Four out of ten hourly workers would consider living paycheck-to-paycheck an upgrade from their current financial situation. Yes, you read that correctly: nearly half of America’s hourly employees are so financially desperate that barely scraping by would actually improve their lives.
A new study of 2,000 American hourly workers reveals a shocking truth about the modern economy: millions of people working multiple jobs still can’t afford basic necessities. The survey, commissioned by DailyPay and conducted by Talker Research, included 1,000 Gen Z workers and 1,000 retail workers, exposing financial desperation that goes far beyond traditional struggles to make ends meet.
The numbers paint a devastating picture. Almost half of hourly workers (44%) overdrafted their bank accounts in the past month alone. More than a third (38%) have less than $1,000 in savings, while one in five (19%) took out loans just to cover basic expenses in the past year.
Multiple Jobs Still Aren’t Enough
Working harder clearly isn’t working. More than a third of hourly workers (34%) juggle multiple jobs just to survive, yet they’re still falling behind financially. The desperation has driven some to extreme measures that show just how broken the system has become.
One respondent shared, “I recently sold my shoes and my PS5 to create an extra source of income,” while another admitted, “I have gone dumpster diving looking for things to sell.” These aren’t isolated cases of poor financial planning—they’re survival strategies employed by people already working multiple jobs.
Between paychecks, workers face impossible choices. More than a third (38%) have canceled subscriptions to save money, while nearly one in three (31%) have gone entire stretches without buying anything at all while waiting for their next paycheck.
The financial stress creates a vicious cycle that affects every aspect of life. One person said, “My mental health is worse than it has ever been, and as a result, my physical health is also declining rapidly.” Another shared, “Financial struggles have affected not only my well-being but also the relationships around me. It’s difficult to maintain a social life when you don’t have any money.”
When Bills Become Impossible
The survey reveals that the financial crisis has become the norm rather than the exception. Nearly one in three hourly workers (32%) struggled to pay bills on time in the past year, while 29% received past-due notices from creditors.
Half of all hourly workers (50%) feel their financial situation is completely beyond their control. When working multiple jobs still leaves you unable to pay bills on time, that sense of helplessness becomes understandable.
Family and friends have become the primary safety net for struggling workers. One in four (28%) had to borrow money from relatives or friends just to cover basic expenses. When working adults need family bailouts to pay rent and buy groceries, it signals a fundamental breakdown in how our economy supports working people.
A Potential Solution: Getting Paid When You Work
Financial experts point to one promising solution: on-demand pay systems that let workers access their wages between traditional pay periods. Currently, half of hourly workers (50%) have limited access to their earned wages between paychecks, forcing them into the desperate situations described above.
“For workers living paycheck to paycheck, many of whom are hourly employees, being paid weekly or even daily is preferable to other types of pay,” explains Cary Carbonaro, a certified financial planner and author of “Women and Wealth.” “For many hourly workers, their top priority is simply meeting their short-term needs, like buying groceries and paying rent, which is where on-demand pay can help.”
The impact could be substantial. Among workers without access to on-demand pay, 78% believe it would improve their financial situation. Specifically, 40% say it would help them buy necessities when needed, 31% believe it would increase their overall financial security, and 30% think it would improve their quality of life.
Workers who already have access to earned wage systems report concrete benefits: 22% use it for groceries and toiletries, 20% to pay bills on time, and 15% say it reduces their financial stress.
The findings expose an unfortunate reality many Americans prefer to ignore: millions of hardworking people are drowning financially despite holding multiple jobs. When barely getting by becomes an aspiration rather than a baseline, we’ve entered crisis territory that demands immediate attention and creative solutions.