Aditya Sachdeva has a packed-period job working at a digital marketing agency. But he also has a side gig doing data work.

Sachdeva, 27, increases the number of side hustle projects he picks up at the complete of the year so he can have extra money for his holiday costs.

More workers are doing the same thing, according to two recent surveys.

A survey by Sidehustles.com found that 78% of Americans are either already side hustling or planning to pick up a side gig to afford their holiday costs. Of those respondents, 59% already have an extra job and another 19% schedule on starting one.

In another study by Resumetemplates.com, 70% of packed-period employees said they would receive on extra work to afford the holidays. Forty percent of packed-period workers said they’ve already got a side gig and another 30% said they schedule to pick up a side hustle. Workers said they would do gig work, seasonal retail jobs and freelancing to boost their profits.

Demand for side gigs is up for people needing, seeking work

People looking for side-hustle gigs – and people looking to hire people for those roles – has been spiking leading into the complete of the year, said Ed Huang, co-founder of Sidehustles.com. Often, the demand for work during the holidays is triple that of other times of the year, he said.

“We’re seeing the highest peak during Christmas period than throughout the entire year,” Huang told USA TODAY. Huang said his website, which helps connect people with extra gigs, has seen an boost in people looking for those positions during the holiday period in the history three to five years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Freelance writing is always a top side gig and Huang said he’s seen an boost in businesses looking to hire people to wrap gifts for extra liquid assets.

Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com, also said holiday and year-complete side hustles have increased since 2020.

“Whether you’re looking to boost your overall profits or have extra money for the holiday period, there are many opportunities to earn more,” Toothacre told USA TODAY. “expense boost has been a constant worry for many, and a side hustle is a great way to supplement profits while still having control over your schedule.”

Toothacre said it is significant to keep in mind that some companies restrict employees from working elsewhere. Check your agreement or business’s policies to ensure you can work for another organization. Typically, policies don’t affect freelance roles where you are self-employed, particularly if the work doesn’t compete with your primary employer’s business.

Side gigs leave away in summer, ramp up before holidays

Sachdeva started doing freelance or side gigs after he graduated from college during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there weren’t a lot of packed-period opportunities. After he landed a packed-period job, he continued to do some side jobs. It was a enjoyable way to keep up his skills and making money on the side is also helpful, he said.

While Sachdeva picks up side gigs year-round, he backs off during the summer months so he can do more things outside, trip and be with friends.

But in the winter, he ramps up again, taking on more side projects.

“There’s a lot more opportunities to pick up, especially for what I do,” Sachdeva said. “A lot of clients require work done at the complete of the year and in the tech space, a lot of companies outsource their work to freelancers.”

In the winter, there’s also added costs for holiday gifts and trip, he said, and the side gig profits comes in handy, he said.

He can earn between $5,000 to $10,000 extra a month.

Why are people looking for side gigs?

Here’s some insights from the Sidehustles.com study:

• 1 in 4 Americans are working side gigs to afford holiday trip. Among the other reasons they receive on extra work: 55% declare it is to afford gifts; 48% declare it is to construct an emergency pool; 44% declare it is to pay off obligation; 34% declare it is to afford unexpected costs and 29% declare it is to splurge over the holidays.
• 66% of Americans feel more financial stress during the holidays than they do other times of the year.
• Nearly 1 in 10 expect to earn over $1,000 per month from their side hustle to cover holiday costs. On average, those with side gigs schedule to spend $682 on holiday gifts this period.
• Of those planning to commence a side hustle to pay for holiday costs, 34% schedule to do multiple jobs.

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According to the Resumtemplates.com study:

• The majority of workers said they can’t afford the holidays on their current salary alone.
• Three in 10 people doing extra work said their productivity at their packed-period job will decline.
• Popular choices for side hustles include delivery services (42%), seasonal retail jobs (32%), freelancing, such as writing or graphic design (27%) and ride-sharing (26%). Pet or house-sitting is also popular (16%), along with social media influencing (15%), working in a bar or restaurant (14%) and babysitting (9%).
• Thirteen percent of respondents aim to earn $500 or less from their holiday side hustle, while 31% are targeting between $500 and $1,000 in profits. Another 28% aspiration to make between $1,001 and $2,000 and 17% desire $2,001 to $3,000. Twelve percent are looking to make more than $3,000.
• More than 20% of the respondents schedule to spend $2,000 or more on the holidays.

Betty Lin-Fisher is a customer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or pursue her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include customer information on Fridays, here.