UK Workers “Taking Second Jobs”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2006

A quarter of UK workers are taking second jobs to manage their debts, according to a survey by the Liverpool Victoria friendly society.

In a survey of 1,000 adults from the UK, more than half claimed that they work an extra 10 hours per week. The most cited reasons were either to pay off their debts, utility bills, or to save for a holiday.

One in six claimed to work an extra 21 hours a week on top of their regular jobs.

The survey also pinpointed key regional differences across the UK, with individuals from the south-west of England most likely to have a second job, followed by people in Scotland and those from the East Midlands region.

These figures and other recently published statistics, such as the data on the record number of bankruptcies in 2005, are indicative of a genuine debt crisis gripping the UK.

The UK’s Chancellor Gordon Brown, in trouble over his own fiscal borrowing, has announced a Budget for the 22nd March. If he’s serious about trying to address the long-term issues in Britain – then perhaps the £ 1.1 trillion level of personal debt in the UK should be a high priority.