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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Layoffs: 5 Steps To Bounce Back From Job Loss In 2025
The suddenness of a job layoff can be upsetting, even traumatic, causing you to lose your grounding, ... More confidence and career direction. But experts say layoffs can open up a new world for your career. Over the past few years, tens of thousands of workers have faced unexpected layoffs as AI and automation disrupt traditional software engineering, IT and product management roles. In January 2025 alone, over seven thousand employees from 31 major tech companies lost their jobs. One of those, the news publisher Forbes, laid off about five percent of its staff. Who's next? Labor market volatility is unearthing fears of layoffs in 2025 that the American workforce is forced to live with. But experts are bringing hope to the uncertainty that layoffs can be a new beginning in disguise. Recently, Tech giant Microsoft and automaker Nissan became the latest major employers to announce mass layoffs, cutting thousands of jobs. The moves highlight the persistent volatility of the global labor market—even within some of the world's most stable and recognizable brands. These trends are causing 67% of the workforce to worry about the economy's impact on their current jobs, according to the Workforce Pulse Survey from Remote. Working in a job that could end at any moment creates stress and limits control over your life. Side hustles have become the new normal for full-time employees to offset the massive uncertainty. Side gigs free your mind with the autonomy to be the captain of your own ship, if you're suddenly laid off. instead of a passenger whose fate is determined by big business that might not have your best interests at heart. Nearly half of American workers use secondary income sources, and the numbers continue to rise. The Remote survey found that 75% of the respondents either have a second side hustle or have considered one to protect from threats of layoffs. A layoff (or constant threat of being laid off) can be deeply disturbing--even traumatic. An unexpected, sudden layoff can feel like you're blindsided by a truck. It can upend your security, confidence and career plans and significantly impact your mental health. But a layoff isn't the end. It's often a beginning in disguise. In fact, many career experts insist that a layoff can be a pivotal moment--a new beginning for your career. Consider this instance. After thousands of tech workers were laid off, they made shocking career pivots into industries they had never considered before, snagging stable job security and six-figure incomes in six surprising fields: aviation & aerospace mechanics, skilled trades (such as HVAC, electrical and plumbing), cybersecurity & fraud prevention, adult entertainment tech administration, medical IT & healthcare technology and freelance & independent tech consulting. Experts argue that a layoff from your job, although jolting, can also be a pivotal moment—an unexpected opening to reassess, refocus and take meaningful steps forward. Alari Aho, career expert and CEO of Toggl Hire, shared with me five actionable strategies to take if you're faced with a sudden job layoff. 'Getting laid off isn't a failure—it's part of your career story. But how you tell that story makes all the difference. Whether on LinkedIn, in interviews, or at networking events, position the layoff as a business decision, not a personal one. Focus on what you learned and what you're now looking for. By owning the story, you not only regain confidence, but you also reshape how others perceive your potential going forward.' 'Treat your post-layoff period as a rebranding opportunity. Update your LinkedIn headline, bio and CV with clarity about your value and direction. Even a short, thoughtful post sharing your availability and recent achievements can spark unexpected connections. It's not about asking for a job—it's about reminding people what you bring to the table.' 'Don't just job hunt—network with purpose. After a layoff, your network becomes your most valuable asset. Reach out to former colleagues, mentors, and clients with a clear, specific message about what you're looking for.' 'Layoffs offer rare breathing room to learn. Whether it's a short course in AI tools, a certificate in digital marketing or refining your personal pitch, targeted upskilling can sharpen your competitive edge. Highlight these steps on your profile and in interviews—it signals resilience, initiative and relevance in a fast-changing market.' "This is a time to be seen. Share insights, comment on industry trends, or even document your comeback journey online. Visibility builds credibility—and it helps recruiters and hiring managers find you. Being active doesn't mean being loud; consistency and authenticity are more powerful than perfection." Aho reminds us that layoffs don't define us—but how we respond can. 'This is a rare moment to pause, reset and show what you're really made of,' he contends. "With the right mindset and strategy, many professionals come out of layoffs stronger, more focused and better positioned for long-term success.' He adds that layoffs aren't the end, either. They're a rebranding moment. 'It's a chance to take control of your story, redefine your professional identity and show the market what you're truly made of.' He suggests that you start by owning the narrative—frame the layoff as a business decision, not a personal failure. Then sharpen your value through a thoughtful rebrand, reconnect with your network with purpose and use any downtime to upskill in ways that align with where you want to go next. Business leaders urge that in 2025 full-time employees build gig jobs as a safety net, not only as extra income to make ends meet but as career insurance in case your job disappears or you're faced with layoffs. Studies show that many laid-off workers end up in side hustles with more autonomy, making higher salaries than in their previous positions that rival full-time wages. Aho advises that after layoffs, it's important for you to stay visible—share your voice, insights and journey. "With clarity, consistency and a bit of courage, what feels like a setback can become the launchpad for your strongest comeback yet," he concludes.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
‘Karoshi': The Unspoken Killer That Can End Your Career And Life
A large body of research shows that job stress leads to mental and physical illnesses, but too few people understand that there's another dangerous step after burnout that can end your career and lead to death. It starts with unmanaged chronic job stress, leads to burnout and, when unaddressed, to karoshi--the Japanese term for death from overwork. Members of the American workforce die from karoshi on an annual basis. It's a paradox, isn't it? The jobs we perform day-in and day-out to survive--paying bills and putting food on the table to keep us alive--also kill us, and nobody talks about it. But the Japanese do. They call it karoshi, referring to the thousands of workers a year who drop dead from putting in 60-to-70-hour workweeks. It's so common in Japan that the workplace had been dubbed, 'a killing field.' And some economists in India have referred to death from overwork as 'a poison by slow motion.' Cases of anxiety, depression, suicide and stress-related diseases are on the rise. Studies show that unmanaged work stress bombards our neurological system, keeping our fight-or-flight response on high alert, creating high blood pressure and heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and a lowered immune system. As unmanaged overworking damages our health, it also leads to an unmanageable life, family disintegration and even karoshi. There's a reluctance to call it what it is in the U.S., where 45% of workers consider themselves to be modern-day workaholics. And another 59% of all American employees face moderate or high burnout, according to a 2024-2025 Aflac WorkForces Report. But karoshi goes unspoken in the U.S. because the English language has no word for it. When workers keel over at their work desks from karoshi in this country, we call it heart attacks, strokes or diabetes, but those are actually the symptoms of unmanaged work stress and burnout that lead to karoshi. So, to put this in perspective, it's time to put a name to this unseen killer, and for now karoshi will do. A new report finds that 62% of employees are more stressed in 2025 than a year ago, making the potential for death from burnout and karoshi even more real, driving a generational shift in employees opting out. With 65% of workers daydreaming about quitting their jobs just to focus on themselves, this is a much bigger story than meets the eye. The Aflac WorkForces Report cites that 64% of employees with high burnout plan to look for a new job within the next 12 months. Millennials are the most burned-out generation with 66% saying they're facing moderate or high burnout. Of course, stats on karoshi don't exist because that data isn't collected. But karoshi is an equal opportunity employer, and the risks don't stop with the younger generation. New data from Vistage reveals that burnout has climbed the corporate ladder--all the way to the top, showing that the vast majority (71%) of CEOs feel regularly or occasionally burned out, with one in three (32%) saying they have experienced burnout 'frequently' or 'nearly every day' over the past year. According to Carl Niedbala, co-founder and COO of Founder Shield, top executives are walking away. In 2024, a record 2,221 CEOs stepped down in the U.S. (up from 1,914 the year before) and that number keeps climbing, he told me by email. The role has become overwhelmingly stressful from dealing with AI and cyberthreats that often lead to lawsuits, to facing nonstop pressure from boards and the public--all while dealing with expectations that feel impossible to meet. 'Top-tier talent courageously redefines what 'success' means as the CEO exodus continues, fueled by relentless demands, intense scrutiny and personal unfulfillment,' Niedbala explains. "Companies must implement savvy risk management strategies to effectively support rising leaders—and prevent their C-Suites from collecting dust." So, forget about relaxing after work. A new study shows most employees are using their free time to recover from their jobs. A survey of 2,000 workers from Headway app reports that 60% say their free time is being spent burnt out, recovering from work and not enjoying life. The study found one in four feel guilty for doing something as simple as pursuing a hobby, and a quarter of employees say they feel as if they no longer have a personality outside of work. Experts at Headway are calling this a crisis point, where 36% of employees have stopped exercising because of work, 32% no longer socialize and 27% have quit traveling altogether. One in four employees say they've stopped doing anything for fun. 'Employees who spend evenings and weekends just recovering from work aren't making a living--they're surviving it,' says Cindy Cavato, certified productivity coach at Headway app. 'Over time, this drains motivation, creativity and the sense of self that drives success. Businesses that ignore this risk higher turnover and lose valuable potential. Sustainable productivity comes not from pushing employees to the limit, but from giving them time and space to be human.' Studies show that self-care is the first line of defense and that companies that prioritize employee self-care boost their bottom line. Many professionals believe the myth that work stress and risk of burnout are prerequisites to get ahead in your career. But the science shows the opposite: work stress and burnout truncate your career trajectory. If you're in the habit of sacrificing your well-being to meet work demands, it's hard to be the best version of yourself. Self-sacrifice isn't a badge of honor; it's a death sentence. Self-care prepares you to give more to your job. When you put yourself first, there's more of you to go around, and you can work healthier and longer. Gen Z have been advocates for greater work flexibility and work-life balance and at the forefront of micro-shifts and micro-retirements. 'The rise of micro-retirement reflects a deeper lifestyle shift, it signals the relationship between people and work continues to evolve,' Dr. Marais Bester, senior consultant at SHL, told me. "People want a break to re-balance priorities in a world where traditional work and career models no longer fit everyone. For employers, this trend can be unsettling, but it also opens the door to a more flexible, human-centered talent strategy.' It's crucial that leaders encourage their employees to unplug. Nearly half (47%) of employees say that having an employer who respects personal time off is a top contributor to work-life balance. Half (51%) of employees say more paid time off is the most effective way to alleviate burnout, followed by self-care programs (47%) and options to work from home (43%). There's a call for redefining the wellness category in corporate America. It begins with changing the collective delusion that it's a badge of honor for employees to burnout or put their lives on the line and die from karoshi to succeed. As more organizations ditch the collective delusion and more workers do their part to bring a healthy mind, body and spirit to the workplace, the potential for a sustainable career trajectory and the company's bottom line are guaranteed. In the final analysis, karoshi prevention is about finding a healthy work-life balance, not a profit versus humanity proposition. And finding it will continue to be a problem in 2025 unless significant changes are made in work practices, overtime demands and inefficient meetings. The challenge will be for companies to create work cultures that blend productivity and profitability with humanity and physical and mental wellness. Ultimately, it's a package deal.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
The varied issues facing American manufacturing
Good morning, Early Birds. One of us is enjoying the NBA playoffs, foul artists and all. Send tips to earlytips@ Thanks for waking up with us. In today's edition … King Charles III goes to the mat for Canada … Senate Democrats preview their Medicaid messaging … Sen. Tuberville looks for an exit … but first … President Donald Trump is pressing to invigorate manufacturing in the United States. He said Sunday that his trade policy is aimed at making 'big things' in the U.S. again, not just T-shirts and sneakers. 'We are looking to do chips and computers and lots of other things, and tanks and ships,' Trump said. To that end, last month, Trump signed an executive order aimed at encouraging Americans to go into high-skilled trade jobs. According to experts and recent examinations of the American labor market, that may not be enough. There are major issues facing American manufacturing, and yes, those issues include cheaper labor abroad and trade barriers in other countries, two problems Trump is trying to address through tariffs. But his trade policy largely ignores key domestic issues: Widespread job openings that companies are struggling to fill and an aging workforce with millions set to retire over the next decade. The declining size of the American workforce is further exacerbated by the president's efforts to decrease immigration, particularly in skilled-labor professions. 'This gets into an immigration debate. … We'll have students from Asia come in to study, but they can't stay. And so we educate them at taxpayer expense, and then they go back to our competition,' Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) recently told us at a Washington Post Live event on manufacturing. 'I had this bill several years ago. If you get a PhD in high-skilled engineering, you get a green card. … I'm not sure how others in the administration may view that now.' There were about 450,000 open manufacturing jobs in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions that companies are struggling to fill. And a study last year by the Manufacturing Institute — a nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers — and Deloitte found that recruiting and retaining workers was the most pressing issue for top manufacturing companies. 'The U.S. manufacturing industry could see a net need for as many as 3.8 million jobs between 2024 and 2033 as significant investment continues to drive growth,' read the report. 'Without significant changes, more than 5 in 10 or 1.9 million of these jobs could go unfilled if workforce challenges are not addressed through 2033.' Central to that problem is age. The average age of a manufacturing worker is 44.3 years, older than the 42-year-old average age of all workers in America, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only 8 percent of manufacturing workers are under 25 years old. The Census Bureau also found in 2020 that 'nearly one-fourth of the manufacturing workforce is age 55 or older.' And surveys show that few younger Americans are interested in factory work. To Carolyn Lee, president of the Manufacturing Institute, this is an issue of perception vs. reality. 'The age of the manufacturing workforce has long been a challenge for us,' Lee said. 'People don't understand what manufacturing is all about today. They have this image of something they have seen on television or in the movies. So there is this disconnect between understanding the reality of the sector and what the potential of those jobs are and what people believe them to be. Perception is one of our biggest gaps.' This issue is a political football in nearly every presidential campaign. As states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have grown in political relevance, so too has the issue of manufacturing, with presidential candidates often sparring over who will be better for the trades. A 'manufacturing renaissance' was the centerpiece of Trump's economic policy during his 2024 run. 'You will see a mass exodus of manufacturing from China to Pennsylvania, from Korea to North Carolina, from Germany to right here in Georgia,' Trump told an audience in that state months before the election. But analysts at Wells Fargo recently found that 'a meaningful increase in factory jobs does not appear likely in the foreseeable future,' because just to bring the industry back to its high point of around 1980, it will cost 'at a minimum $2.9 trillion in net new capital investment.' 'There is no one lever that is going to fix all the things that ails us when it comes to workforce development,' Lee said. 'Most people think of manufacturing that you are standing on an assembly line and doing a single manual function and that is 40 years of your career. And that is far from the truth. That is why we need to tell the story of manufacturing jobs.' Senate Democrats are looking to make the sweeping spending bill passed by the House a political cudgel, launching a digital ad campaign today that ties Senate Republicans to the House bill that would cut Medicaid spending and lock in tax cuts for higher earners. The 60-second digital spot — titled 'Devastating' — will run on Meta platforms and a range of digital TV channels. It shows a simple Google search asking, 'What's happening with the Republican budget,' followed by news reports on what the bill's Medicaid cuts would mean for states and how taxes would go down for top earners. 'The Republican budget is wrong for American families,' a text block reads at the end of the spot. The ad highlights how the months-long work by the House will probably become a central point of Democratic messaging in the 2026 midterms, whether or not the Senate changes the bill in the coming weeks. 'Under the leadership of Senate Republicans, millions of people are at risk of losing their health insurance — and voters will hold them accountable for it at the ballot box in 2026,' committee spokeswoman Maeve Coyle said. In other campaign news: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) is officially running for governor after weeks of anticipation. He had been hinting at a run but made it official during an interview on Fox News yesterday. 'I'm a football coach. I'm a leader. I'm a builder. I'm a recruiter, and we're going to grow Alabama,' Tuberville said. 'We're going to bring manufacturing to this state. We're going to stop this illegal immigration.' Tuberville is a first-term senator who was elected in 2020 after a career coaching at Auburn University, taking that persona onto Capitol Hill, where he's affectionately called 'coach.' Tuberville would be a formidable candidate in a Republican primary. He's closely aligned with Trump, and successfully defeated former attorney general Jeff Sessions, who previously held the seat, in the 2020 Republican primary. Elon Musk weighed in on Republicans' catchall legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He doesn't seem pleased. The billionaire tasked with slashing federal spending was 'disappointed' to see the bill add to the federal deficit, he said in an interview with 'CBS Sunday Morning' airing this weekend. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill could add $2.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. Musk said the bill 'undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.' 'I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion,' Musk said. The bill passed the House last week, and the Senate will take it up when it returns to Washington next week. Some deficit hawks in the Senate expressed concerns similar to Musk's, but Republicans are divided, with others demanding protections for clean energy tax cuts and social spending programs. Britain's King Charles III, who is also Canada's king, visited Ottawa yesterday, giving the first speech to Parliament from a Canadian monarch in nearly 50 years. It was a stern assertion of Canada's sovereignty and widely seen as a rebuke to Trump's musings about making the country the 51st state. 'Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values Canadians hold dear and ones which the government is determined to protect,' Charles said in a speech mixing English and French and opening with an acknowledgment. 'The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades is changing. Canada's relationship with partners is also changing.' Charles spent much of the speech, which was written by Canada's government, stressing the country's need to navigate a changing world — including alliances that it may have historically taken for granted. He largely avoided mentioning Trump, but he did say the president had productive conversations to define a 'new economy and security relationship' with Prime Minister Mark Carney. 'All Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away,' Charles said. Amanda Coletta has more from Toronto. SpotlightPA (Pennsylvania): Pennsylvania is the last state in the nation to elect poll workers, leading officials to worry that they are short thousands of candidates for the positions. County17 (Gillette, Wyoming): There is an odd, yet public, conflict brewing between Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) and Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray (R). Gordon began publishing a newsletter Friday, alleging that Gray was spreading misinformation that needed to be debunked. 'The record needs to be set straight,' Gordon wrote. The Boston Globe: Tom Morello did not mince his words on Trump during a performance this weekend in Boston, where the Rage Against the Machine guitarist called for a revolution and shouted out Harvard and Bruce Springsteen, both subjects of Trump's ire. Colorado Public Radio: NPR and some of its Colorado partners sued the Trump administration over an executive order gutting funding for the public radio networks. The networks say Trump is violating their First Amendment rights in a politically motivated attack. Yesterday, we wrote about how clean energy tax credits created under President Joe Biden could get nixed in Republicans' mammoth tax and spending cuts bill. The tax credits were the biggest investment in combating climate change in history and the cornerstone of Democrats' 2022 climate bill. Paul Grabowski of Alexandria, Virginia, wrote back emphasizing that the federal government also has generous tax incentives for oil and gas production, benefiting the coal, oil and gas industries with more than $12 billion from 2022 to 2026, according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Center. That's a great point — the clean energy tax credits weren't created in a vacuum and had precedent with federal assistance for fossil fuel production. If you ever have feedback for us, please feel free to reach out at earlytips@ We will be writing about the movement for a national popular vote later this week. Would you support a national popular vote for presidential elections? For our Republican readers, are you more supportive of selecting a president by national popular vote now that Trump won the popular vote in 2024? Let us know at earlytips@ or at or Thanks for reading. You can follow Dan and Matthew on X: @merica and @matthewichoi.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
20 Side Gigs That Rival Full-Time Wages, Earning Up To $4K Monthly
Experts are advising that side gigs are not a luxury anymore. American workers worry daily about losing their jobs as the economy tightens and technological advances cause massive layoffs. If you're a full-time employee, side gigs are becoming a necessity for extra income to make ends meet and as an insurance policy in case your job ends unexpectedly. The American workforce has learned they can call their own shots, have more flexibility and make more money working online with quick cash side gigs. Side gigs are becoming the new normal because workers are tired of the stress and uncertainty of their jobs. They're seeking the autonomy of being in charge of their own fate, instead of leaving that to corporate America that they can no longer trust to have their interests at heart. There are all types of side gigs that you can choose from. You can work from home online for some that do not require experience. Others take you into the community. Some are supplements for full-time workers, while other side gigs can be full-time pursuits that rival full-time wages like some of the ones listed below. Many gig jobs are those that AI can't handle like spotting bias, checking content or giving feedback. One platform behind this trend, Sapien, has 800,000 users across 100+ countries. They've completed over 75 million tasks for clients like Lenovo, Alibaba, MidJourney, and the UN. According to Rowan Stone, Sapien's CEO, 'If we can find a way to tap into that knowledge and reward people fairly for it, gig work won't just improve; it'll fundamentally change how we think about work, technology and value creation.' Stone explains that Sapiens is not your typical gig working platform. They do things differently; we use token-ized incentives and an on-chain reputation system to enure the highest possible data quality,' Stone explains. 'Contributors stake both tokens and reputation as collateral against the quality of their work, which means everyone is incentive aligned to deliver great data. More rep = more responsibility, and importantly, higher income potential via both advanced tasks and peer-QC (users validating the work of other users). Ensuring everyone has real skin in the game has been the single biggest unlock for Sapien since we launched 1.5 years ago.' The researchers at Topture calculated the hourly rate and estimated monthly income of 22 of the most popular side gigs. They researched the typical lowest and highest hourly rates using publicly available sources such as job boards, freelancer platforms and market rate reports. These values were used to establish a realistic earning range for each job. They assumed a consistent workload of 20 hours per week to reflect part-time engagement alongside full-time employment. Using this rate and workload, they projected monthly income estimates by multiplying the average hourly rate by 20 hours per week and then by 4.33 (average weeks per month). Average hourly rate was calculated as the midpoint between the high and low estimates. They used Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to analyze public interest in each side hustle. Each data point is divided by the total number of searches within the US to measure relative popularity. This ensures that more populous states don't automatically rank higher due to higher total search volume. The resulting values are then scaled from 0 to 100, based on the keyword's proportion to all searches in the US. Note: identical interest scores across states do not indicate equal search volume, but rather similar relative interest. They used this normalized state-level data to identify the top three states with the highest interest in each side hustle. The same approach was used to calculate the overall Side Hustle Popularity Ranking. Most of these gig jobs rival full-time incomes, bring in thousands of dollars monthly, require little to no formal education--just a practical skill and a few focused hours each week--and have the flexibility to be done remotely at home. Here are 20 of the most popular side hustles with average monthly/yearly salaries and brief job descriptions. 1. Voiceover work ($4,500/$54,000). A voiceover side hustler provides voice recordings for a variety of media. 2. Selling Digital Products ($3,100/$37,200). This side gig involves creating and selling items like templates or e-books online. 3. E-Commerce Seller ($2,050/$24,600). E-commerce side jobs include selling handmade or vintage items online through platforms like Etsy. 4. Handyman Services ($1,750/$21,000). This side gig allows you to perform minor repairs and maintenance tasks. 5. Photography ($1,400/$16,800). In this gig job, you're paid to capture images for events, portraits or commercial use. 6. Freelance Copyrighting ($1,270/$15,240). Copyright freelancers write marketing materials, articles or website content for customers on the side. 7. Graphic Design ($1,000/$12,000). In a graphic designer side hustle, you would create visual content for businesses like logos and marketing materials. 8. Lawn Care ($950/$11,400). Side hustles of this type would involve you mowing lawns and maintaining gardens. 9. Online Tutoring ($690/$8,280). Online tutors who side hustle help students with subjects like reading or math, some online and some face-to-face. 10. Social Media Management ($650/$7,800). In a social media manager side hustle, you would manage and grow social media presence for clients. Work ($650/$7,800). This gig job involves completing various tasks such as furniture assembly or moving help. 12. Proofreading ($610/$7,320). Proofreader side hustlers are in the business of reviewing and correcting written content for errors. 13. Car Sharing ($540/$6,480). As a gig job car sharer, you must have a valid driver's license which allows you to rent out your personal vehicle. 14. Bookkeeping ($460/$5,500). Bookkeeper side hustlers must have accounting knowledge to manage financial records usually for small businesses. 15. Virtual Assistant ($450/$5,400). Virtual assistant side hustlers provide administrative support remotely, which can include technological aid such as email management. 16. Rideshare Driver ($450/$5,400). Ridesharers have a side gig that uses their personal vehicles to provide transportation services to clients. 17. Delivery Driver ($400/$4,800). Delivery drivers have side gigs in which they make deliveries to customers such as restaurant food or groceries. 18. Notary Public ($400/$4,800). To side hustle as a notary public, you must have a state certification that allows you to witness and authenticate legal documents. 19. Pet Sitting/Dog Walking ($350/$4,200). This side hustle requires a love for animals and involves taking care of pets while the owners are away. 20. Online Surveys ($160/$1,920). As a side job responding to online surveys, you need no experience, just the willingness to participate in online market research surveys. 'Some of these side hustles can rival full-time wages," Benny Rehwald, founder of Topture, points out. 'Voiceover work or digital product sales can bring in thousands a month once the skills are in place. What stands out is how many of them require little to no formal education, just a practical skill and a few focused hours each week.' Rehwald says the fact that many can be done entirely from home makes them even more accessible, especially for people balancing full-time work, family or health. 'Income from side gigs has become more than just a backup plan,' he concludes. "For many, it's a key part of long-term financial strategy.
