
The $1.7 Trillion Labor Economy Is Shifting
The Labor Economy Follows a Different Consumer Playbook
PYMNTS Intelligence surveyed 2,396 U.S. consumers to see how 60 million Labor Economy workers spend, shop and pay. The results reveal a market pulling back on non-essential purchases and choosing immediate value at checkout.
Inside the July Index
- Debit is the most-used payment method for 43% of Labor Economy consumers, while credit leads for 16%. One in five hasn’t used a credit card in the past year.
- Labor Economy households spend 28% less overall and 43% less on nonessential purchases.
- Forty-six percent spent less on nonessential items during the past year and 32% feel less able to make these purchases than they did a year ago.
Wage to Wallet™
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The Labor Day Ledger: Five Findings from America’s Hourly Workforce
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The Wage to Wallet™ Index: Paid Time, Unpaid Risk
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Wage to Wallet Index™ – The Schedule Shock: How Unstable Hours Turn Paychecks Into Guesswork
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Wage to Wallet™ Index – The Resilience Deficit: Labor Workers in an Automated Economy
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Wage to Wallet™ Index – Never Quite Enough: How 30 Million Workers Borrow from Tomorrow to Pay for Today
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Wage to Wallet™ Index: Side Work Patterns in the Labor Economy
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Wage to Wallet™ Index: The Divided Recovery: Labor Economy Workers Face an Uncertain 2026
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Wage to Wallet™ Index: Liquidity Stress Splits Higher Earners and the Labor Economy
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Wage to Wallet™ Index: Wage Volatility’s $14B Consumer Spending Gap
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Wage to Wallet Index™: Measuring the Labor Economy’s Impact on U.S. Financial and Economic Health
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Wage to Wallet™ Index: Measuring the Labor Economy’s Impact on U.S. Financial and Economic Health