UNITED STATES — According to the 2026 Financial Outlook Report from Resume Now, nearly half of American workers are pessimistic about their financial future.
The survey was conducted on 1,011 working Americans and revealed:
- 49% believe their wages will never keep pace with the cost of living.
- 32% say these rates won’t match for many years.
- 19% believe their wages will catch up to inflation.
This underscores the pressing issue of financial uncertainty among workers and calls for reassessing wages in light of the current economic environment. The growing anxiety is causing not only work-related stress but also hindering major life decisions.
What This Reveals About American Workers
Aside from the general outlook about weak compensation, the Financial Outlook Report also reveals interesting information about the workforce today:
- 48% put off major decisions due to financial pressures.
- 42% feel somewhat underpaid.
- 27% feel they’re paid much lower than what they should get.
- With a raise, the majority would use it to cover immediate expenses, such as:
- 37% would save it.
- 32% would use it for everyday expenses.
- 26% would pay debts.
This reflects the reality that most employees are financially strained and burdened by their future, and many are expecting things to get worse. These sentiments raise a crucial factor for employers to consider to improve their retention. With financial security and well-being significantly affecting morale and productivity, the pressure to adjust wages also increases.
