The Daily. Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Duration of multiple jobholding

One out of every 10 people employed between 1996 and 1999 held down at least two jobs during any given year, according to a new study of multiple jobholding. The analytical article, "Duration of multiple jobholding," available today in the online edition of Perspectives on labour and income, examines this relatively small but important element of the labour market.

Multiple jobholding tended to be relatively short-term. Of the 1.3 million who held multiple jobs in 1996, 88% had stopped by the end of 1999. These individuals held more than one job for a median duration of eight months. But almost one-third of those who stopped holding multiple jobs resumed the practice within the study period.

For the small segment of the workforce holding more than one job, this arrangement had become part of their lifestyle. One in 10 multiple jobholders in 1996 were carrying more than one job for at least four years.

Those who held multiple jobs for the long term differed considerably from those who did so for a shorter time. For example, 62% of long-term multiple jobholders were self-employed in their primary or secondary job, compared with only 23% of those who held a second job for six months or less.

Long-term multiple jobholders were, on average, more likely to be older and married. They were also more likely to be working longer hours and have higher hourly earnings ($11.45) than short-term multiple jobholders ($7.20).

Women were also more likely to be multiple jobholders. For example, annual average data from the Labour Force Survey for 1999 show that 4.4% of employed men held down more than one job, compared with 5.6% of women. In the same year, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics estimated that 7.3% of men experienced at least one episode of multiple jobholding, compared with 10.1% of women.

Multiple jobholders tended to be younger and better educated - 54% had some form of postsecondary education. The median age among multiple jobholders was 33, compared with 38 among workers with one job.

Workers under 35 were the most likely to claim household expenses or debts as the main reason for holding more than one job. Those aged 45 and over were most likely to answer that they enjoyed the work.

Among the provinces, the highest multiple jobholding rates occurred in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, where 15% of the employed held two or more jobs at least once in 1996. This rate was not unexpected, given that these provinces have high levels of people who work in agriculture and hold second jobs off the farm.

The Atlantic region also had a high proportion of short-term multiple jobholders. This could be due to higher-than-average employment levels in the top three seasonal industries: fishing and trapping, logging and forestry, and construction.

The article "Duration of multiple jobholding" is now available in the April online issue of Perspectives on labour and income, Vol. 3 no. 4 (75-001-XIE, $5/$48).

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Katherine Marshall (613-951-6890; katherine.marshall@statcan.gc.ca), Labour and Household Surveys Analysis Division.