Utahns join national trend in turning to 'side hustles' to supplement employment income

SALT LAKE CITY – We used to call them what they are -- part-time jobs.

Inexplicably, we refer to them as “side hustles” nowadays.

But whatever we call part-time employment in today’s business environment, an increasing number of Utahns are interested in pursuing those opportunities.

Residents of the Beehive State aren’t alone, according to a recent data from the media company PYMNTS. Its analysts say that 40 percent of consumers nationwide now earn income outside of traditional employment, with side hustles accounting for 43 percent of total income on average.

PYMNTS reports that this dependency increases for vulnerable populations where part-time income represents 76 percent of total earnings for families making less than $50,000 annually and 57 percent for members of Gen Z (those now under 28 years of age).

“We’re watching side hustles evolve from something optional to something people genuinely need,” explains Jeff Corbo, the president of DocuCopies.com, an online firm based in Hudson, WI.

“For many families, side gigs keep them afloat when the economy throws curveballs,” he adds. “People are incredibly resourceful, whether that involves picking up freelance work online or finding opportunities right in their neighborhoods.”

That’s especially true here in Utah, according to data from Workforce Services.

In 2023, for example, more than 36 percent of Utah women worked part-time, compared to the national average of 28 percent. The following year, 45,900 Utah workers were employed part-time, often in multiple roles, because they could not find full-time work or due to slack work and business conditions.

Higher rates of part-time work in Utah are often attributed to larger family sizes and a high rate of teen employment. 

Using online data, researchers at DocuCopies.com ranked Utah as fifth in the nation for interest in so-called side hustles, trailing behind Florida, California, Wyoming and Vermont in a 50-state study.

The jobs most sought-after by Utahns were online virtual assistant, followed by tutoring, personal training, delivery driving, dog walking, eCommerce, pet sitting, car washing, social media management, graphic design and transcription.

“The thing that stands out to me,” Corbo emphasizes, “is how universal this shift (to side hustles) is. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a rural community or major metro area, because the data shows that people everywhere are reimagining what work looks like.”

PYMNTS is a media company that provides news, data-driven analytics and research for the payments, retail and digital economy sectors. The company's services include B2B insights, consumer data studies and news on topics like e-commerce, AI in payments and digital transformation. 

Founded in 1982, DocuCopies.com is an online printing service that provides digital printing, binding and mailing solutions for both businesses and individuals.