Working Two Jobs: How Many Americans Hold More Than One (September 2026)
The share of workers juggling more than one job, by sex and age, and how it moved from August to September. Computed from Census and BLS monthly microdata.
Key findings
- In September 2026, 5.7% of employed Americans (about 9,383,027 people) held more than one job, up from 5.4% in August 2026.
- Women were more likely than men to work multiple jobs: 6.6% versus 4.9%.
- By age, multiple jobholding was 5.9% at its peak (25 to 54) and 5.1% at its lowest (55 and older).
- Margins of error are approximate (design-effect method); the public CPS basic monthly file does not include replicate weights.
This measures how many employed Americans hold more than one job, often called multiple jobholders or the "side hustle" rate, using the September 2026 Current Population Survey basic monthly public-use file, with August 2026 shown for comparison. The rate is the share of employed people (CPS status recode PEMLR of 1 or 2) who report having more than one job (PEMJOT). Because the CPS runs every month, it captures short-term shifts the annual American Community Survey cannot. Estimates are weighted with the final person weight (PWSSWGT).
Employed Americans, September 2026
Multiple jobholding by sex and age
| Share of employed | Share holding more than one job |
|---|---|
| Men | 4.9% |
| Women | 6.6% |
| 16 to 24 | 5.7% |
| 25 to 54 | 5.9% |
| 55 and older | 5.1% |
Bars show the point estimate; the table lists approximate margins of error.
By group
| Group | Employed | Multiple jobholders | Rate | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All employed | 164,485,569 | 9,383,027 | 5.7% ± 0.2 | 43,375 |
| Men | 86,088,824 | 4,228,010 | 4.9% ± 0.3 | 22,718 |
| Women | 78,396,746 | 5,155,016 | 6.6% ± 0.3 | 20,657 |
| 16 to 24 | 19,970,127 | 1,136,725 | 5.7% ± 0.7 | 4,502 |
| 25 to 54 | 105,688,284 | 6,269,550 | 5.9% ± 0.3 | 27,134 |
| 55 and older | 38,827,158 | 1,976,752 | 5.1% ± 0.4 | 11,739 |
Margins of error are approximate 90% intervals from a design-effect method (DEFF = 1.5); the CPS basic monthly public file has no replicate weights. Sample is the unweighted number of employed people surveyed.
Data Sources & Methodology
The figures on this page are computed directly from the source data below. Narrative text accompanies the figures but never generates them.
Current Population Survey (CPS) Basic Monthly Public Use File
- Vintage:
- September 2026
- Access:
- BigQuery
- Cadence:
- monthly
De-identified person and household records from the Current Population Survey basic monthly file, the source of the official U.S. labor force statistics. About 60,000 households (roughly 130,000 people) are surveyed each month, supporting custom estimates of employment, unemployment, hours, earnings, and demographics at the national and state level.
The CPS is a monthly household survey of about 60,000 occupied housing units conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the source of the official national unemployment rate. Each basic monthly file is a cross-section of de-identified person and household records for that month.
Each person record carries a final weight (PWSSWGT) that expands the sample to the civilian noninstitutional population. Population totals divide the published weight by its four implied decimal places; rates and shares are unaffected by the scaling.
Employment status is summarized by the recode PEMLR: 1 and 2 are employed, 3 and 4 are unemployed, and 5 through 7 are not in the labor force. The unemployment rate is the unemployed divided by the labor force (employed plus unemployed) among persons aged 16 and older.
- The monthly sample is far smaller than the ACS, so state-level and small-subgroup estimates carry wider sampling error; some states require pooling several months.
- Public files identify geography only down to the state level; finer geography is restricted.
- Figures are survey estimates subject to sampling and nonsampling error, not a complete count, and can differ from administrative records.
- Dollar amounts reflect the survey month and are not adjusted for inflation across months unless explicitly stated.
How these figures were produced
- Estimate type:
- Weighted survey estimate (person level)
- Weighting:
- PWSSWGT (final person weight)
- Confidence level:
- 90%
Suggested citation
U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey Basic Monthly Public Use File, September 2026. Analysis by Matt George, itsmattgeorge.com. Retrieved 2026-10-15.