One in four Germans works in their free time

Result

More and more German citizens are stating that they also work in their free time. Whereas in 2015 not even one in ten people worked part-time, today it is already almost one in four. This applies most frequently to young adults (32%), with the number of middle-aged people with multiple jobs (22%) experiencing a particularly rapid increase in the last decade. However, almost one in six pensioners or retirees still work in their retirement. Activities range from traditional part-time jobs, such as waitressing and delivering newspapers, to online surveys or dog-sitting, to share trading or AirBnB rentals.

Reasons

The desire to maintain their own standard of living, concerns about rising inflation rates and the desire to buy certain things motivate many people to generate additional income. In addition to the financial incentives, there are other reasons for earning a sideline: younger people use the opportunity to orientate themselves on the labour market or to obtain additional references. In middle age, some people want to try something out without immediately quitting their main job. And retired people often want to pass on their knowledge, avoid boredom or appreciate the fact that they are still needed.

Forecast

In an international comparison, the proportion of Germans with a second job is currently still well behind countries such as Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands. In the future, more and more people in Germany will have several jobs, but the standard employment relationship will remain the norm and only at least two jobs will be voluntary in the future. What will increase is the proportion of retirees who continue to work part-time and employees who work remotely on the side.