Characteristics of Multiple Job Holdings Triggered by COVID-19 and Their Impact on Well-being

This paper uses individual data from the "Internet Survey on New Work Styles in the Age of Covid19 and AI"(RIETI) to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the holding of side jobs. Among employed individuals who held a second job at the time of the survey, 42.8% were triggered to gain further employment by the new coronavirus, and most of these side jobs were due to a decrease in income. Those who needed a second job because of COVID-19 triggers tended to have lower well-being indicators, such as happiness, than those who did not. For multiple jobs triggered by non-COVID-19 reasons, well-being tended to be higher for those who held a side job than those who wanted a side job, but this was not the case for those with a multiple job holding triggered by COVID-19. On the other hand, for full-time employees, obtaining a second job associated with reduced working hours and workplace closure or downsizing tended to be oriented toward skill acquisition, job change, and independence. This point suggests that side jobs are chosen for the purpose of autonomous career development in response to the downsizing of main jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.