Summary:

– Branch survey shows 6 in 10 workers skipped meals in past year.

– Small-loan use rises as costs outpace wages and rent climbs.

– One in four hourly workers juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet.

The Federal Reserve ‘s quarter-point cut to its benchmark interest rate Wednesday should make it slightly cheaper to borrow money for a new car or business expansion, but it doesn’t provide relief to the millions of U.S. workers struggling to stay financially afloat.

A 2025 survey of more than 2,300 hourly workers conducted by the workforce payments platform Branch reveals that many workers are facing difficult financial decisions. Six in 10 have skipped meals in the past year, and nearly half have delayed payments on essential expenses including utilities, rent and medica

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