Gen Z workers boosting wages through growing ‘poly-employment' trend

Yahoo

31-03-2025

Gen Z workers are finally catching a break when it comes to landing a job and getting decent pay for it. But workplace experts say they are having to ditch the traditional 9-to-5 full-time job to do it.
Georgia Wright is working three jobs while she finishes her university degree. The 21-year-old is one of many young Aussies who are 'poly-employed', which means they work more than one casual or part-time job.
'My career is very much a portfolio career, rather than me getting my university degree and then finding a solid 9 to 5 situation,' she told Yahoo Finance.
RELATED
Gen Z worker quits corporate job with no back up in growing trend: 'Not worth it'
Major $30,000 EV tax change from this week despite pleas for reversal: 'Worst possible time'
Major banks reveal interest rate cut predictions ahead of RBA's April call: 'Done deal'
Wright works 20 hours per week as a marketing manager for a buyer's agency, where she is earning $37 an hour.
Her second job is tutoring high school students English and History, which she spends six hours a week on and is paid $30 an hour to do.
Her third job is another marketing gig, which takes up six hours a week and also earns her $37 an hour.Wright admitted it can be a 'bit of a struggle' to juggle her multiple jobs, along with her university work.
She is due to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in creative writing and minor in journalism this year.
While some young Aussies are picking up multiple jobs to help with the rising cost of living, Wright said she's doing it to help build her skills and help her get ahead in the future.
'What I've found personally is I've gotten my jobs based on my own experience,' she told Yahoo Finance.
'No one really asks about my degree. It's all about what I've done and accomplished already in other jobs.'
Wright currently lives at home with her parents and pays them $50 a week for groceries, while trying to save up for when she eventually moves out.
'It's when I'm dealing with life admin, car issues, doctor appointments, physio, that's when I feel like I'm putting all this money down the drain. That makes me stressed out,' she said.
'When I do move out, if I have these same issues, it won't be an easy fix. I'll have to really, really budget and I'll have to be working more. It won't be as easy as it is for me currently.'
Employment Hero CEO Ben Thompson said it had been a 'tough job market' for Gen Z's but he is finally starting to see a shift with more younger workers getting hired and bringing in bigger wages.
He thinks this is partly due to the 'poly-employment trend'.
'Gen Z is at the front of the poly-employment trend, which means they are working multiple jobs to increase their income and gain diverse experiences,' Thompson told Yahoo Finance.
'There's a growing demand from both employers and workers for flexibility, and the rise of poly-employment reflects that.'
Employment Hero's latest SmartWatch report found there had been a trend towards Gen Z's picking up part-time and casual roles, with casual jobs seeing a 9.7 per cent year-on-year rise and part-time employment up 5.4 per cent.
'The hiring surge for Gen Z is accelerating and the median hourly rate for 18-24-year-olds has bumped up to $33.50,' Thompson said.
'The market is also favouring casual workers right now, which is good news for Gen Z jobseekers looking to try out multiple roles or improve their work-life balance.'
While poly-employment can give workers financial relief and flexibility, Thompson also highlighted the root causes of the trend being the high cost of living and job instability.
He said "structural changes" were needed from businesses and government to address this and promote job security, fairer wages and career growth opportunities.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics found there were one million multiple job-holders in December last year, with workers aged 20 to 24 the most likely to be working multiple jobs.
Shift-tracking company Deputy also found 22 per cent of shift workers in Australia had at least two part-time jobs, with 68 per cent choosing the same industry to gain extra employment.
Thompson said he expects the trend towards 'poly-employment' would continue this year ahead of an expected slowdown in hiring, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.1 per cent in February.
'We may see a broader slowdown in hiring across the labour market, with decelerating overall employment growth,' he said.
"Poly-employment ... will remain a key feature of their working life."
Wright said she planned to continue to work multiple jobs when she graduates from university this year and likes the diversity it brings.
"I'm not slogging away for the economy and for a paycheck. I'm finding enjoyment in these jobs and so it's easier for me to accept the hours," she said.Sign in to access your portfolio