She works three jobs, has an adult son who she financially supports and is among thousands of people in the city who work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

In the Dubbo local government area 5106 people (18.8 per cent of all employed people) work more than one job. This is almost double the state average.

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The numbers are similar in nearby council areas with 17.9 per cent of people working multiple jobs in Narromine and 19.6 per cent of people in Bogan.

By comparison, in Bathurst 17.3 per cent of people hold more than one job, while it's 18.2 per cent in Orange.

Dawn, who asked for her surname not to be used, works three jobs and said she feels continually stressed trying to make ends meet.

"It just keeps my head above water," she said.

Two of her jobs are at one of Dubbo's tourist attractions where she works in guest services, her third job is teaching first aid.

"I'm supporting myself and I'm supporting my adult son, who is not living with me, but he has had some significant health issues," she said.

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"By the time you pay all your bills and your rent you don't have much left over, you're really struggling then.

"You've only got to have one unexpected emergency, one hiccup, and you're gone. It's very stressful."

Dawn had a different, higher-paying career 15 years ago, but was medically retired and since then she has struggled.

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"When you drop a significant amount of money it really puts you behind the eight-ball," she said.

"When you're stressed you end up with medical issues and that further complicates things."

Dawn said age discrimination may be illegal in NSW, but she believes it still happens.

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"I'm almost at retirement age and for the last five to eight years I've been unable to get a different job," she said. Even though they [employers] aren't allowed to discriminate, they do."

Dawn said juggling three jobs is difficult and while she priorities her full-time job she always tries to take on as much work as she can from her two casual positions.

"My priority has to be for the full time job, but with the others I go off who may have booked me first," she said.