• 36% of people in Yorkshire and the Humber are Miis (Multi-income individuals), equating to 1,599,326 of adults  

• People in Yorkshire make up 8% of the national Mii population of 20 million

• Miis are helping to power UK growth and delivered a £30bn boost to the economy last year  thanks to extra earnings. But 12% of Miis in Yorkshire think there’s a stigma attached to having more than one income and 21% don’t want to talk it about with family or friends

• Utility Warehouse (UW) collaborated with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) on a major new report exploring the economic impact of Miis

21% of Miis in Yorkshire said they don’t talk about their additional income with family or friends, with 24% believing people will assume they are struggling with money.

Despite this, Miis are helping to power the UK economy and last year spent £55 billion of their extra income on UK businesses - supporting more than 364,000 jobs to deliver a £30 billion boost to the nation’s coffers.

Reasons for people from Yorkshire earning an additional source of income vary, but the cost of living crisis (37%) and rising household bills (37%) are the main factors, while 19% of people cited the Covid-19 pandemic, 17% fear of a recession and 9% Brexit. 

UW wants to increase people’s understanding of why people become a Mii and help break down the barriers that prevent more people from earning an extra income. It has 60,000 Partners in all corners of the country and its word-of-mouth opportunity has enabled tens of thousands of people over the last 25 years to earn an extra income around their main job or other commitments.

Andrew Lindsay, Co-CEO of Utility Warehouse, said: “Millions of people across the UK are turning to side-hustles or second jobs to make ends meet in the current cost of living crisis. We think these people - Miis - deserve greater recognition. They contribute billions of pounds to the economy through their extra work, but despite this, there’s a stigma attached to having more than one income and people don't want to talk about it - even with family or friends. We want to challenge these preconceptions so people with multiple incomes can continue to help power growth and opportunity across the UK.”

Merry Hardcastle, a UW Partner based in Brighouse, said: “I work part time and recently moved house. The cost of everything was going up and I needed a second income to keep my head above the water. UW is perfect as it gives me more money to do things with my kids, such as days out and weekends away and it allows us to slowly modernise our home, which is proving to be quite expensive. I also just love helping people and my work with UW allows me to help people save and earn money, while giving me the chance to earn a second income.” 

Owen Good, Head of Economic Advisory, Cebr, said: “To our knowledge, this is the first and most detailed report of its kind, and provides significant insight into people who earn an extra income. Our research demonstrates the breadth and scale of these individuals across the UK, along with the associated economic contribution of this group. Over 20 million people across the UK have a secondary income and this figure is set to grow even further in the coming years. This provides a very significant boost for UK businesses, supporting jobs and increasing economic activity as Miis spend their additional income.”

The report is based on a detailed survey of 10,000 people who earn a second income from a wide range of sources from Airbnb hosts and bartenders to Ebay sellers and film extras, as well as UW Partners.