Ranking of Moments When Side Jobs Broke People's Spirits: Survey of 497 Men and Women

M-Flo Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Yosinori Kitawaki) conducted an awareness survey targeting 497 people who have experienced side jobs, titled 'Survey on Moments When Side Jobs Broke People’s Spirits,' and ranked the results.

Many people take on side jobs aiming to increase income or improve skills.

However, while some say 'I'm earning from my side job,' others struggle to see results and face frustration. What specific situations cause people who have actually tried side jobs to feel defeated?

This time, Craudia Recruitment Site Creation Service, operated by M-Flo Inc., conducted a questionnaire survey of 497 individuals with side job experience, asking about 'moments when side jobs broke their spirits,' and summarized the results in ranking format.

Comments on the survey results were provided by Chie Kotaka, representative of Mental Health Care & Management Salon.

[Request for Data Citation and Reproduction]

When using the survey results or images from this press release, please include a link to the official website URL of 'Craudia Recruitment Site Creation Service' (https://craudia-recruit-create.com/) as the source.

[Survey Overview]

Target: Individuals who have experienced side jobs

Survey Period: June 17–19, 2026

Survey Organization: In-house survey

Survey Method: Internet-based voluntary responses

Valid Responses: 497 people (364 women / 133 men)

Respondent Age Distribution: 20s: 15.5% / 30s: 38.8% / 40s: 26.4% / 50 and above: 19.3%

[Survey Results Summary]

・Top moment when side jobs broke people’s spirits: 'Not earning satisfactory income'

・Combined percentage who quit or paused side jobs due to discouragement: 44.0%

・Most non-negotiable condition for future side jobs: 'High time flexibility'

1st Place: Not Earning Satisfactory Income

The top reason people felt broken by side jobs was 'not earning satisfactory income' (53.7%), cited by over half of respondents. Following this, 2nd place was 'unable to secure time' (13.7%), 3rd place 'physically exhausting' (8.7%), 4th place 'unable to obtain projects' (6.4%), and 5th place 'experiencing troubles' (6.0%).

A large majority cited dissatisfaction with income or physical strain, revealing that increased income from side jobs often fails to meet expectations. Many also reported 'inability to secure time' and 'physical exhaustion,' indicating that balancing main jobs and family responsibilities remains a major barrier to continuing side gigs.

While many people ideally hope to 'increase income without overexertion' when starting side jobs, the reality proves much more difficult.

<1st Place: Not Earning Satisfactory Income>

・When I started web writing via crowdsourcing, I was only offered low-paying jobs worth just tens of yen per hour, which was devastating. Although they say your rate increases with skill, when I considered the massive time and effort required to reach that point, I realized I could earn more reliably working a regular part-time job. (Female, 20s)

・I did data entry work, but the pay rate was so low that I couldn’t maintain motivation. (Male, 40s)

Side jobs are primarily undertaken to increase income, but in reality, many fail to achieve expected earnings.

Reasons include 'crowdsourcing platforms offering many low-paying jobs' and 'individual social media or affiliate marketing taking a long time to monetize.' In many cases, when converted to hourly wages, earnings become extremely low.

As a result, people feel 'not worth the time invested' or 'working hard but seeing no results,' leading to discouragement.

<2nd Place: Unable to Secure Time>

・Because I’m also raising children, I can’t create time as I’d like. (Female, 30s)

・I worked on my side job during limited time after my main job ended, but even sacrificing sleep, I couldn’t make satisfactory progress. (Male, 40s)

Side jobs are often pursued after main job hours or on days off, so available time is inherently limited.

For those managing childcare or household duties, available time is even more constrained. Unexpected chores or a child’s fever can disrupt planned side job time, making it impossible to work. Thus, people end up in situations where 'they want to work, but can’t due to lack of time.'

For side jobs with fixed deadlines or set working hours, time constraints can pose significant challenges.

<3rd Place: Physically Exhausting>

・Initially, I enjoyed the excitement of trying something new, but severe fatigue set in due to drastically reduced sleep. (Female, 20s)

・I worked double shifts in factory manufacturing. Pay and conditions were good, but since my main job was as a truck driver, I couldn’t get enough sleep, making it physically unbearable, so I reluctantly quit. (Male, 30s)

・Working after my main job or on days off simply led to accumulated sleep deprivation and fatigue. (Male, 40s)

Starting a side job means working during time previously reserved for rest. As a result, people often can’t rest sufficiently, leading to accumulated fatigue.

Many people felt defeated due to sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion, finding it difficult to balance or continue. Even if initial motivation carried them through, gradual accumulation of fatigue eventually made it too difficult.

Continuing such overwork risks harming health or main job performance, leading people to feel 'I want to continue my side job, but realistically, I can’t.'

<4th Place: Unable to Obtain Projects>

・Due to severe skill shortages, I couldn’t land jobs, and felt time just slipping away. That’s when I gave up. (Female, 30s)

・I’m currently doing writing side jobs, but as a beginner, I lack time and skills, struggling to secure projects. After applying to 10 jobs and getting rejected from all, I felt completely broken and didn’t want to do anything. (Female, 40s)

When taking on side jobs via crowdsourcing or social media, it’s common to face difficulties like 'unable to obtain projects' or 'unable to secure work.' Especially for beginners with little experience or skills, the barrier to acquiring projects is high.

Continuously being rejected after multiple applications erodes confidence and prevents even starting side jobs, making discouragement understandable.

<5th Place: Experienced Troubles>

・After delivering a design file, the client disappeared without paying. (Male, 30s)

・I applied out of interest in the job posting, but the actual work content was completely different. I knew scam jobs existed, but experiencing it myself made me afraid to apply again. (Female, 30s)

・I fell for a suspicious job targeting beginners. (Female, 40s)

Especially for online-only side jobs, clients’ identities are often unclear, increasing the risk of being caught in scams.