A fifth (20 per cent) of U.S. employees say contributing to their savings account has been their biggest financial worry in the last 12 months, according to a new survey by career website Zety.com.
The survey, which polled 1,000 workers, found respondents have also been struggling with maintaining the same standard of living as they had in 2023 (17 per cent), paying bills on time (16 per cent), paying off credit card debt (15 per cent), providing for their families’ basic needs (14 per cent) and paying off their student loans (six per cent).
Indeed, more than two-fifths (42 per cent) described their financial situation as less stable today than last year, compared to 36 per cent who said there has been no change to their financial situation and 22 per cent who reported they’re more stable financially. A majority (85 per cent) said inflation impacts their spending habits and 48 per cent said they’re trying to spend less.
Six in 10 noted they’re trying to spend less because they’re worried about layoffs, while more than half (53 per cent) said they’re spending less due to concerns about the tight job market. Notably, more than two-thirds (68 per cent) said they’re changing their summer vacation plans this year to save money.
Nearly half (45 per cent) of respondents said they feel they’re underpaid, while 18 per cent noted they didn’t get a bonus in 2023, even though they were expecting one. A third (33 per cent) said the bonus they received was a little (18 per cent) or a lot (15 per cent) lower than expected.
Respondents cited salary range (26 per cent), health benefits/insurance (17 per cent), flexible working options (13 per cent) and details about job duties (13 per cent) as the most important information in a job posting outside of job summary and minimum education/work experience. Two-thirds (66 per cent) said they wish companies posted the salary ranges of all their employees.