The number of people looking to the hospitality sector for a second job is on the increase, hospitality recruiters have claimed.

Mark Darby, managing director at hospitality recruiter Berkeley Scott, says he has witnessed an exponential rise in candidate applications with people looking to work for events companies and hotels to top up on their income.

Darby says: “People are turning to the hospitality and leisure industry because they perceive it as a marketplace where skills can be learned quickly and where core working hours are outside of those of their normal ‘day job’.”

Emma Lumsden, director at the Espirit Group, told Recruiter: “It is right across the board. There is a huge amount of pressure. Most of our work is in the evening. We have always had a huge amount of second jobbers.

“It gives them additional income but it takes them out of the monotony. They are learning a new skill. They are earning some money at the same time. They are meeting new people and are working with exceptional clients.”