SC has one of the fastest-growing side gig economies in the US, new report says

Even with full-time jobs, more people across the country are choosing to take on second jobs or start their own independent business, especially in South Carolina.

It’s a popular trend right now, likely due to the tough economic situation that many hard-working employees face. Side gigs are giving people the necessary cash to pay bills.

Gig workers also get to choose when and where they work, which allows them to work around tricky schedules and personal commitments. Side gigs are more accessible than ever thanks to apps, such as DoorDash, Uber and Fiverr.

There are still some drawbacks. Gigs rarely include employer-provided benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans or paid leave. Income is rarely consistent as well, and can fluctuate each month.

Despite this, an increasing number of workers are finding it necessary to have multiple incomes. The distribution of growth isn’t equal across all states.

LLC Attorney, a legal service platform, released a new study that shows which states people are getting the most second jobs or are moving toward independent business ownership.

By analyzing the latest workforce data from IPUMS, a website that provides census and survey data, and business formation statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, LLC Attorney could find the states with the fastest-growing side gig economies.

Here’s where SC ranked nationally for its side-gig growth:

SC has 6th fastest-growing side gig economy

In 2022, 106,883 South Carolinians were working a second job every month on average. In 2023, this number jumped to 133,102, an increase of 26,220. That means the number of people who had a second job in SC increased by 24.5%.

The number of self-employed workers in SC, such as independent contractors, gig workers and freelancers, also grew. Between 2022 and 2023, there was an increase of 5,652 non-employer business establishments, which is a 1.3% increase.

These are the five states that outpaced SC:

Top 5 fastest-growing side gig states

The states with the fastest-growing side gig economies all had a substantial increase in the number of residents having a second job.

• #1. Oregon: 24.2% increase in people with second jobs, and a 2.6% increase in non-employer business establishments
• #2. Nevada: 25.7% increase in people with second jobs, and a 1.8% increase in non-employer business establishments
• #3. Alaska: 27.7% increase in people with second jobs, and a 1.4% increase in non-employer business establishments
• #4. North Dakota: 23.8% increase in people with second jobs, and a 2.1% increase in non-employer business establishments
• #5. Hawaii: 34.3% increase in people with second jobs, and a 0.8% increase in non-employer business establishments

This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "SC has one of the fastest-growing side gig economies in the US, new report says."