The number of Australians who need more than one job to make ends meet – which had already been at a record high – has climbed even higher according to new data released this morning by the ABS.
The number of secondary jobs now sits at 954,000, up from the previous all-time record, 926,000 set in June 2021 and an increase of 11.5 per cent in a single quarter. There are 867,000 people working more than one job, also a new record.
Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Sally McManus said working people are struggling to keep up with the cost of living and most do not take multiple jobs by choice.
“This new record shows how desperate the situation is becoming for hundreds of thousands of Australians.
“The biggest increases in multiple jobs have come in healthcare and social assistance, education and training and accommodation and food services.
“These are frontline workers who are facing a cost-of-living crisis caused by low pay and have been abandoned by the current Morrison federal government,” she said.
