multioccupation

Multioccupation is the situation in which an individual engages in more than one occupation or professional activity. It can occur concurrently, with a person holding two or more paid jobs at the same time, or sequentially, as people transition through different jobs or careers over their lifetime. The term is used in labor sociology, economics, and career studies and is related to but distinct from concepts such as moonlighting, portfolio career, and polywork.

Concurrent multioccupation is common in the gig economy, freelancing, or professional duplex arrangements. A portfolio career emphasizes a deliberate strategy of building a diversified set of occupations to spread risk and develop transferable skills, rather than a single long-term employer relationship.

Impacts include potential income diversification, skill broadening, and greater professional resilience, but also scheduling complexity, potential conflicts of interest, legal and tax considerations, and in some jurisdictions implications for benefits and employment rights.

Historically, many workers combined roles out of necessity or due to the scarcity of full-time, specialized employment. In recent decades, specialization has grown, but the rise of digital platforms, outsourcing, and flexible work arrangements has renewed interest in or necessity for multioccupations.

Policy and regulatory considerations can include worker classification, tax treatment of multiple incomes, licensing requirements for each occupation, and eligibility for social benefits.