Side hustle and 'polywork' culture is really just a desperate reflection of a low-paying job market

• The pandemic has seen a rise in "polywork" — people working multiple jobs or side hustles.
• Writer Stephen Moore says polywork may seem flexible and freeing, but for many it's a necessity.

For my entire adult life, I've never worked only one job.

In my early 20s, I worked 40 hours a week at a hotel while laying the groundwork for my bespoke fabrication business. Even when it launched, I still worked at the hotel part time.

While it was successful in patches, the business was never enough for me to sustain myself, and I began to pursue other passions — writing and editing — on the side.

Now, I've quit the business and fully transitioned into writing and editing. Still, my work is spread across many gigs and ventures, and I also add another source of income by working once or twice a week as a furniture maker.

My work life has always been a not-so-delicate act of keeping many plates spinning simultaneously. And as the work landscape continues to shift, more and more people are doing the same.

The pandemic has created side-hustle mania

Side hustles and the gig economy are nothing new. The buzz had been increasing over the last few years before the pandemic added rocket fuel to the fire. Many people suddenly had more free time  —  or more control of that time if working from home  —  and there was ample opportunity to pursue other passions and interests.

Throw in a workforce-wide period of reflection and realization that most people weren't satisfied in their current jobs, and you've created the ideal mixing pot for a new future of work.

One aspect of this future is a rise in people holding multiple jobs. Workers are embracing the creative freedom, variety, and flexibility shaping one's work around their lifestyle allows  —  the true antithesis to the corporate system.

Lately, it's been given a branding makeover: polyworking. In short, polyworkers don't aspire to a single job in their field. Usually, they aim for differing but often complementary professions.

It's even led to the creation of a social-media website, appropriately named Polywork, that aims to be a networking space that highlights all the various skills and roles a user has. The site has already secured millions in funding, and while it hasn't disclosed the number of current members, it has a waiting list of nearly 20,000 (Full disclosure, I tried to sign up).

Still, the buzz around polyworking fails to consider that many are not pursuing multiple work opportunities voluntarily.

We're not plate-spinning by choice

The truth is that people are stretching themselves thin because the various single jobs don't pay enough to sustain them.

For many, working multiple jobs is a necessity. Look around you. House prices are quite frankly insane. Inflation is rising, driving the cost of living sky-high. Despite some small victories that have increased the minimum wage, overall pay continues to stagnate compared to cost increases.

Recent college graduates are struggling to find a job in their areas of study, with a little more than 40% being considered underemployed, or working in jobs that don't require a college degree, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Faced with these odds, what choice do people have but to accept whatever work is on offer?

Combined, my various jobs add up to earn less than the median US income, which leaves me vulnerable. If I lost one part of my income pie, I'd find myself fighting an uphill battle. Would I prefer that freelance work paid me enough to give it 100% of my focus? Yes. Do I wish my writing and editing work meant I didn't have to check job boards or turn to my network for other opportunities? Of course.

But as it stands, I can't afford not to have multiple income streams. And I'm one of the lucky ones: My wife is financially secure, and we have no dependents. When you add children, elderly parents, illness, or any other number of things that cost money, the pressure for more income only increases. And with the need comes stress and strain.

Why polywork as a necessity is a problem

A person can only enjoy the benefits of polywork  —  flexibility, variety, and freedom  —  when it's a choice. When it becomes a necessity, it boils down to working to a breaking point just to keep a roof over your head.

These additional "gigs" are sold as easy ways to make extra income in your free time, but when you depend on those gigs for money and they consume all of your free time, there's nothing easy or extra about it. On the platforms that tout these gigs, including sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and now Polywork, there are also hundreds of people competing for the same jobs.

Flexibility and freedom are certainly appealing. However, before polywork becomes another workplace buzzword, we need to face reality.

We have to be aware that it's one thing to want to work multiple jobs — it's another to feel like you have to work them. And we can't kid ourselves into thinking the latter is anything but an unhealthy reflection of today's unbalanced, underpaying work environment.

For those of us stuck juggling jobs, the solutions are obvious, yet far from straightforward — charge more, gamble on one venture, or get a job that pays better. For those who want to embrace a multifaceted career, employers need to offer more variety in their roles to allow them to enjoy the creative freedom they desire without the financial strain that comes with doing it on your own.