Between Paychecks and Plates: Branch Survey Shows Hourly Workers Struggling to Cover Basics

Many hourly workers say they’re one shock away from crisis

Branch’s new report paints a bleak picture: more than four in five hourly workers say they worry about paying their bills, and a large share report cutting back on essentials to get by. The company’s headline findings describe a workforce that often chooses between food, rent and utility payments, with a sizable minority turning to on-the-spot cash advances to bridge gaps.

The survey, released by Branch in mid-December, highlights widespread financial juggling. Branch’s press release emphasizes that struggles are common across industries that rely on hourly labor — from restaurants and retail to healthcare support and logistics — and says the stress is already reshaping how people buy day-to-day goods and when they show up to work.

Who answered this survey and how it was done

Branch says the findings come from a company-commissioned national survey of U.S. hourly workers. According to the report, the poll was carried out in the fall and surveyed a multi-industry mix of people who earn wages by the hour. The release reports a sizable sample and gives breakdowns by sector, wage band and age, and it frames the results as representative of today’s hourly labor force.

That said, the data comes from a company news release. Branch provides products and services that touch hourly pay and on-demand wages, so the survey both highlights a social problem and underscores the market for the company’s tools. The numbers reflect workers’ answers at a particular time; they show how people say they cope, rather than independent measurements of bank balances or arrears.

Daily life for many hourly workers: hungry, juggling bills and borrowing

The report’s most vivid details are about what people sacrifice. Branch finds many workers skip meals, delay paying bills, or miss parts of their rent or utilities when money gets tight. A common pattern is short-term fixes: relying on early wage access, taking cash advances, using high-cost credit options, or leaning on friends and family.

Those responses are small acts with big consequences. Skipping food or essentials is one sign of acute stress; taking repeated payroll advances can become a steady cost that shrinks the next paycheck. The survey includes short, anonymized anecdotes: one respondent said they “skip breakfast three days a week” to make groceries last, while another described taking cash advances to cover a surprise car repair so they could keep commuting to work.

Beyond immediate coping, the report suggests a knock-on effect on wellbeing and work: fatigue and stress from unpaid bills feed into attendance problems and lower productivity, which in turn can put fragile paychecks at further risk.

What this means for stores, restaurants and services

These pressures matter for businesses that sell everyday goods and services. When workers cut back on meals, leisure or discretionary purchases, restaurants and retail chains feel it in smaller baskets and fewer impulse buys. If many employees are preoccupied with making ends meet, employers can face higher turnover and uneven staffing — a costly reality for firms that already run tight labor schedules.

Put simply: workers who are financially stretched spend less and are harder to schedule reliably. That double hit can slow sales growth for places that depend on regular foot traffic and steady consumer demand, even when the overall economy looks stable.

How employers and fintechs are stepping in — and where Branch fits

Employers and fintech companies have been experimenting with ways to reduce the strain. The most common tool is earned-wage access: letting workers withdraw part of the pay they’ve already earned before the formal payday. Branch positions itself as a provider of those services, alongside payroll cards, budgeting tools and quick advances tied to payroll.

Other responses include employer-funded emergency loans, more predictable scheduling, and small salary top-ups. On the fintech side, competition is growing: several startups and payroll providers offer instant or early-pay features, and some banks and credit unions are testing similar products. Regulators are watching too, since quick advances can look a lot like short-term credit if fees or repayment terms are burdensome.

Policy context and what to watch next

Branch’s findings arrive against a backdrop of ongoing debates about minimum wage, inflation and public supports. If sizable shares of the workforce remain one emergency from falling behind, expect renewed pressure on policymakers to consider wage floors, targeted aid or rules around payroll advance products.

Reporters covering this beat should watch for follow-up data on actual spending and arrears, employer pilot programs on pay predictability, and any regulatory guidance about earned-wage products. Those developments will show whether the coping strategies the survey documents are temporary fixes or signal deeper gaps in how today’s economy supports hourly workers.

Photo: Karola G / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com