In Florida, finishing a workday doesn’t always mean going home to rest: for thousands of people, it’s time to start another shift.
Approximately 419,000 residents of the state held two or more jobs simultaneously during an average month in 2025, a figure that reflects another aspect of the American dream: that of those seeking additional income while facing housing, food, and transportation expenses.
According to a report published this Tuesday by the network WFTV, the personal finance company Achieve analyzed data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and estimated that 3.9% of Florida workers had multiple jobs in 2025.
Although the number exceeds 400,000 people, the state recorded the second lowest proportion in the United States, just above Alabama, where the rate was 3.5%.
The contrast is significant: Florida, one of the most populous states in the country, has hundreds of thousands of people juggling multiple jobs, but a relatively small proportion of its working population does so compared to other regions.
On a national scale, approximately 8.8 million Americans held more than one job during 2025, which is equivalent to 5.4% of employed individuals, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The differences between states are significant: Kansas recorded the highest proportion of workers with multiple jobs at 9%, followed by Wyoming at 8.3%.
Alaska and Maryland shared the following position, with 8.1%. California, for its part, topped the list in absolute numbers, with approximately 841,000 workers in that situation.
New York recorded about 417,000, a figure close to that of Florida, although its rate was higher, at 4.4%.
The results do not allow us to conclude that all of these individuals need a second job to survive. A spokesperson for Achieve explained to WFTV that some workers are looking to cover household bills, while others aim to increase their savings, pursue an additional activity, or generate income for personal goals.
However, in South Florida there are testimonials that show how high daily expenses lead some people to work long hours consecutively.
In September, NBC 6 Miami presented the case of Jordanna Egan, a third-grade teacher in Broward County who, after finishing her classes, works as a waitress in a restaurant in Plantation.
Egan begins his school day around 7:15 in the morning and finishes at 3:25 in the afternoon. Just twenty minutes later, he must report to the restaurant, where he stays until 9:30 or 10:00 at night. In total, his work week can reach about 65 hours.
The educator explained that, after 20 years of professional experience and with an annual salary of approximately $55,000, she needs to maintain her second job to cover family expenses and continue living with a certain level of comfort in South Florida.
He also acknowledged the physical exhaustion that comes from spending so many hours at work.
The same report indicated that, according to estimates based on census data, the number of people with multiple jobs in Miami-Dade had more than doubled between August 2025 and August 2026.
The cost of living helps to explain part of this economic pressure. An analysis by SmartAsset cited by NBC 6 estimated that a single adult needed an annual income of around $108,077 to live comfortably in the Miami area, while a family of four required approximately $231,130.
The situation has also been examined by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. In a study published in September 2026, its researchers noted that the percentage of Americans with multiple jobs had risen from the lows recorded during the pandemic, reaching 6% by the end of 2025, before dropping back to 5.5% in July 2026.
Researchers warned that official statistics likely do not reflect the full extent of the phenomenon, especially when it comes to informal activities or jobs conducted through digital platforms.
They also explained that earning income from a second job can be driven by both economic difficulties and new job opportunities.
Among the Latino residents in the United States, there are also experiences of those who combine multiple occupations. In October 2024, a Latina worker residing in Florida shared that she had two jobs in restaurants: one as a hostess during the week and another as a waitress on weekends.
According to his testimony, he was able to earn between 800 and 900 dollars a week, although his income varied depending on tips and the tourist season.
The job market in Florida has also shown signs of weakness. A study by WalletHub released at the end of October ranked the state 47th out of 50 in its overall assessment of conditions for finding employment and last in the employment growth indicator.
Between August 2025 and August 2026, the state added approximately 59,000 jobs, representing an annual increase of 0.6%.
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