Working round the clock

YOU’VE struggled home after a pig of a journey and a stinker of a day at work and all you want to do is slump in a chair and switch off.
Hard to imagine that some people are just about to set off for a second helping. But as the cost of living keeps on going up, it becomes harder to make ends meet. Utility bills are soaring, council taxis rising and stealth taxes are eating up an ever-growing slice of the average household income.
So for many people, an extra job is the only way to pay the bills. A growing number of people are taking on a second – and sometimes even a third – job to boost their finances.
According to a new study, a quarter of all adults – nearly five million people – now have a second job or have had one. Of those who do a second job, 44% say it is the only way to cope with the rising cost of living. 10% say they are working extra hours to pay off debts while 5% are saving for a special event or holiday.
Nigel Snell, spokesman for Liverpool Victoria, the friendly society that carried out the research, says: ‘The number of people working beyond their day jobs is huge. The nation is criticised for mounting debt, but our research shows that people with financial difficulties are just as likely to take on a second job as they are to take out a personal loan or borrow money from friends or family.’

Which words would fit the words in bold in the passage above?

• in addition to
• additional
• rising
• portion
• collapse
• deal
• did
• dose
• afford everything
• relax

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