Half of Americans Are Worried About This Threat to Their Paychecks
Half of Americans Are Worried About This Threat to Their Paychecks: 4 Things You Can Do
Marc Guberti Mon, December 1, 2025 GOBankingRates
One of the biggest fears Americans have is getting laid off. This “layoff anxiety” trend affects one-third of Americans, according to Clarify Capital. Anxiety is higher among remote workers, with 40% of them worrying about losing their jobs compared to 20% of in-office workers.
It has gotten to the point where 69% of Americans would be happy to stay in the same job and avoid career growth if it led to more job security. The PNC 2025 Financial Wellness in the Workplace Report found that 67% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, so there isn’t much financial wiggle room in the event of a layoff.
Although many people dread getting laid off, it’s a scenario that you should prepare for in case it happens. These are some of the ways you can prepare for that scenario, minimize its impact on your finances and rebound quickly.
Create an Emergency Savings Account
Developing good financial discipline is critical for reducing your career stress and feeling more confident about challenges that come your way. Having more money in the bank can give you peace of mind and more time to get back on your feet if you get laid off.
Putting money into an emergency savings account each month is a great starting point. Ideally, this fund should cover six to 12 months of your living expenses. Accelerating your emergency savings account’s growth will require cutting your expenses.
While you don’t want to get rid of necessary expenses, you may find opportunities to trim costs if you have never created a budget. Unused subscriptions and impulsive purchases are good places to start if you want to reduce costs without downgrading your lifestyle.
Develop New Skills
The more skills you develop, the more desirable you are in the marketplace. Working on high-income skills like mastering AI tools each weekend can introduce you to more job opportunities. Then, as you apply for jobs, you will feel more in control, since you won’t feel like all of your income depends on one employer.
TO READ MORE: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/half-americans-worried-threat-paychecks-155505788.html