[2] Side jobs gained in popularity in the U.S. because of wage stagnation and low wage growth that has not kept up with the rise in cost of living, with nearly a third of people with side jobs requiring them to pay expenses.
[3] Nearly 39% of all Americans report having a side job, including 43% of full-time workers,[3] with 57% of New Yorkers needing a side hustle to make ends[4].The most common reason workers take on side jobs is to obtain additional disposable income.
However, they are also common as a means to pay off student loans, as well as to leverage one's creativity in ways that would normally not be feasible in the typical workplace.
[8] Side hustles are typically concepts that can be done on a full-time, part-time, or freelance basis at the same time as having a day job.
Examples include copywriting, ecommerce (such as selling products on Amazon), affiliate marketing, providing social media marketing services, freelance web design, foreign language lessons or translations, tutoring or coaching, graphic design, freelance writing, and business management.