Survey: Nearly 7-in-10 Americans Searching for Extra Work Due to Surging Inflation

A majority of Americans say they are being forced to search for extra work as inflation increases the cost of living.

According to a recent survey by Bluecrew, a workforce service platform, 69 percent of Americans say they are actively looking for extra work hours, while 68 percent say they are reevaluating their current work situation.

Furthermore, 72 percent of Americans say inflation has impacted how they view their job, and 57 percent say they sought new or additional roles in the past year as the cost of living has ballooned since 2021 under the Biden administration.

Eighty-five percent of Americans said skyrocketing prices are affecting their spending and buying habits.

“Rapid inflation is forcing people to look at not only how they’re spending their money, but also how they’re earning their money,” Matt Laurinas, chief customer officer at Bluecrew, told CNBC.

During the pandemic, fewer individuals were seeking work, but high inflation is driving a rebound in the labor force participation rates, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While workers hope to take on extra work before the holiday shopping season, employers may not be as eager to hire due to recession fears and less consumer spending.

As CNBC reported, Walmart is planning on hiring 40,000 workers this holiday season, which is drastically down from the 150,000 retail workers and 20,000 supply chain workers that were hired the previous year.

That potentially puts the 58 percent of respondents who said they were interested in short-term work in a tight spot this holiday season. However, 65 percent did say they would consider opportunities that would go beyond the new year.

Even though a large number of those surveyed cited “work/life balance” (56 percent), “schedule/flexibility” (51 percent), and “prioritizing my mental health” (39 percent) as priorities when considering a job, most considered “wages/pay” (57 percent) as a priority for selecting a job.

The survey was conducted in September, asking more than 1,000 American workers from various backgrounds.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.