Half of UK IT workers hold side jobs in addition to their main work, a survey showed.

On Nov. 9, IT outlet TechRadar cited a Learminds survey as showing the share of side jobs in IT was far higher than the average among full-time workers overall.

The survey showed half of IT workers had additional work alongside full-time jobs. That compares with 30 percent among all full-time workers. By type, 23 percent did freelance work and 7 percent were found to have a traditional second job.

A notable point is that IT is a relatively high-paying field. The average annual salary for UK IT workers was given as 60,600 pounds, or about 109.6 million won. It also found 58 percent earned at least 50,000 pounds a year, or about 90 million won. Even so, analysis said the large number seeking additional work is difficult to explain solely by pressure to make ends meet.

The survey said IT workers may want to increase disposable income or secure room to save. Working arrangements also appeared to have an effect. It found 49 percent of IT workers were in hybrid roles, compared with 4 percent in hospitality. With greater flexibility in managing time, it is easier to take on freelance projects based on in-demand skills.

Certified career coach Amanda Augustine (아만다 어거스틴) said, "Some roles are naturally well-suited to freelance work." She cited developers as an example, saying they can take on additional projects in the evenings or on weekends. The point is that flexible work and the expansion of side jobs have appeared together because IT skills are easily linked directly to external projects.

There was also a view that opportunities for extra income are not equally open across all jobs. Augustine warned, "The people who most desperately need extra income do not necessarily have the flexibility, time, and energy to take on more work." In practice, the lower the flexibility in an industry, the harder it is to enter side work, raising concern that gaps between jobs could widen.

The survey found 47 percent of full-time adult workers in the UK said they ran out of money before payday. On average, funds were depleted 7.9 days before pay day. The share that cancelled subscription services due to cost-of-living burdens was 21 percent, and 21 percent said they gave up social plans. Another 20 percent said they had skipped meals.

These figures show that the expansion of side jobs is not only a low-income issue. IT workers have room to generate extra income thanks to relatively high pay and flexible working environments, but workers in other industries can be in a structure that makes it difficult to act even if they have the same need.

Careerminds said the current period may be the start of a time when securing additional income becomes more difficult for some workers and individuals. It said that in the future labour market, not only wage levels but also work flexibility and the ability to monetise outside work could emerge as factors that divide gaps between jobs.