Moonlighting becomes an American way of life

If you're thinking of taking on a second job to keep afloat, you're not alone. 

With Americans hit by higher taxes and a still-sluggish economy, more are turning to moonlighting to pay the bills. According to a Labor Department report, about 340,000 people took on second jobs in February, representing the biggest monthly gain in almost 16 years. 

That means almost 7.26 million people relied on two paychecks last month, compared with 6.92 million in January, the New York Post reports, citing data from the Labor Department.

The bump came shortly after a hike in the payroll tax, which left a lot of workers taking home smaller paychecks. According to an estimate from the Tax Policy Center, the tax hike means the average American household has about $20 less each week to spend. 

A rise in second jobs appears to be seasonal, reported every February going back to 1994 when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started collecting the data, bureau economist James Borbely told the Post. But last month saw an unusually high jump.

So, who's hiring people for second jobs? Let's just say many of those workers are telling customers, "Welcome to McDonald's (MCD)!" The most popular sidelines include food service, retail, bookkeeping and personal care workers such as dog walkers, the Post notes. 

Other issues boosting moonlighting include the need to pay off holiday purchases, with credit-card bills coming due in February for December gift-buying. 

Aside from the increase in moonlighting, more Americans are also relying on part-time jobs in what The New York Times calls an "unsettling" trend. That's because it appears many full-time jobs are being replaced by part-time positions, or those that require fewer than 35 hours a week. 

Part-time positions have surged by 2.8 million since December 2007, when the recession officially began, but 5.8 million fewer Americans are working full time. 

"This would not be so troubling if people were electing to work fewer hours. But that is not the case," The Times notes. Many workers are having trouble finding full-time jobs amid a still-recovering economy. 

So, when you place an order at Starbucks (SBUX) or visit Wal-Mart (WMT), just remember: Your cashier just might be one of the new American workforce, holding down two jobs to help make ends meet. 

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