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Economists may say the recession is over, but many Pennsylvania workers are still feeling its effects. In fact, workers all across the nation are still recovering, and are working more than one job to do so. But doing so may increase the likelihood of a workplace injury.

Extra income is not the only reason people take multiple jobs, of course. Sometimes workers are looking to better their skills in a new industry before making the full transition to it. Whatever the reason, a full 5 percent of Americans have at least two jobs. These multiple job workers are 27 percent more likely to get injured than workers who only have one job.

Of course, there are logical reasons behind this increased risk. The first rather obvious reason is exhaustion. Multiple jobholders tend to work at night and get less sleep than other workers. This fatigue manifests physically and mentally and can lead to more mistakes. Another reason is that workers may not be trained as well in their second job, which can increase the chance of error.

The risk of workers’ injuries increased in younger workers. This is attributed to a lack of experience in combination with working odd hours. In addition, workers in their teenage years and early twenties are more likely to be distracted by school and other obligations.

While some workers in Philadelphia simply must work multiple jobs to make ends meet, this does not mean they do not have the same rights as everyone else. In the event of workplace injury, it is a good idea to speak with an attorney who may be able to help you through the workers’ compensation process.