The data below comes from intake surveys completed by workers and one-on-one interviews with them. Our questions focus on the economic issues affecting each worker at the time of the interview.
Our goal is to interview these workers twice a year for the foreseeable future. We’ll update the data as new interviews are conducted, taking the “pulse” of the economic realities workers and their families are experiencing across America.
Pulse of the Worker began conducting interviews in April 2026. The data below reflects all interviews conducted since then.
Who have we interviewed?
We have spoken with workers from small towns and big cities, workers with jobs indoors and outdoors, workers just beginning their careers and those about to retire, and workers with different political ideologies.
64worker interviews
15states
30Different Congressional Districts to date
What do these workers do?
Each wedge shows the jobs of the workers we have interviewed to date.
The wheel pauses when you hover over it.
Chart data
Response
Value
Information Technology Specialist
1
Carpenter
1
Chief of Staff of Org
1
Iron Worker
1
Bilingual Patient Advocate (Healthcare)
1
Bricklayer Apprentice
1
Iron Worker
1
High School Chemistry Teacher
1
Teacher
1
Crisis responder technician
1
Bricklayer
1
Associate Director of a Research Center
1
Client manager for health insurance
1
Certified Nursing Assistant
1
Mental health technician
1
Mason
1
Self employed
1
Union Organizer
1
Custom Service Rep
1
Retired Ironworker
1
Director of prospect management and research for a non-US university, working remotely, and I also have a side hustle
1
High School English Teacher
1
Carpenter
1
High school teacher
1
Clinical Specialist Medical technology
1
Household Manager
1
Supply chain Director
1
Union officer
1
Resource coordinator for nonprofit/lawyer
1
Cyber Special Education Facilitator
1
Local Union leader
1
Patient Service Coordinator
1
Firefighter dispatch
1
Patient Care Assistant
1
High School Special Education Teacher
1
Unemployed
1
Pre-K Teacher
1
Business owner of IT Recruitment Firm
1
Car Sales
1
Teacher
1
Interior Designer & Yoga Instructor
1
State Employee
1
Project Manager
1
Registrar
1
Union leader
1
State public health agency worker
1
Bricklayer
1
Self-employed (Health Insurance Industry)
1
Electrician
1
Insurance broker and E-commerce Retailer
1
Journeyman Lineman
1
Clerical Federal Government
1
Construction
1
Bricklayer
1
Retired
1
Preschool Teacher
1
Floral designer
1
Housekeeping
1
Accountant
1
Nanny & Personal Assistant
1
Iron worker
1
Tile Finisher
1
Retired Presbyterian minister
1
Librarian and a program director
1
The American Dream
A strong majority of the workers we have interviewed to date feel that achieving the American Dream, as they describe it, has gotten harder.
Harder to reach79%
Chart data
Response
Value
Harder to reach
79%
And when asked if they thought it was attainable for most workers to achieve the American Dream, 58% said they think it is not attainable for most workers.
Not attainable for most58%
Attainable for most25%
Not sure17%
Chart data
Response
Value
Not attainable for most
58%
Attainable for most
25%
Not sure
17%
Household tradeoffs
Of the workers we have interviewed so far, 46% said they had delayed or skipped at least one expense because of costs in the last 6 months.
Delayed at least one expense46%
Bill payment21%
Car repair22%
Doctor visit19%
Groceries19%
Chart data
Response
Value
Delayed at least one expense
46%
Bill payment
21%
Car repair
22%
Doctor visit
19%
Groceries
19%
Financial priorities
Asked to name their top three financial concerns, workers most often chose pay (59%), followed by weekly bills (48%), retirement savings (48%), buying a home (43%), and rent or mortgage (39%).
Pay59%
Weekly bills48%
Retirement savings48%
Buying a home43%
Rent or mortgage39%
Chart data
Response
Value
Pay
59%
Weekly bills
48%
Retirement savings
48%
Buying a home
43%
Rent or mortgage
39%
Worker priorities
When asked which economic problem they’d want the country’s most powerful politicians to solve, 44% chose the overall cost of living.
Overall cost of living44%
Chart data
Response
Value
Overall cost of living
44%
In a separate question about specific costs, 46% chose affordable healthcare, followed by affordable housing (39%), better pay (21%), and affordable childcare (18%).
Affordable healthcare46%
Affordable housing39%
Better pay21%
Affordable childcare18%
Chart data
Response
Value
Affordable healthcare
46%
Affordable housing
39%
Better pay
21%
Affordable childcare
18%
Retirement
About half of the workers expressed confidence that they will have enough to comfortably retire someday.
Confident49%
Low confidence32%
Neutral or unsure19%
Chart data
Response
Value
Confident
49%
Low confidence
32%
Neutral or unsure
19%
Cost of living
Only 50% of workers we spoke with are confident that their current job allows them to keep up with the cost of living.
50%
Confident
20%
Low confidence
30%
Neutral or unsure
Chart data
Response
Value
Confident
50%
Low confidence
20%
Neutral or unsure
30%
Institutions
66% of workers say the media do not spend enough time on workers’ economic issues, and 81% of those asked say they lack confidence that the government will take action to help workers.
Media coverage: not enough66%
Government: low confidence81%
Government: somewhat confident4%
Chart data
Response
Value
Media coverage: not enough
66%
Government: low confidence
81%
Government: somewhat confident
4%
AI at work
30% said their employer has asked them to use AI; 23% are somewhat concerned about losing their job to it, and another 19% have considered the possibility.
Employer has introduced AI30%
Expect employer may introduce it14%
Somewhat concerned23%
Not concerned56%
Chart data
Response
Value
Employer has introduced AI
30%
Expect employer may introduce it
14%
Somewhat concerned
23%
Not concerned
56%
Ideas
No political party has a majority when workers are asked which party has the best ideas to improve the lives of the working class.
39%Neither
Neither39%
Democrats38%
No opinion9%
Republicans14%
Chart data
Response
Value
Neither
39%
Democrats
38%
No opinion
9%
Republicans
14%
Political ideology
How these workers describe their political outlook.
36%Moderate
Moderate36%
Liberal28%
Unsure15%
Does not identify13%
Conservative8%
Chart data
Response
Value
Moderate
36%
Liberal
28%
Unsure
15%
Does not identify
13%
Conservative
8%
Household income levels
Household income ranges of the workers we have interviewed to date.
Chart data
Response
Value
$1–$30,000
13%
$30,001–$60,000
21%
$60,001–$100,000
24%
$101,000–$150,000
14%
$151,000 or higher
29%
Gender breakdown of the workers we have interviewed to date.
51%Men
49%Women
Chart data
Response
Value
Men
51%
Women
49%
Age
Age ranges of the workers we have interviewed to date.
Chart data
Response
Value
Under 18
0%
18–24
11%
25–34
17%
35–44
31%
45–54
30%
55–64
5%
65+
6%
Unknown / Declined
0%
WORKING-CLASS REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS
LESS THAN 1% of 2026 major-party nominees held a working-class job when they entered politics.