How Many People Work Doubles? A Look at the World’s Most Exhausted Workforce

It’s early. Like the kind of early that doesn’t feel like nighttime so much as the end of a chapter.
I just worked a 14-hour double shift, and my body is buzzing, and not in the good way. In the “my knees feel like gravel got stuck in them” kind of way.
I’m exhausted, a little dazed, and a little curious.

How many people in the world live like this?
How many of us are stringing together shifts, juggling jobs, sacrificing sleep for survival?

Turns out a lot more than you’d think.

Millions of People, One Hustle

Across the globe, tens of millions of people are working more than one job, or working one job like it’s two. Some of the data I could find on good old Google tells the sorry tale.

In the U.S. alone as of 2024, over 8.1 million Americans work multiple jobs (Bureau of Labor Statistics) I’m guessing it’s higher now in 2025, but maybe it’s not. That’s about 5% of the workforce for perspective, and the numbers climb even higher for women and people of color.

But this isn’t just an American story, oh no, it’s bigger than that.

In South Korea, “gapjil” culture means workers often stay late to show loyalty. In Nigeria, side hustles are a way of life. In Japan, karōshi (death from overwork) is a recognized term.

We live in a world where the cost of living outpaces wages, and ambition gets tangled up in survival.

Why So Many People Work Multiple Jobs

Well, we don’t do it for fun if that’s what you’re thinking. The reasons are layered, nuanced, and sometimes a bit gutting.

The math doesn’t math is my obvious number one to hit you with. Rent, groceries, gas, health insurance, mortgage, phone bills, the list goes on and on, and it adds up…fast. And for many people, one paycheck doesn’t cover the basics, let alone dreams or those vacations we deserve.

Gig economy life is another you might think of things like Uber, Instacart, Fiverr, or DoorDash. These platforms offer flexibility, but at the cost of stability. Many workers supplement their main income with late-night side gigs.

Dream chasing is one that hits me right in the feels. Some of us work doubles because the second job is the dream: the art, the writing, the building, the thing we’re hoping will one day set us free, but in the meantime, doesn’t cover those pesky bills I mentioned earlier.

Caregiving and the B word (bills, not that other one) is another reason for the double life. Others work two jobs because they’re supporting parents, kids, or extended family. Love is expensive, so is being the responsible one.

What It Does to the Body

You know this already, I do too, but here’s what the science says for shits and gigs.

Sleep deprivation happens often as a side effect of working a double and chronic fatigue impairs memory, immune function, and mood.
Muscle and joint pain from long hours on your feet (or stuck at a desk) create tension, inflammation, and long-term wear on your body.
Stress hormones like cortisol levels stay elevated, contributing to weight gain, anxiety, and even cardiovascular disease.
Don’t even get me started on the tummy aches. Irregular meals, rushed eating, and stress affect gut health.

And yet, we show up. Again, and again, again, and again.
Because we have to, or because we’re building something, or some glorious combination of the two.

What It Does to the Mind

Working doubles doesn’t just tire your body, it starts to blur your identity. You become a function, a worker, a name on a schedule, and some days, you forget who you were before the shift started.

The mental health toll is real with burnout, irritability, emotional numbing, loss of joy (duh), and even sometimes a sense of invisibility that comes with all that working.

There’s also a quiet pride in it so I’m not sounding too glum for all those of you like me out there working your heart out…something no spreadsheet can measure.

If you’ve just worked a double and your muscles are screaming, try my little hacks for a little more self care.

Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution – Lavender Scent
Add two cups to a hot bath. Let the magnesium soothe your bones, the lavender hold your nervous system. You deserve more than a hot bath (I’m thinking Hawaii hot tub for at least four hours), but this is a start.

I also use this deep tissue massager for my feet and knees after.

Who Works the Most? A Global Glimpse

It’s not evenly distributed. Across the world, certain groups bear the brunt with women, especially single mothers, immigrants, often doing labor-intensive work across time zones, service industry workers, where double shifts are normalized (it’s me!), teachers, many of whom tutor or take seasonal side gigs, and artists and creatives, working nights to fund their passions, taking up the flag.

And then there’s everyone quietly doing the invisible labor at home after their “real job” ends.

When you’re always working, weeks blur together. This piece explores how stress and routine warp our sense of time, and how to anchor ourselves again in moments that matter.

What Recovery Really Looks Like

No, it’s not a face mask and a candle (though those don’t hurt).

It’s hydrating after a shift instead of pouring wine (I know, I know, but tomorrow you will thank you for it, I swear), laying with your feet up the wall for 10 minutes before bed, eating something with actual nutrients instead of vending machine regret (stop eating the candy they have at work!!), saying “no” to the seventh shift in a row, even if it makes your stomach twist, and letting someone take care of you for once.

Recovery isn’t a luxury, it’s the fuel for your next round. And if no one else is reminding you to take it, let this be your sign.

You can’t study the overworked without seeing their strength. The mother working two jobs to send her daughter to college is my hero. The immigrant driving Uber all night to launch a business I’m inspired by. The restaurant worker holding it together on three hours of sleep is me. You, with your aching knees and your big dreams and your full heart are what gives me the inspiration to keep going myself.

You’re not just surviving, you’re scaffolding something.

After the noise, this spice might be your new ritual. Add a few crushed pods to tea, close your eyes, and let your nervous system come back to center. A small act of softness in a hard world.

A Message for the One Who Just Got Off a Double

Maybe it’s 1 a.m, your socks are damp, and you’re wondering if this version of life was what you signed up for. (It wasn’t. My trust-fund checked mail-in-ballot got lost in the cosmic mail system).

But also…maybe this is just a chapter, not the book. You’re working two jobs because you haven’t given up, because you still believe in a better version of life. You still have something to give the world and teach those around you. While saving up for that dream home on the beach in Maui.

Some days it’s going to hurt, and be heavier than you can carry.
Sometimes no one says thank you when you would give anything to hear your work is appreciated.

We can’t romanticize burnout, but maybe one day we can build systems that respect the people who hold them up.

And in the meantime, we can rest.
Not just sleep…but real rest.

The kind that says I am more than what I produce, I’m more than a shift, and I’m still a person beneath this uniform that smells like truffle fries and the lychee raspberry bellini I spilled on myself hours ago.

You’re Not Alone in This Hustle

If you’re working doubles, juggling side gigs, or just barely holding on…I see you. This post is for you. For your tired feet and your brilliant brain and your soft heart that still dares to hope.
You are doing what you need to do, and you’re doing it right. You’re just in the part that makes most people quit.

But don’t forget your body is not infinite, it needs time, and magnesium, and a little bit of grace.

The world may run on hustle, but you…you’re going to make it, and in the end it’ll have been worth it.