The Hidden Driver of Consumer Spending Isn’t Income. It’s Mobility

Job security has long been treated as the cornerstone of financial stability, yet new data suggest that security without mobility can narrow economic choices rather than expand them.

The “Wage to Wallet Index” from PYMNTS Intelligence, WorkWhile and Ingo Payments finds that workers’ perceptions of job mobility increasingly shape how they spend, save and manage risk, often more decisively than wage levels alone.

The report distinguishes between Non-Labor Economy workers, who are largely salaried, and Labor Economy workers, who are primarily hourly. The contrast between the two groups reveals how confidence in future opportunity affects present-day behavior.

Mobility Expectations and the Promise of Better Pay

Job mobility carries an implicit promise: the ability to move roles, raise earnings and improve working conditions.

Non-Labor Economy workers largely operate within that assumption. Roughly 2 in 5 report that their personal financial situation is better than the national economy, reflecting confidence not only in current income but also in future options.

Hourly workers experience a different reality. While many report feeling secure in their current roles, fewer than half express confidence in finding new work if needed. That imbalance limits leverage, even in a relatively strong labor market. The report characterizes this as a lock-in dynamic that suppresses optimism without triggering outright job loss.

The ‘Safe but Stuck’ Mentality

This “safe but stuck” mindset is central to how spending decisions change under constrained mobility. Labor Economy workers report high job security sentiment scores alongside sharply lower job mobility scores, effectively anchoring them to existing roles. Security, in this context, does not translate into confidence.

That psychological constraint reshapes financial priorities. The report shows that this behavior emerges even without a recession or mass layoffs, underscoring that perceived opportunity can matter as much as macroeconomic conditions.

Pullbacks in Spending and Risk-Taking

The financial impact of limited mobility is visible in spending patterns. Workers who feel locked in focus on keeping housing, transportation and daily routines intact, while pulling back on discretionary categories and future-oriented commitments. Medical bills, subscriptions and credit obligations often become pressure points, delayed to protect immediate stability.

Who Bears the Heaviest Burden

The data show that the burden of constrained mobility falls unevenly. About 40% of hourly workers say they are worse off than the national economy, compared with just over 22% of salaried workers. Nearly half of Labor Economy workers report missing or delaying bill payments specifically because paychecks have not yet cleared, reinforcing how timing and mobility intersect. Younger workers and those in service, logistics and care roles are disproportionately represented in this group, amplifying the long-term effects of delayed advancement and recurring liquidity strain.

Turning Lock-In Into Upward Movement

The report points to a constructive path forward. The lock-in dynamic suggests that improving financial outcomes is not only about raising pay, but about restoring credible pathways to progress. Faster access to earned wages can reduce timing-based penalties, but mobility gains require more than speed alone.

Employers, platforms and financial institutions can collaborate on benefits that pair faster pay with predictable scheduling, skills development and credentialing support. By aligning liquidity tools with mobility infrastructure, providers can help convert job security from a holding pattern into a platform for advancement, easing spending pressures while rebuilding confidence in future opportunity.

At PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you’ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.

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