Half of All Workers Say Bridging Today’s Gap Broke Next Week’s Budget

Wage to Wallet™ Index - Never Quite Enough: How 30 Million Workers Borrow from Tomorrow to Pay for Today

PYMNTS Intelligence surveyed more than 2,100 U.S. workers and found a financial system running on borrowed time. For millions of Labor Economy workers, solving today’s cash crisis quietly plants the seed of next week’s stress. Then the cycle resets again.

Read more in the March 2026 Wage to Wallet™ Index, “Never Quite Enough: How 30 Million Workers Borrow from Tomorrow to Pay for Today,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence, WorkWhile and Ingo Payments.

Inside the March Index

Shortfalls are the norm, not the exception. More than half of Labor Economy workers needed money before it was available in the last 90 days. One in six faced that situation four or more times in a single quarter.
Labor workers and salaried professionals don’t have the same toolkits. Higher earners reach for credit cards; Labor workers borrow from family, sell possessions or work extra shifts. Nearly one in 10 had no option at all.
Most fixes make the next paycheck harder. Nearly half of all workers say the method they used to cover a shortfall created new financial strain in the following pay cycle.