Moonlighting on the rise in tough economy

Serena Van Dyke can't foresee a day when she will give up one of her two jobs.

The 27-year-old works full time as an ambulance dispatcher and part time as an emergency medical technician. She works seven days a week, no days off. She barely makes ends meet.

"I have to have both jobs," she said, "just to pay for groceries, gas and everything else."

Van Dyke isn't the only one. Since the recession started, more people are moonlighting — working a full-time job plus another job — to pay for necessities or to hedge against possible layoffs and pay cuts. Consider:

• Twelve percent of workers plan to take a second job this year, according to a survey by CareerBuilder.com.

• That's up from single digits during the first half of the decade, before the economic downturn, CareerBuilder.com reported.

• The reason is almost always economic. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of U.S. residents who said they had two jobs because of tight financial times was 7.3 million in 2010, up from 4.5 million in 2007, the year the recession began.

Van Dyke, who lives in Ripon, doesn't need numbers to tell her times are tough. She started working a second job to pay her way through paramedic school and has since found she needs both paychecks to cover student loans as well as the rising cost of essentials, such as food and gas.

She considers herself lucky to have both jobs in this economy.

"I think people used to work a part-time job to get their play money," Van Dyke said. "Now it's different."

In the past, people worked second jobs to stay busy or try their hands at a new career. Today, the reasons have changed. A spouse has been laid off, a retirement account has shrunk, there's been a pay cut at job No. 1.

For Kristine Gilland of Manteca it's all of the above. Her husband lost his job when New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. in Fremont closed and is now permanently disabled because of heart problems. She, too, was laid off from a well-paying job.

Now she juggles three jobs: a full-time position as a telemarketer, plus two part-time jobs as an office administrator and a sales associate.

Much of her check from telemarketing pays for the company's health insurance benefits and for gas for her commute. The other two jobs pay living expenses.

A plus: All three employers know about each other and offer flexible scheduling. That's ideal, employment experts say, especially considering some companies prohibit moonlighting.

The reason? Fatigue from two jobs can affect work quality. Take it from Gilland, whose telemarketing job requires her to be upbeat.

"There are times when I am exhausted, and that affects my performance," she said.

It affects family time, too. Gilland's husband often meets her at work so the two can share a quick lunch. Van Dyke's friends are used to her declining invitations to parties and weddings.

Both women would slow down if they thought they could.

"I don't always want to work this much," Van Dyke said. "I want to take vacations, have days off and do things with my friends."

But the shaky economy scares them. A layoff could be around the corner.

"I don't know if I am going to feel secure enough to quit any of my jobs," Gilland said.

Their advice to people considering a second job? Enjoy the work if you can get it.

"If you're going to resent it, it's not going to work out for you," Gilland said.

Bee staff writer Kerry McCray can be reached at kmccray@modbee.com or (209) 578-2358.