SWNYGOVT by Tyler Schmall
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Over one in ten government workers turned to a side hustle to get by during the shutdown, according to new research.
The shocking new statistic emerged in a new survey of 500 federal government workers, which found that 34 percent of respondents were facing financial worries.
Of those 34 percent, one in four supplemented their income through a side-hustle during the shutdown, which ended temporarily on January 25.
While 58 percent of those with side work were already engaged in their side hustle before the shutdown began, more than a quarter of respondents with a side hustle hadn’t even thought about taking one on until the shutdown started on December 22.
Of the government workers that took on a side hustle, 74 percent planned to continue it after the shutdown ended, with more than a quarter citing uncertainty about their job as the reason for their side work.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of GoDaddy, aimed to shed light on the recent government shutdown and how it has affected employees, both emotionally and financially. The survey was conducted from January 23 through January 28.
So how do federal government employees feel about the shutdown generally? Annoyed, according to the results.
Annoyed, angry, and upset were the top words selected when asked what emotion struck them when thinking about the shutdown, even though only 36 percent of those surveyed were furloughed.
But how have those emotions translated into action?
For many, it sparked thought about a possible change in career, as nearly one in three workers polled say they are actively looking for new jobs, and more than one in five considered striking out on their own and starting a small business.
For others, a side hustle provided more than just supplementary income – 39 percent stated that they enjoyed the work they do in their side hustle, with 20 percent of side hustles involving making and selling items, and 25 percent of side hustles involving some kind of creative work.
More than 60 percent of those with a side job put technology to work to make their side hustle a reality.
“It’s easier and faster than ever to take on a side hustle – technology has made it possible to get an idea online and start finding an audience in a matter of hours,” said Melissa Schneider, GoDaddy’s trends expert. “We’ve seen customers with a brilliant idea they wanted to get online right away, or someone under stressful circumstances that needs to quickly build a website. They don’t have time to learn website building or coding. They need something up as soon as possible, so we prioritized speed and ease when we developed GoCentral.”
Anxiety is high and spirits are low among government workers -- 21 percent of employees polled said that they will continue looking for a new job even though the shutdown has ended.
According to the results, 74 percent of government employees got into their federal job because of the job stability, outnumbering all but one reason listed.
And of those looking for a new job, 36 percent said they were worried about the lack of stability in their current position.
That’s not the only reason government workers are exploring other options, however.
Most (59 percent) say they are frustrated with the bureaucracy, and 42 percent say they’d like to make more money.
“When you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t need to worry about the boss telling you not to come in. It offers a level of freedom and flexibility not available in many sectors and industries,” said Schneider. “As we’ve seen time and time again, the best ideas are born from obstacles are challenges.”
TOP 5 FEELINGS GOVERNMENT WORKERS HAD ABOUT THE SHUTDOWN
Annoyed 59%
Angry 49%
Upset 46%
Disillusioned 24%
Jaded 17%
ENDS