Enhancv says secret overemployment is becoming a mainstream hedge against job risk

A new Enhancv survey of 1,000 full-time professionals says nearly 80% now view a second full-time job as unemployment insurance in a volatile labor market. The findings suggest dual-job holding is spreading beyond software engineers and into hybrid and in-office roles across education, operations and healthcare.

Why it matters: - Enhancv’s research points to a shift in how workers think about job security, with many treating multiple full-time roles as a hedge against layoffs and restructuring. - The findings challenge the idea that overemployment is limited to remote tech workers and suggest the practice is spreading across a broader set of industries. - The study also raises questions about the durability of the traditional 40-hour work week as AI and faster task completion free up more time.

What happened: - Enhancv released a study on June 26, 2026, based on a stratified survey of 1,000 full-time professionals conducted in April 2026. - Nearly 80% of professionals in the study said they treat a second full-time job as a form of unemployment insurance. - Education accounted for 16.6% of the overemployed cohort, followed by operations at 12.9% and healthcare at 11.0%. - Software engineering represented 2.3% of the cohort, undercutting the common view that overemployment is mostly a tech-worker phenomenon. - The full study is available here.

The details: - 76.9% of multi-job holders in the study worked in hybrid or mostly in-office roles. - 25% of the workforce could meet primary KPIs in 30 hours or less, creating unused time during a standard workweek. - 36% of respondents said AI tools significantly reduced their workload. - 8% said AI cut their tasks by more than half. - 12.9% of overemployed workers said no amount of money could buy back their exclusive loyalty to one employer. - 50.8% of overemployed workers maintained “Meeting Expectations” or higher at two or more jobs at the same time last year. - The most common tactics were sheer speed at 26.4%, calendar blocking at 15.1% and dedicated devices at 14.5%.

Between the lines: - The data suggests employers may be underestimating how much slack exists in a standard workday, especially in roles where output is measured by results rather than hours spent online. - AI appears to be amplifying the gap between contractual hours and actual work time, creating room for workers to take on a second paycheck. - Enhancv co-founder Volen Vulkov said workers are increasingly treating labor “like a portfolio,” arguing that the 40-hour work week is becoming a liability for some employees.

What's next: - The trend could push more companies to rethink monitoring, performance measurement and expectations around availability. - If the efficiency gains identified in the study continue, dual-employment strategies may become harder to distinguish from standard career planning. - The broader labor market may see more pressure to adapt pay, workload and retention strategies as workers spread risk across multiple employers.

The bottom line: - Enhancv’s survey suggests secret overemployment is no longer a niche tactic. For many professionals, two paychecks now look safer than one.