{"id":825145,"date":"2025-05-22T10:46:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T08:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=825145"},"modified":"2025-05-22T10:46:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T08:46:31","slug":"global-workforce-reality-check-why-so-many-workers-are-still-struggling-despite-record-employment-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/825145\/global-workforce-reality-check-why-so-many-workers-are-still-struggling-despite-record-employment-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Global workforce reality check &#8211; Why so many workers are still struggling despite record employment levels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Despite reaching record-high global employment in 2024, millions of workers are still struggling to keep up with rising living costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <strong>ADP\u2019s Global Workforce View 2024<\/strong>, more than <strong>half of workers worldwide report living paycheck to paycheck<\/strong>, revealing a deep disconnect between employment rates and true financial well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adpresearch.com\/assets\/summary-of-people-at-work-2024-a-global-workforce-view\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=May+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Click here to download the ADP Global Workforce View 2024.<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>ADP surveyed nearly 38,000 working adults across 34 countries in mid-2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results were striking: <strong>57% of workers say they struggle to pay their bills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even among full-time employees, <strong>54% are living paycheck to paycheck<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 a clear signal that having a job isn\u2019t always enough to ensure economic stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To bridge this financial gap, many people are turning to side jobs and gig work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Globally, <strong>23% of surveyed workers reported holding two or more jobs<\/strong>, with the number climbing as high as <strong>34% in the Middle East and Africa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even with multiple sources of income, the pressure doesn\u2019t always ease. Among workers with two jobs, <strong>59% still live paycheck to paycheck<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;For those with three or more jobs, that figure rises to <strong>61%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are workers taking on extra jobs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The reasons for holding multiple jobs go beyond financial survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ADP\u2019s survey highlights a broad range of motivations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><div class=\"table-responsive\"><table class=\"table\" class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Reason for working multiple jobs<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2 jobs<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>3+ jobs<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cover necessary expenses<\/td><td>51%<\/td><td>50%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Save for an extra expense<\/td><td>49%<\/td><td>45%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Build savings or retirement<\/td><td>40%<\/td><td>38%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Build job experience<\/td><td>35%<\/td><td>37%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fund education or training<\/td><td>27%<\/td><td>30%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Send money to family or friends abroad<\/td><td>21%<\/td><td>24%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lack of full-time opportunities<\/td><td>14%<\/td><td>17%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, <strong>younger workers<\/strong>&nbsp;(under 40) are more likely to take on additional jobs to build experience and fund education or skills training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This trend reflects a workforce eager to future-proof their careers \u2014 but also one burdened by limited opportunities and rising costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The gig economy &#8211; A double-edged sword<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In regions such as Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia, many workers rely on <strong>informal or gig-based jobs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These economies are often <strong>unregulated<\/strong>, meaning workers face limited protections, unstable income, and a lack of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Multiple income streams may offer flexibility, but they don\u2019t guarantee financial security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, workers in these environments often juggle short-term contracts, cash-based side hustles, and part-time roles just to meet basic needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A system under pressure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The global economy may be growing, but wage growth is not keeping pace with <strong>inflation<\/strong>&nbsp;and the <strong>cost of living<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in regions with strong employment figures, people are working more \u2014 often with less to show for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reality is clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Holding more than one job is becoming the norm, not the exception.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Younger generations are prioritizing experience and education, often at financial cost.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>True financial well-being remains out of reach for many, despite record employment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s next for employers and policymakers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Business and HR leaders must understand that <strong>employment alone no longer guarantees economic stability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strategies to retain and support talent \u2014 especially younger and lower-wage workers \u2014 must evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Offering flexible benefits and financial wellness programs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognizing and supporting workers with multiple jobs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing access to training and upskilling for career mobility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Addressing compensation gaps with real wage growth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get the full global picture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Download <strong>ADP\u2019s Global Workforce View 2024<\/strong>&nbsp;to uncover deeper insights into today\u2019s most pressing workforce challenges \u2014 from income insecurity to the gig economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how workers across 34 markets are adapting, what they expect from employers, and what your business can do to lead in a rapidly changing world of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adpresearch.com\/assets\/summary-of-people-at-work-2024-a-global-workforce-view\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=May+2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Download the full report here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The global economy may be growing, but wage growth is not keeping pace with inflation and the cost of living. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":825147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[17745],"class_list":["post-825145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-adp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=825145"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":825149,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825145\/revisions\/825149"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/825147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=825145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=825145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=825145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}