Reallocating Labor from Within: Worker Preferences for Dual-Job Arrangements

This paper studies workers’ preferences for dual-job arrangements in which workers reduce hours in primary employment to take up a secondary job in a different occupation to increase task variety and job satisfaction. Using a discrete choice experiment embedded in a survey of 5,238 full-time, prime-age workers in permanent jobs in Germany, we ask respondents to compare their current job to a hypothetical dual-job arrangement that varies in earnings, contractual security, job-search support, and training requirements. We find that nearly half of respondents choose a dual-job arrangement in at least one out of five choice tasks presented to them. Earnings changes have large effects on acceptance, and contractual risk is a central non-wage determinant: guaranteed return options substantially increase participation and command high willingness-to-pay. Overall, the results indicate that a considerable share of workers is willing to reallocate working time across jobs primarily when income stability and employment security are preserved.