As the cost of living continues to rise, more and more Americans are choosing to use part-time jobs in their spare time to increase their income. According to a survey by consumer finance company Bankrate, 36% of American adults work part-time. Side hustles are especially popular among young people, with nearly half (48%) of Gen Z having a side hustle, the highest proportion of any generation.
Millennials have high incomes from side jobs, and the phenomenon of part-time jobs reflects rising economic pressure
There are significant differences in part-time income between different generations: the average monthly income of Millennials is as high as US$ 1,129, while that of Generation Z is US$ 958, and that of Generation X and Baby Boomers They are US$ 751 and US$ 561 respectively.
In addition, the gender income gap is also obvious. The average monthly income of male part-time workers is US$ 1,034, while that of women is US$ 735.
The popularity of part-time jobs is closely related to the economic pressure in the United States. Inflation has caused rents and living costs to rise, forcing many people to seek additional income to maintain basic living.
The survey shows that 36% of part-time workers use their income to pay for daily expenses such as rent and food, while another 37% use it for entertainment consumption.
In addition, 32% of part-time workers believe that they will always need to work part-time to maintain balance between income and expenses, indicating that full-time salary cannot fully meet the financial needs of some people. This phenomenon is especially obvious among younger generations, because Generation Z is generally in the early stages of their careers and has lower incomes than office workers of other generations.
4 recommended part-time jobs with rising demand in 2025
With the advancement of technology and changes in market demand, "CNBC" reported that the following four types of part-time jobs are predicted to be the most promising options in 2025:
Graphic template designer
Small businesses and self-media require a large number of graphic templates, and designing and selling social software templates has become a popular part-time choice. On online shopping platforms such as Etsy, a template package can cost up to US$ 72. Suitable for creative people with design foundation.
AI content creator
AI content creators on Upwork, a platform for freelance workers, can earn an hourly salary of up to US$ 200. Their job content is to use AI tools such as ChatGPT to generate articles or social media content. It is suitable for people who are familiar with text work and want to save time through tools.
Podcast Assistant
Responsible for post-production, guest contact and social media promotion of audio and video programs. Podcast assistants can earn up to US$ 500 per project on the outsourced matchmaking platform Fiverr, which is suitable for freelance workers who are familiar with multimedia.
Short term rental manager
Manage booking platforms such as Airbnb on behalf of hosts, including booking management and maintenance arrangements. Taking South Florida as an example, landlords pay short-term rental managers about US$ 35 per hour, which is suitable for people with high flexibility and good communication skills.
The rise of part-time culture has provided many people with a flexible source of income and has also changed people's career choices to a certain extent. With the advancement of technology, the popularity of online platforms has made part-time work more efficient and provided workers with more choices. "CNBC" pointed out that technological innovation may further affect the way part-time workers work, making learning new skills the key to coping with market changes.
Source: Bankrate, CNBC
