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To successfully discuss the motivation for Multiple job holding in Nigeria and to argue whether Multiple job holding is a form of threat to Nigerian employment capacity, it is pertinent to delve into the meaning and theoretical framework of multiple job holding and why people participate or do not participate in it. A peep into the extent of multiple job holding practice and the employment capacity of Nigeria would form an interesting background to drawing a conclusion of any threats multiple job holding has on employment capacity of Nigeria?
What is Multiple Job Holding?
Multiple job holding or moonlighting, also referred to as, dual job holding, double work, secondary employment, is a situation where an individual maintains a primary paid employment and at the same time engages in additional, secondary paid work(s).
In the argument of Baah-Boateng et al (2013), for a person to be considered as moonlighting, the person’s other employment should be paid employment. This argument therefore distinguished moonlighting from hobbies or any form of work without receiving any form of pay. Previously, the term moonlighting was generally seen as undertaking or performing a job at night. The word has even been used to mean ‘commit crime at night’’
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As posited by Dickey, Watson, and Zangelidis (2011), moonlighting is presently used liberally to refer to Multiple job holding without making any implications regarding the legitimacy or the time the described actions take place. It would not be wrong, therefore, to infer that the second job or jobs can be undertaken either outside the home or at the home of the ‘moonlighter’.
There are divergent views amongst authorities on what constitutes moonlighting. For instance, Staat and Kuchnhanss (2016) viewed moonlighting as the act of pursuing outside activity or activities while receiving additional income aside official salary; conversely, Hurka, Obholzer, and Daniel (2017) posit that moonlighting is the quest for a second job either for pay or not.
To Boyd et al (2016), moonlighting is a situation where a worker maintains a primary or main job, which is full-time and engages in additional work or secondary employment either on a full time or part time basis.
What is The Theoretical Framework for Multiple Job Holding?
The neoclassical model of labour-leisure choice theory is commonly used to analyze labour supply behavior. This model separates the factors that determine whether a specific person works and if so, the number of hours she chooses to work. An important feature of this theory is that it gives room for the prediction of how changes in economic conditions affect work.
Individuals would maximize their utility subject to a fixed time constraint as well as limited resources. With this fixed time, individuals are left with two options; either they assign it to the labour market working for pay and getting utility as well or leisure which gives off maximum utility but does not yield income. Individuals may face constraints on their hours or earnings in their primary job; i.e. they may be willing to increase their labor supply but are not offered the chance to do so in their primary occupation (e.g. due to working time regulations, short-time working contracts at times of low economic demand, marginal tax rates). This situation may accentuate financial constraints to the individual or his/her household, including for salaried workers who do not face hours constraints per se in their job, but whose wages fall short of their target income.
Why do People Engage in Multiple Job Holding? What is the Motivation?
People engage in moonlighting for various reasons. Some of these reasons include; financial motive, ensuring continuity in employment such that when the primary job is lost, the individual will have recourse to the secondary job. Also, to accumulate relevant skills and overcoming financial difficulties in rising rates of vulnerable employment, especially in the banking and telecom sectors. Another motivation for moonlighting as enumerated by Martinez et al (2014), Dickey et al (2011) is to avoid and escape poverty.
The prolonged global economic crisis has also fostered a rising trend in part-time and short-time employment contracts. Furthermore, digitalization and the rise of the gig or platform economy has further compromised traditional work arrangements in favor of new forms of work (e.g. on-call work, labor leasing, independent subcontracting, freelancing, home-based work). With such increasing risk of unstable employment in job markets, workers must hedge against uncertainty and procure a secure income. Multiple job holding is one such strategy for maintaining uninterrupted employment and gaining financial security.
In summary, higher net income and financial security can be secured by holding multiple jobs, especially when the primary job is constrained by hours or earnings. Task variety associated with a second job can motivate and increase work satisfaction. A second job can increase development of new job skills. Multiple job-holding has positive effects on future job mobility and career prospects. Holding multiple jobs may foster increased entrepreneurship and can lead to a new job that better matches a worker’s skills.
Is Moonlighting a Major Threat to Employment Capacity in Nigeria?
Moonlighting, if not managed properly, will cause problems for both employees and employers (Ballout, 2009). Example of such problems to the employees are, health problem, strained relationships with families because employees who moonlight spend ten to twelve hours or more per day at work and as such need enough time to rest and wake up for the next day.
In another words, it is difficult to maintain a healthy work–life balance when moonlighting. The primary job may suffer a greater rate of absenteeism. Conflicts of interest may arise between the other jobs and the employees’ personal practice; if the primary job is in the public sector, public resources may be misappropriation for personal benefits. Moonlighting can increase participation in the informal economy and lead to tax evasion.
Moonlighting definitely has its drawbacks, but in the writer’s opinion, does not constitute major threats to employment capacity in Nigeria.
The National Bureau of Statistics, in its Labour Force Statistics, released on 19 December 2018 stated that Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 23.1% of the workforce by the end of September 2018, up from 18.1% in 2017.
What are the Causes of Unemployment in Nigeria?
Massive relocation of companies from Nigeria to other countries, especially to Ghana, due to the harsh business environment which made businesses to groan under intense pain to survive. Some agony contributors are, poor supply of electricity coupled with weak government policies on ease of doing business and unchecked security challenge. The exodus of companies from Nigeria translates to job loss and massive unemployment.
Poor standard of education cum lack of employable skills are other giants expediating unemployment in Nigeria. The other vices furthering lack of employment opportunities are, embezzlements and fraud which continued to weaken government’s ability to provide amenities to facilitate job creation. Ignorance on the part of the unemployed in not searching for ways of getting self-employed or in firms where they have comparative advantage of being selected is a major cause of unemployment.
Moonlighting is clearly not a major threat to employment capacity in Nigeria. Rather than continuing to complain on getting a smaller share of the employment cake, would it not be better to bake a bigger employment cake. In another word, rather that adduce the lack of employment opportunities to moonlighting, why not create an enabling environment for massive job creation such that the country would need labour migrants to augment its labour shortage.
