That is so common in rural areas where we have lived, and we usually have two and sometimes three jobs because we are cobbling together. There are no "good" jobs with benefits readily available for us, for a variety of reasons, including disability and age. I have heard that Maine, where my son lives, is like Vermont that way, Catherine. Upstate NY was like that when we lived in the country there.
One reason I have two jobs now is that the same job I did when I was pregnant with my son, 38 years ago, paid 1900 then (adjunction a semester class at the the community college) and pays 1500 now (adjuncting at the community college.) So teaching at the college level, in real dollars, has been a disaster for just about everyone I know--add to that that now over half of all college courses are taught by non-tenured faculty and most often, adjuncts. Adjuncts usually cannot get health insurance through the job--I have never been able to, and have been teaching since 1979.
The lovely tenure track jobs that people tend to asociate with being a college professor--gone. According to insider.ed: "Between 2003 and 2013, the study finds, the share of faculty members who were off the tenure track increased from:
- 45 to 62 percent at public bachelor’s degree-granting institutions.
- 52 to 60 percent at private bachelor’s-granting colleges.
- 44 to 50 percent at public research universities.
- 80 to 83 percent at community colleges."
Anyway, I used to do retail with a PhD, along with teaching college, or as my ex husband used to mock me to the kids--"a PHD who folds towels for a living."
Folding towels paid health insurance, adjuncting does not. It bought groceries, braces and glasses for my kids, and gas for the car. Folding towels paid an $89,000 medical bill for me one year. A medical bill that had nothing to do with exercise or lifestyle and everything to do with genetics.
My husband has two jobs because he can't make it on 38,000 a year, which is what a full time college professor makes.
We have four jobs between us now and we are in our mid 60's.
Believe me, it was not what we expected when we were in our 20's-- or our 30's or 40's.
The world has changed for working people.
ETA: I am very grateful for both my jobs, and I am grateful to have the chance to work at my age. I am REALLY grateful my retail job paid out over $150,000 in hospital bills over the 5 years I worked there, and those were 20 years ago.
I actually really like working, and like my two jobs. And it was always very satisfying to be able to provide for my kids.