More College-Educated Woman Are Opting for a Career in "Dance"

Unemployment, rising debt and bills that need to be paid is pushing workers to their limits as they struggle to make ends meet. But if faced with empty pockets at the end of the day, how far are workers willing to go to climb out of their financial troubles?

The University of Leeds announced this week that a quarter of lap dancers had college degrees, while a third of dancers were working to pay their way through college. The researchers' numbers were similar to a report made by the Associated Press (AP) in April of 2009, which pointed out that many females were dancing to make ends meet.

"The tough job market is prompting a growing number of women across the country to dance in strip clubs, appear in adult movies or pose for magazines like Hustler," said the AP in its report.

Researchers at the University of Leeds followed up with their report, stating that dancers earned a pretty penny for their work and over 76 percent said they were happy with the job and did not feel exploited. The AP claims that women who dance at upscale clubs in NYC could make anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 a year.

The university study said that there was more to the dancing gig than cold, hard cash. Dancers said that the job is flexible, allowing many of them to work other jobs and attend college classes. The job also means a great way to stay in shape. Plus, many believe that the adult industry is recession-proof due to low overhead costs and high profit margins.

The study participants did list some downsides to lap dancing, including rude customers and having to keep their night gig a secret from family and friends.

Still, flexibility in schedule and immediate cash flow are attractive incentives for white collar workers to pay their bills during hard economic times.

Next: As the Economy Goes Down, Exotic Dancing Goes Up >>