Gen Z workers are driving record levels of ‘poly-employment’ across the UK, with younger staff increasingly turning to multiple frontline roles as high living costs and softer wage growth put pressure on incomes.
According to new research from workforce management platform Deputy, workers aged 18 to 27 now account for 67 per cent of employees holding more than one job, with overall UK poly-employment reaching 1.35 million people.
The figures, published in Deputy’s Big Shift 2026 report, are based on more than 20 million shifts, 159 million hours worked and over 300,000 shift workers across retail, hospitality, care and services.
The company said the data points to a clear change in the make-up of frontline work, with younger employees increasingly piecing together income from multiple roles rather than relying on a single employer.
For retail, the findings add to a growing picture of financial strain among younger workers. Deputy said the rise in poly-employment is being accompanied by a jump in so-called microshifts, typically one to four hours long, as staff seek extra income while preserving flexibility.
That matters for retailers already grappling with labour shortages, variable demand and higher employment costs, particularly if growing numbers of workers now see second or third jobs as a necessity rather than a choice.
Ciaran Hale, chief technology officer at Deputy, said the findings challenge the idea that side hustles are simply a lifestyle preference among younger workers.
He said that for many, taking on multiple jobs is now as much about financial necessity as flexibility, and reflects a labour market in which traditional employment is no longer enough to meet the cost pressures facing a growing share of the workforce.
The broader backdrop supports that shift. Official figures show the UK unemployment rate rose to 5.2 per cent in October to December 2025, while a House of Commons Library briefing based on ONS data said 732,000 people aged 16 to 24 were unemployed in November 2025 to January 2026, with the youth unemployment rate at 16 per cent.
Deputy’s regional data also suggested the trend is not evenly spread.
Wales and the East of England recorded the sharpest growth in multiple jobholding, while London saw a decline, which the company said was driven in part by a drop in participation among women.
At the same time, the report pointed to a widening divide in attitudes towards AI, with workers in less secure, multi-job arrangements significantly more resistant to workplace automation than those in full-time roles.
For retailers, the findings are likely to resonate beyond headline employment numbers.
A workforce increasingly reliant on extra shifts elsewhere may be more sensitive to scheduling, pay volatility and perceived job security, raising fresh questions for employers about retention, flexibility and how attractive frontline retail work remains to younger staff.
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