How are young people redefining work using ‘Side-Hustles’?
A report has been published exploring how young people are redefining work using ‘Side-Hustles’. This is the first major study to capture the scope, scale, and gendered dynamics of youth Side-Hustles.
A new report titled ‘Side-Hustles: How young people are redefining work’ has been published from the findings of Year One of the Youth Side-Hustles Project, funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). Dr Kim Allen, Professor in Sociology of Youth and Culture at the University of Leeds, has been part of this research team, along with her colleagues Dr David Farrugia, Deakin University, Dr Brendan Churchill, the University of Melbourne, and Stephanie Patouras, Deakin University.
Side-hustles are small scaled entrepreneurial activities, undertaken alongside formal employment. The most common side-hustle involves selling goods, such as clothing and crafts online, but other side-hustles include digital design, dog walking and handyman tasks.
The report draws on survey data from nearly 1,500 young people and 68 in-depth interviews to reveal how side-hustles are reshaping the early career landscape in Australia. This report is the first from a three-year project, future data collection will take place across 2025 and 2026, with future reports to be published in 2026 and 2027.
Key Findings from Year One:
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Passion motivates most side-hustlers, but economic insecurity can push many into it.
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Women are more likely than men to have a side-hustle, yet they face the same challenges as in the traditional labour market, including a gender pay gap, and undertake unpaid labour to help succeed.
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On the most part, side-hustles cost money to run, but rarely pay well.
For the full research findings, read the report ‘Side-Hustles: How young people are redefining work’.
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