Busy, busy, busy

CAREER ENTRY: Holding down two or three jobs wasn’t how they imagined their lives after finishing university. But for many young Americans, this is the new reality — and they’re trying to make the best of it.

“Young college graduates working multiple jobs is a natural consequence of a bad labor market and having, on average, $20,000 worth of student loans to pay off,” says Carl E. Van Horn, director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “There are two types of people in this position: the graduate who can’t get a full-time job, and the person whose income isn't sufficient to meet their expenses,” Van Horn told The New York Times.

“The only cure for young people in this position is an economic recovery of robust proportions,” Van Horn added. In the meantime, people like Maureen McCarty will be forced to supplement their regular income with part-time jobs.

McCarty, 23, has a journalism degree and a full-time job as managing editor of TheNewGay.net, a blog for the homosexual community. The position pays $25,000 (about €17,000) a year and does not include benefits such as pension or health insurance. In order to keep her flat in the trendy Adams Morgan district of Washington, DC, McCarty works as a babysitter five nights a week for six families.

Working so many jobs can be confusing and leaves little time for a social life, McCarty says. “I do sometimes get my schedules mixed up and will double- or even triple-book myself.” As for dates, these often mean “dragging a friend along while I run errands on a Saturday”.

Mia Branco, 23, holds four jobs but is always worried about money. Branco, who has a degree in musical theatre, works as a cinema manager at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. She also teaches drama and music, supervises the box office at a theatre and has a position as a nanny. In a good month, her take-home pay is $1,300 (about €900).

Despite the potential conflicts, Branco counts herself lucky to be employed. “The majority of the jobs I have right now are because people were laid off and [employers] didn’t want to hire back full-time employees,” she explains. “My willingness to have a hodgepodge schedule makes me more marketable.”