Generation Z, people who were born between 1997 and 2012, have become synonymous with having side hustles. However, they are actually not the generation with the most side hustles.
According to H&R Block’s Outlook on American Life Report, millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, are more likely to work multiple jobs compared to any other generation. The report uses information from more than 20 million tax filers from H&R Block to get a better understanding of “middle Americans” (those with household incomes of $45,000 to $145,000) and found that millennials work full time and, on average, work two jobs to keep up with inflation and augment their income. Plus, nearly one in three millennials say they intend to work for an app-based company—such as Uber, Lyft, and Taskrabbit. The report also found that millennials are the generation most likely to rent out their home (or just part of it) to earn extra cash.
To investigate further, I interviewed seven millennials who have side hustles to hear their experiences firsthand and better understand how millennials became the side-hustle generation. Here’s what they had to say.
Financial pressures
One reason side hustle culture has become so popular among millennials is because many entered the workforce following the Great Recession and had to take on additional work to make ends meet.
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