassdoor’s parent company, Recruit Holdings, recently laid off 1,300 employees, highlighting job market volatility.
A new report from Glassdoor reveals a growing number of professionals are taking on side hustles not as a path to entrepreneurship, but as a financial insurance policy. This trend is creating an “Employee+” workforce that prioritizes a steady paycheck while building a supplemental income stream.
Show me the money: The data shows workers are voting with their time, not their business filings. While the number of people with multiple jobs rose to 5.4% in the first half of 2025, new business applications stayed flat. A poll confirmed the motivation is overwhelmingly practical, with roughly two-thirds of workers citing a simple income boost as the main reason to start a side gig.
Sanity over startup: The motivations are deeply personal, ranging from pragmatic to desperate. One user described their side hustle as an essential emergency backup plan, while another project manager called it a necessity for their sanity to escape a toxic primary job. For many, it’s less about ambition and more about mitigating risk in an uncertain economy.
The pragmatism feels particularly pointed coming from Glassdoor itself. The company’s parent, Recruit Holdings, recently laid off 1,300 employees across Glassdoor and sibling company Indeed, citing a strategic shift toward AI. In a job market where even job-finding platforms are volatile, the side hustle has become less a passion project and more a core survival strategy for the modern worker.
The wider view: The conversation around the future of work is heating up. While some Gen Z workers talk about “conscious unbossing,” data shows they’re still climbing the management ladder. Meanwhile, some executives predict AI could replace half of all white-collar jobs, amplifying the need for financial security. On a more optimistic note, others are exploring how to turn these side gigs from a safety net into a six-figure career path.
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