Majority of Korean workers engage in or consider side gigs

As the household economy deteriorates, a growing number of Korean workers are either pursuing or contemplating side jobs, with the most popular options involving operating social media services like blogs and YouTube channels, according to a survey released Thursday.

In the survey conducted by job research newspaper Flea Market, involving 1,328 workers, 81.5 percent of respondents reported that their household economy had worsened this year compared to the previous year. The primary factor cited was inflation, affecting 79 percent of respondents, followed by wage reduction at 8.9 percent, an increase in interest rates at 6.6 percent and debt growth at 4.2 percent.

As a result, 26.8 percent of respondents are currently engaged in side jobs, while 55.3 percent are considering taking on additional work. Those who have no intention of pursuing something on the side accounted for 17.9 percent of the surveyed group.

Among workers who are already involved in side work, the primary reason cited was the inability to sustain their livelihood on their main salaries alone, with 55.1 percent of respondents indicating this as their motivation. Other reasons included saving a lump sum of money (19.1 percent), paying off debt (10.7 percent), making use of free time (6.7 percent) and preparing for retirement (5.1 percent).

Social media work, such as blogs and YouTube channels, was the most popular side gig, with 20.2 percent of respondents engaged in this type of work. This was followed by working at events and ceremonies (17.4 percent), serving at restaurants (11.2 percent) and delivery jobs (9 percent).

The average monthly income earned from these second jobs was 623,000 won ($466), with men earning an average of 712,000 won and women earning 534,000 won.

Even among workers considering something on the side, the primary motivation was the inability to sustain their livelihood on their salaries alone, cited by 43.3 percent of respondents.

Regarding the types of extra jobs they hope to pursue, social media work was the most preferred option, chosen by 15.9 percent. This was followed by assisting with office work (10.4 percent), managing and doing sales at stores (9.7 percent), delivery jobs (9.7 percent), serving at restaurants (9.3 percent) and working in a coffee shop (9 percent).