January 06, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Multiple jobholding in 2004

Compared with 2003, multiple jobholding increased in 2004 in 24 States, decreased in 22 States and the District of Columbia, and showed no change in 5 States.

[Chart data—TXT]

The national multiple jobholding rate (the number of employed persons reporting more than one job as a share of total employment) was little changed in 2004 at 5.4 percent, after trending downward since 1996.

Overall, 27 States had higher rates than the National average, 21 States and the District of Columbia had lower rates, and 2 States matched the U.S. rate. North Dakota and South Dakota recorded the highest rates, 10.1 and 9.2, respectively. The lowest rates were in Georgia (3.9 percent), Nevada (4.0 percent), and Alabama (4.1 percent).

These statistics are prepared by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program with data from the Current Population Survey. To learn more, see "Regional Trends: Multiple jobholding in States, 2004," by Jim Campbell, Monthly Labor Review, December 2005. Multiple jobholders are employed persons who had either two or more jobs as a wage and salary worker, were self-employed and also held a wage and salary job, or worked as an unpaid family worker and also held a wage and salary job.