More Americans turn to side hustles as inflation soars

More American workers they are getting side hustles to earn extra money and help offset the impact of scorching inflation. For others, meanwhile, it’s an opportunity to pursue their passion.

A bartender by trade, resident of Miami, Florida, Alejandro Chavarria spends much of his free time pursuing a new career in photography.

“I work at a bar that has some flexibility. They’re only open for dinner, so a lot of my downtime and days off are spent working on my photography,” he told CBS News . “I’m enjoying every second taking pictures and printing, messing around with ink.”

It fulfills his creative bug and also helps him cover his living costs. The typical rent in the area has soared to more than $2,400, according to data from CoreLogic, a real estate research provider.

According to an August survey by McKinsey & Company, thirty-six percent of employed workers (about 58 million Americans) call themselves independent workers who work as freelancers or on short-term jobs. This represents a 27% increase in the employed population that was part of the so-called gig economy in 2016.

Erin Welsh, a law student and law student, also works as a musician during the evenings and weekends to help pay for law school and to save money for her upcoming wedding. He admits the additional work cuts to his social life, but said the bills need to be paid.

“Most people hire live music on Fridays and Saturdays and even at something like a wedding, having an acoustic musician playing during the cocktail hour is very popular at the moment. So getting those kinds of gigs it’s how you make ends meet,” she. said

Pamela Ortiz, a medical graduate and makeup artist, has launched her own cosmetics line while pursuing a degree in dermatology. His small business started out of necessity.

“I broke out in hives one summer and I was going to all these dermatologists and I didn’t know what was going on and I honestly said, ‘Let me take matters into my own hands and do it myself.'” , Ortiz said. “I started mixing things in my aunt’s kitchen… my friends encouraged me to sell this.”

Asked if he would ever trade running his own business for a more traditional job, his answer was succinct.

“I don’t like being told what to do. I like freedom and flexibility,” she said.