More than half of workers seek more hours to keep up with inflation: poll

More than half of U.S. residents polled in a new survey said they are looking to work more hours to help cover rising prices for basic needs.

In a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults released last week, 57 percent said they were seeking overtime or extra shifts, while 38 percent said they were seeking a second job. Respondents with children were far more likely to seek extra hours at their current jobs (64 percent) and look for an additional job (47 percent).

The survey, conducted by Qualtrics between August and September, is the latest window into how U.S. households are navigating the highest rates of inflation in nearly four decades. 

The annual inflation rate of 8.2 percent in September is down after reaching nearly 9 percent earlier this year, but prices for food, medical care and shelter are still rising rapidly month over month. Sixty-four percent of respondents to the Qualtrics survey said they are having more trouble paying for their living expenses than they were last year.

Families struggling to keep up with inflation have had mixed success turning to the red-hot job market over the past two years, where jobseekers have enjoyed historic leverage over employers. While wages rose rapidly for most of the recovery from the COVID-19 recession, average earnings are down 3 percent over the past year when adjusted for inflation, according to the Labor Department.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents to the Qualtrics poll said they have looked for a higher paying job — 43 percent of those with children — and nearly 20 percent moved to a cheaper location to afford the higher costs of living.