Modelling the factors influencing moonlighting in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Factors associated on moonlighting in Sri Lanka have not been studied since 2012 although necessary data have been collected. This study, therefore, attempts to analyze the factors that influence moonlighting in Sri Lanka using data from a sample of 30415 persons taken from the Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey carried out by the Department of Census and Statistics in 2014. Analysis of 2-way frequency tables using chi squire statistics revealed that age, sex, household size, marital status, number of dependents, residential sector, level of education, occupation, hours working on the first job and income of the first job were significant in explaining moonlighting. All the above significant variables (p < 0.05) considered simultaneously under Binary Logistic Regression confirmed that significance of all the above variables, except level of education. It was shown that moonlighting keeps increasing with aging while males are more likely to do additional jobs. If a household has more number of dependents, there is a grate tendency to do moonlighting. It was further found that rural sector workers are mostly multiple jobholders compared to the urban sector. Once the occupational status is considered, white collar workers have a greater tendency to do multiple jobs. Though it is contradictory with the existing work norms (40 hours per week), people who works less than 40 hours had the greatest effect on moonlighting. The inferences derived in this study can be effectively used by policy planners for enhancement of people’s living standards.