An increasing number of Belgians are opting to work a second job, according to figures compiled by Statbel, the Belgian statistics office, and released to the Belga News Agency on Thursday.
In the first quarter of 2021, some 204,000 employed people worked a second job. Just a year later, this figure rose to 265,000.
Now, approximately 271,000 Belgians work at least two jobs. By region, there are significant disparities in the number of people working several jobs, as shown by statistics from the labour force survey.
In the first quarter of 2023, 77,503 Walloons held a second job, having risen from 56,321 people in 2021.
During the first quarter of 2023, the survey shows that the people concerned were mostly men (54%), but also highly qualified people (65%), aged between 25 and 49 (67%).
The picture is different within the Brussels-Capital Region. Fewer Brussels residents had a second job in the first quarter of 2023. There were more than 20,000 in 2022, compared with just 16,675 at the start of 2023.
In Flanders, the figures are significantly higher, with more than 177,000 people having a second job in the first quarter of 2023, with 141,180 in 2021.
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However, Statbel says that, as the quarterly sample is much smaller than the annual sample, these figures should be taken with a pinch of salt.
The rise of second jobs reveals a growing culture of 'side hustles', small home-grown businesses that help supplement incomes from ordinary employment.
According to statistics from 2022, of all those with a second job, 85% are employees in their main job. 57.9% are their own boss in their second job. Popular second businesses include drop-shipping, online commerce, cosmetics, and freelance writing projects.
Unfortunately, for many, second jobs are a necessity, not a luxury. They help supplement incomes from jobs which do not meet the needs of employees.
