Side Work Surges as 22.7% of Hourly Workers Face Sudden Income Stops

Wage to Wallet™ Index: Side Work Patterns in the Labor Economy

Job security may be improving, but for millions of hourly workers, financial confidence is not. Side work is no longer a side story; it is becoming a core survival strategy in a labor market where essential income can disappear overnight. New data in the February 2026 “Wage to Wallet Index: Side Work Patterns in the Labor Economy,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence, WorkWhile and Ingo Payments, reveals a widening divide that companies can no longer afford to ignore.

Inside the February Index
  • Even as perceptions of job stability improve, many Labor Economy workers still feel financially strained as rising costs and uneven cash flows limit their sense of progress.
  • Nearly one in five hourly workers report  regular side work, often juggling multiple gigs. For many, that income is used to cover essentials, not build savings.
  • Labor Economy workers are significantly more likely to experience sudden income stops. Payment speed and reliability are emerging as critical tools for financial resilience.

Wage to Wallet™

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Wage to Wallet Index™: Measuring the Labor Economy’s Impact on U.S. Financial and Economic Health
Wage to Wallet™ Index: Measuring the Labor Economy’s Impact on U.S. Financial and Economic Health