Only one in four said standard of living had improved. 

More than half of charity workers are working more than one job to allow them to maintain their living standards through the cost of living crisis. 

This worrying trend reflects the tightening of charity funding in recent years and shows that charity workers are taking on additional work to make ends meet.

More than half of 1,600 charity workers surveyed are working multiple jobs according to a survey by recruitment website Charity Job Finder. 

A striking 58% of charity sector workers have more than one job which highlights potential concerns about pay and financial sustainability within the sector.

Recruiters have said charities need to consider matching staff pay to inflation if they want to retain staff, if that’s not possible, they should consider increasing flexibility or cutting hours.

Taking on additional jobs has helped workers in the third sector to maintain or improve their living standards through the cost of living crisis. 

Over the past three years, 44% of charity workers say they have experienced no change in their standard of living, while 39% said their standard of living had improved. A further 14% of charity workers believe their standard of living has fallen through the crisis.

Bev Garside, senior partner for Charity Job Finder, said: “We’ve seen a noticeable shift in third sector recruitment, particularly during the cost of living crisis. 

“More candidates from the charity sector are taking on multiple roles, not out of choice but out of necessity. It’s a worrying trend – passionate, skilled individuals are being forced to seek additional income outside of the sector, which raises concerns about long-term sustainability and retention. 

“Charities are struggling to compete with the private sector on salaries, and we’re seeing increasing numbers of job seekers who love their work but can’t afford to stay in it full-time.”

An anonymous charity worker, working in social care in Bristol, added: “Working in the charity sector was always my dream, but with the cost of living soaring, I’ve had to take a second job just to make ends meet. It’s exhausting, balancing two roles, especially when one of them is driven by passion and the other by necessity. 

“The hardest part is knowing that while I’m trying to make a difference in people’s lives, I’m finding it difficult to maintain my standard of living. I never thought I’d be in a position where I’m questioning whether I can afford to keep doing the work I love.”