More people are getting part time jobs and going after side gigs than in previous years, and while that shows concern about the state of the U.S. economy, it also shows fiscal responsibility on the part of many Americans.

Among the biggest concerns showing up in polls during the election season that just ended were personal finances and the economy, and one University of Houston professor says people are increasingly aware that the world seems more uncertain today than in the past.

With consumer debt skyrocketing and prices rising because of inflation, consumers are faced with the choice of racking up more debt or financing the holiday spending with part time seasonal work.

Professor Steven Craig told Newsradio 740 KTRH, "The world is unsettled and so one way to cope with that is just to have something in the bank, so would you rather extend yourself by working some extra or would you rather take on debt and pay it off over the year?"

During the election, many were told that the Biden-Harris economy was great, but the election process showed that many didn't believe that was true.

"People have been talking about how great the economy is but in the political season that we just went through, one of the things that the government's not thinking about very much in general is that on average people are a lot more nervous than they used to be, that things are unsettled," Professor Craig said.

But the bright side is that, besides the responsibility shown by people who'd rather take on a second job temporarily than put the holidays on credit cards, the fact that retailers are hiring lots of people for temporary holiday work is a positive sign for the economy and a sign of the strength of the consumer during this important time of year for sales.

And what kind of jobs do Texans like to have during the Christmas-New Year holidays? According to resume.io, they like dressing up as Santa Claus and as elves.

That's as opposed to Arizona, where the favorite holiday job is helping out at a Christmas tree farm, or Kentucky, where the top job is wrapping gifts.

Houston's Morning News with Jimmy Barrett