She's working two jobs and filming it for TikTok: Gen Z's economic reality is going viral

USA Today

6 days ago

Monday through Friday, Cindy Dionicio hits snooze on at least one of her 3:30 a.m. alarms before getting up. She packs a Victoria's Secret tote bag with a straightener, makeup and the office shoes and scrubs she'll need for her dental receptionist job later that day. It's a 15 minute drive to the Dunkin' Donuts where she works the opening shift.
Then, she hits 'record.'
'Good morning guys, happy Monday,' she says to her 113,000 followers, car keys clinking in the background as she walks up to the location. 'Come to work with me as a 25-year-old working two jobs plus owning a small cleaning company.'
Mondays are always a rough morning 😭🍩🦷 #foryou #foryou #foryoupage #dunkin #dunkindonuts #working2jobs #pov #mom #youngmom #dentaloffice #receptionist #frontdesk #mondaymotivation #morning #coffeelover #grwm #cometoworkwithme #CapCut
Gen Z employees are increasingly choosing to take on multiple jobs or side gigs, often driven by economic necessity. Creators like Dionicio are going a step further, posting about their side hustles on TikTok to make additional cash − and connect with other young people in the process.
These creators use the social media platform "to validate their lived experience and find solidarity in what can feel like a relentless economic system,' says financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, who authored the workbook 'The Financial Anxiety Solution.' 'I see them as a version of saying, 'This is my reality. I'm tired, I'm doing my best, and I still care about my skincare routine.''
Gen Z, the cohort born between 1997 and 2012, is increasingly anxious about their financial situation. Many are saddled with student loans and entering a slowing U.S. labor market amid skyrocketing costs of living. They say they feel less confident about reaching financial milestones like owning a home.
'We don't want to live at work and that shouldn't be the norm to buy a house or get by,' says 22-year-old Kahvon Frank-Morrell, who works at Walmart and as a custodian. 'I don't think that everyone should have to be required to do two jobs to get ahead or to live a basic life.'
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'A constant fatigue'
Frank-Morrell is aiming to save enough to buy a house by 24. He leaves the house at 9 a.m. each morning and at times doesn't get back home until 5 a.m. the next day − sometimes only sleeping between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. following his two shifts of work.
'It feels like a constant fatigue,' Frank-Morrell says. 'But overall, when you see that paycheck, it tends to be worth it.'
#2jobs #walmart #savingmoney
Toronto-based 26-year-old Jane Esang works two full time jobs as a marketing specialist and call center employee. After her second full-time internship in college, she realized she didn't enjoy working in a corporate environment and started prioritizing ways to retire early.
'It just hit me, I cannot do this for the next 45 years,' Esang says. 'A lot of young people are looking for more flexibility and freedom and independence.'
She's worked more than one job for five years and says there are days she goes without moving or seeing the sun. She started experiencing intense headaches in 2022, resulting in multiple doctors appointments and an MRI. It wasn't until her headache immediately went away on a cruise in winter of 2022 that she realized it was stress-related.
'When I did do exercise and did see the sun, I would have to sacrifice my sleep for it,' Esang says. 'My health was severely impacted.'
More: Gen Z, millennials concerned about their finances leading to homelessness, new study shows
Monetizing a side hustle on TikTok
In June of 2023, Frank-Morrell made a TikTok account to post videos like 'Working 2 jobs in an attempt to save $60,000' and 'Day in the life working 2 jobs,' some of which have reached more than 10 million views and can be monetized through TikTok's Creator Rewards Program.
'Get ready with me' and 'Day in the life' formats have become popular styles in the influencer economy, which the consulting firm McKinsey values at more than $21 billion.
When the comment sections on users' confession videos are filled with support, it can build a sense of solidarity and peer connection. But the influx in videos can also contribute to unhealthy comparison about one's economic situation, or glamorize an unrealistic work schedule, according to financial therapist Nate Astle.
'Hustle culture has always been a thing, but I think it's been romanticized more because of things like social media,' Astle says.
Replying to @v. how I stay active during a 16.5 hour workday (try to… I don't do this most days ngl) #dayinmylife #work2jobs #corporatelife #workfromhome #worklife #workingtwojobs
Esang uses her platform to advocate for Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE), a movement that prioritizes intense saving and budgeting to retire before the age of 65. She started posting about her lifestyle to fill what she saw as a void of content from young people her age who were anti-work.
'I just needed a platform, an outlet to vent to, and I felt like some people related,' Esang says.
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Gen Z increasingly anxious about their financial situation
Esang says people her age feel 'jaded' and 'resentful' at the combination of modern work culture and increasing economic instability, leading to nihilism or an anti-career mentality.
'People feel like they're trading in 40 hours a week, but it's no longer able to feed a family, it's no longer able to afford a house,' Esang says.
Bryan-Podvin says the videos highlight how some young people are intentionally opting out of higher education and the associated student loan debt by working jobs with manual labor. She pointed out that much of Gen Z came of age watching their families navigate the 2008 recession, and then graduated or went through developmental years during a pandemic.
'Gen Z is starting their financial lives with more debt, fewer social safety nets and higher costs across the board. Where millennials were told a version of, 'just get a degree and you'll be fine,' Gen Z wasn't given that same message,' Bryan-Podvin says.
Cost of living is frequently cited as a top financial concern among young people. Nearly a third of Gen Z and millennials worry their finances could lead them to experience homelessness, and they are almost three times more likely than older respondents to feel that way, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Acorns and Opinium Research.
Life events like watching a parent lose a job in childhood, experiencing economic instability during a recession, or having a failed business can also contribute to anxiety about finances, according to Astle.
"Gen Z is seeing massive wealth inequality. And wealth inequality has always been a thing, but it truly is at a level not seen before in the last 100 years,' Astle says. 'A lot of Gen Z are experiencing the anxiety of… 'I don't actually know if my needs are going to be met.'"
If there ever is a time to have a side hustle, 'it's when you're young,' says President of the Kahler Financial Group and financial therapist Rick Kahler. A second job can insulate you from losing a job, help fund a retirement plan, or potentially serve as a creative outlet, according to Kahler and Bryan-Podvin. Building good financial habits and investing early compounds interest over decades, setting one up for retirement.
'If you've come out of college and you're used to the ramen noodle diet, keep that going and, and save that money,' Kahler says.
Dionicio, who has more than 113,000 followers, says it's been inspiring to see how many people relate to having two jobs.
'At first I was a little shy with the camera, but then I would see other people post about their daily lives, and I'm like, 'You know what? Let me do mine,' Dionicio said.
The positive reception she receives in her comment section encourages her to keep going. 'How do you have the energy for two jobs plus your own business plus content creation AND you're a mom!! Superwoman,' one person commented. 'You go girl!' said another.
Rachel Hale's role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Reach her at [e-mail] and @rachelleighhale on X.