• 33% of people in Wales are Miis (Multi-income individuals), equating to 852,695 adults 

• People in Wales make up 4% of the national Mii population of 20 million 

• Report reveals £30bn boost to UK economy thanks to extra earnings from Multi-income individuals (Miis)

• But 15% of Miis in Wales think there’s a stigma attached to having more than one income and one in five (20%) 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

On average, Miis earn an extra £780 per month through their secondary income stream. However, the report from UW and Cebr found that 20% of those in Wales  said they don’t talk about their additional income with family or friends, with a fifth (20%) believing they’ll 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 Welsh locals earning an additional source of income vary, but the cost of living crisis and rising household bills are the main factors, 37% and 36% respectively, while 18% cited the Covid-19 pandemic, 16% fear of a recession and 10% 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. In Wales, there are 4,175 UW Partners. 

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.”

Nicola Evans, a UW Partner based in Swansea, said: “My main motivation for finding a second income was to renovate my home - I didn’t want to let my kids have friends over before UW. And now I just love the choices it gives us. Even though the cost of everything has gone up, this gives us breathing space. I can fit the work around my family and it gave me the chance to build an income that gave us a beautiful home renovation - and now my children’s friends are over all the time to play! It supplements my main paycheque and allows me to plan for my future and live life on my own terms.”

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.