Many taking holiday second jobs

BOSTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Some U.S. adults are working 15-hour days by working two jobs to keep up with credit debt, stagnant wages, higher energy prices and rising interest rates.

"A large number of these people are college-educated, middle income and above," said Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. "They are looking to recoup their standard of living."

While many are trying just to make ends meet, 27-year-old LaDawna McLeish -- who makes more than $75,000 annually as a software engineer -- took a second job to pay for her dream wedding, while still making her $2,000 monthly mortgage payments, the Boston Globe reported Sunday.

Over the past three years, 9 million to 12.2 million people have taken second jobs during the holiday season, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.