The Wage Crisis of 2025: 73% of Workers Struggle Beyond Basic Living Expenses

Resume Now’s Wage Reality Report reveals widespread financial insecurity

January 23, 2025 – A new survey from Resume Now® reveals that financial stress is at a breaking point for American workers, with 73% struggling to afford anything beyond basic living expenses. The findings, highlighted in The 2025 Wage Reality Report, show dissatisfaction with salaries, surging living costs, and an impact on workplace morale. The report surveyed 1,065 U.S. workers in December 2024 and underscores a growing disconnect between wages and the cost of modern living.

Key Findings:

• 12% often cannot afford basic living expenses, and 24% struggle to cover essentials
• Only 6% are able to save for the future
• One-third of workers say their salary has not kept up with inflation
• 55% think their salary is lower than it should be 
• 29% have moved to lower-cost areas or housing to navigate financial strain
• 3 in 10 have taken on debt to cover living expenses
• Only 4% of workers feel truly valued in their role

"With nearly three-quarters of workers struggling to afford more than the basics, this report highlights a growing financial crisis that affects workers across all income levels," says Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now. "Rising costs, stagnant wages, and a lack of meaningful support from employers are creating a perfect storm of stress, dissatisfaction, and instability in the workforce."

Basic Living Expenses Remain a Struggle for Many

Meeting basic living expenses remains a significant challenge for many workers. 

• 12% report they often cannot afford basic living expenses.
• 24% can afford essentials but struggle to do so.
• 37% can manage basic expenses but with limited room for extras.
• 21% can comfortably afford basic living essentials and some extras.
• 6% say they can easily afford basic living expenses and save for the future. 

Why Workers are Struggling
 

The top financial concerns among workers are:

1. Rising housing costs (55%)
2. Increasing prices for everyday essentials (41%)
3. Salaries failing to keep up with inflation (34%)
4. The inability to save for emergencies or the future (33%)

Coping With Financial Stress

To navigate this financial strain, many workers are forced to make tough decisions:

• 44% sought financial help from friends or family.
• 38% relied on community or government aid.
• 35% reduced or eliminated savings.
• 29% moved to lower-cost areas or housing.
• 28% took on debt to cover living expenses.

Lower-income workers are more likely to seek outside help (53%) or take on debt (42%).

Workplace Impacts: Morale, Motivation, and Resentment

Salary dissatisfaction is eroding workplace dynamics. Fifty-five percent of workers say their salary is lower than it should be, with subsequent results:

• 22% feel unappreciated, which affects team morale.
• 21% report tension or competition with colleagues.
• Only 4% feel truly valued in their roles.

How Workers Feel About Their Paychecks

Workers have mixed feelings about salary fairness:

• 55% think their salary is lower than it should be.
• 23% feel their salary is fair.
• 22% feel their salary is higher than warranted.

What Workers Want From Employers

Workers are asking for meaningful changes—better benefits, transparency in pay, and opportunities for skill development:

• 52% want better benefits like healthcare and retirement matching.
• 40% demand clear pathways to career growth and salary increases.
• 34% seek education and certifications to improve earning potential.

To view the full report with more information, please visit https://www.resume-now.com/job-resources/careers/wage-reality-report or contact Joseph Santaella at joseph.santaella@bold.com. 

Methodology:

The findings provided were gathered through a survey conducted with 1,065 American workers on December 11, 2024. Participants were queried about their feelings around their salaries and their current financial situation. Participants responded to various question types, including yes/no questions, open-ended questions, scale-based questions gauging agreement levels, and questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of answers.

About Resume Now 

Since 2005, Resume Now has offered job seekers a fast and easy way to create a beautifully designed, expert-backed resume. With pre-written, industry-specific phrases and recruiter-approved templates, the award-winning builder enables users to create a polished and professional resume in minutes. Resume Now has been featured in major outlets such as Fortune, Forbes, and more. Stay connected with Resume Now’s latest updates on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Get ready to pucker up! I am thrilled to announce the launch of Legions TWO brand new, mouth-watering Creatine Gummy flavors: Sour Watermelon and Sour Blue Raspberry! 🎉

These new sour flavors are packed with the same great creatine you expect, now with a tangy twist that's perfect for a pre- or post-workout treat.

• Effective: Delivering 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per serving, supported by 19 peer-reviewed scientific studies showing it boosts muscle and strength gain, improves muscular endurance, reduces muscle damage and soreness, and more.
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Hundreds of Studies Show Efficacy of One Particular Brain Fitness Program

San Francisco, January 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New data from papers published in science and medical journals in 2024 shows tremendous growth in the evidence of efficacy of one particular brain fitness product: BrainHQ from Posit Science.  The widely used web, Android, and iOS app was the subject of another 55 published journal articles in 2024. 

There are now some 300 published peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of BrainHQ, including 96 studies in healthy older adults, 4 studies in workplace performance, and 200 studies across a wide range of health conditions — including brain injuries (stroke, mild to severe traumatic brain injuries, chemobrain, cardiobrain, HIV Associated Neurological Decline, diabetes, movement disorders, autism, ADHD, and substance use, sleep, and conduct disorders); mental illnesses (depression, schizophrenia, bipolar); and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s dementia, pre-dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis).

BrainHQ is an outlier in the field. According to a comprehensive systematic review of commercially-available brain training and brain games targeting older adults, the lion’s share of such offerings have zero peer-reviewed studies showing efficacy.

“We work with a global network of more than 500 university-based researchers,” observed Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science. “They have helped us design, test, refine, and validate our offerings. Thousands of hours of work go into a typical study, and those researchers are the real heroes in advancing our knowledge of the mechanics of brain plasticity and how we can harness it to drive gains in three critical areas: cognitive performance, everyday activities, and the health of the brain as an organ.”

For example, studies in prior years have shown the link between the exercises driving gains in cognitive performance and everyday activity and causing physical changes in the brain (e.g., the speed, accuracy, and strength of neural responses, the integrity of the insulation that surrounds neural connections, the functional connectivity between disparate regions of the brain, and hippocampal volume).  The 2024 BETTER Aging study nicely expanded on those results through imaging, by showing not just gains in cognitive performance but also better maintenance of brain biomarkers of age-related atrophy. 

Similarly, the J-MINT PRIME Tamba study from Japan (using a Japanese version of BrainHQ exercises) expanded on prior studies by showing the training can drive significant gains in cognition even among those at elevated risk of dementia (in this study, due to hypertension and/or diabetes). The study compared three different types of lifestyle interventions (diet, physical exercise, and brain exercise) against a control and found a 41% gain in a standard measure of global cognition in the brain exercise group using BrainHQ.

A study from Brazil in healthy older adults (using the Portuguese version of BrainHQ exercises), also showed significant gains in global cognition after 20 hours of training, which gains still persisted at the five-month follow-up.

A trio of studies of BrainHQ cognitive assessments were published in 2024. Two looked at the widely used BrainHQ UFOV® assessment, which measures speed of processing and useful field of view. A study from China used the UFOV assessment to evaluate brains of ping pong players and found an association between UFOV performance and brain health as measured through brain imaging. A study among patients with HIV Associated Neurological Decline found greater amounts of BrainHQ training showed greater gains in UFOV scores, even two years after training.  In addition, a study on the norming and validation of dozens of new 3-minute remote BrainHQ assessments has cleared the path for using those assessments in a variety of contexts to establish baselines and ongoing monitoring of cognitive status — much as people are able to do at home with blood pressure or glucose levels.

Other studies in 2024 deepened understanding of the impacts of BrainHQ training across some previously studied health conditions, including: stroke, TBI, Chemobrain, HAND, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, pre-dementia, and cognitive aging. 

Prior to 2024, many studies had been published in various types of pre-dementia and dementia (e.g., MCI, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s); however, 2024 saw the first BrainHQ case study in frontotemporal dementia published.

Also in 2024, there were more studies looking at the combined impact of BrainHQ and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which is also believed to enhance brain plasticity. Such trials had mixed results with some showing greater gains for combined intervention, but others showing no better results than using BrainHQ alone.

Among the 15 review articles citing BrainHQ in 2024 was one from a research team at the University of Hong Kong. That review cited thirty-five studies in dementia and pre-dementia, showing training improved memory. These findings align with the 2024 World Health Organization guidelines recommending cognitive training in dementia.

Benefits have been shown in hundreds of studies of BrainHQ, including significant gains in standard measures of cognition (attention, processing speed, memory, and decision making), in standard measures of quality of life (depressive symptoms, confidence and control, safety, health-related quality of life) and in real-world measures (health outcomes, balance, driving, hearing, and work). BrainHQ is now offered, without charge, as a benefit by leading national and 5-star Medicare Advantage plans and by leading medical centers, clinics, and communities. Consumers can try a BrainHQ exercise for free daily at http://www.brainhq.com. 

Big News: I’m Officially Partnering with Legion Supplements!

I’m beyond excited to announce that I now have a special code with Legion Supplements, one of the top supplement brands in the fitness industry!

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Why I’m Excited to Partner with Legion

As a fitness coach, kinesiologist, and IFBB Pro, I’ve always been passionate about fueling my body with the best. Legion aligns perfectly with my mission to help others achieve their goals in a healthy and sustainable way. Whether you're aiming to build muscle, improve performance, or boost recovery, their supplements provide the support you need.

What This Means for You

You can now use my exclusive code to save on all your Legion purchases! Keep an eye on my page for recommendations, tips, and reviews of my favorite products from their lineup.

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I was contacted by theFounder of FeedSpot who personally congratulated me @trainitright that I was selected by their panelist as one of the Top 35 Toronto Fitness Influencers on the web.

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According to her this is the most comprehensive list of Top 35 Toronto Fitness Influencers on the internet and I'm honored to be part of this!

Thank you so much guys! I can't wait to see what 2025 will bring!

Emerging focus on brain health among several Rice researchers’ expertise 

HOUSTON – (Jan. 15, 2025) – Brain health is a key factor in workforce well-being and organizational success and carries a deep-seated impact on economic development. In growing recognition of the role of the human brain as foundational to economies around the globe — both in terms of the costs associated with brain disease and as individual and collective brain capital — the notion of “brain economy” has emerged as a topic of interest for organizations such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Assembly, G7, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, UNESCO, UNICEF, the European Commission and the UN Council of Parties.

Rice University is a hub of cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research on the brain. In addition to a critical mass of researchers in the field, Rice is home to entities dedicated to collaborative clinical and scientific research on the brain:

● The Rice Neuroengineering Initiative harnesses Rice’s world-class expertise in neuroscience, engineering and related fields like signal processing, biosciences and nanotechnology to explore neural function and interactions with the brain.

● The Center for Neural Systems Restauration (CNSR), a collaboration between Rice and Houston Methodist, is an interdisciplinary center for neuroscience research and medical treatment innovation designed to bring together scientists, clinicians, engineers and surgeons to tackle complex brain-related medical challenges like stroke recovery, mild traumatic brain injury detection, upper and lower limb mobility restoration, balance and biofeedback training.

● The Neuro-Policy Program at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy leads an interdisciplinary approach to addressing brain health challenges and advancing economic opportunity. The program is at the forefront of pioneering data analysis, empirical research and policy application.

As employers, policymakers, health care providers, educators and other stakeholders continue to engage this topic, Rice experts are ready to offer their insight on scientific and biomedical advancements relevant to brain health.

Policy, leadership and the brain economy

● Harris Eyre is the Harry Z. Yan and Weiman Gao Senior Fellow in Brain Health at the Baker Institute, where he leads its Neuro-Policy Program. With a background in medicine, neuroscience and business, Eyre is an entrepreneur and scholar dedicated to fostering awareness, knowledge, skills, tools and leadership for the brain economy. He works closely with the McKinsey Health Institute and is a member of the Champion’s Cabinet of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative and the Cancer Neuroscience Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also is an adjunct with the University of California, San Francisco.

Brain science and technology

● Behnaam Aazhang is the J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Neuroengineering Initiative. Aazhang’s research interests are focused on developing noninvasive tools to interface with neurological systems that examine neuronal circuit connectivity through the study of processes such as learning, sleep, seizures and more. His work includes projects dedicated to the development of minimally and noninvasive real-time neuromodulation systems to mitigate disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, depression, obesity and mild traumatic brain injury.

● Valentin Dragoi’s work examines how networks of cortical neurons encode information and how this process influences behavioral decisions in real time using a combination of electrophysiological, behavioral and computational methods. Dragoi is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice, the Rosemary and Daniel J. Harrison III Presidential Distinguished Chair in Neuroprosthetics at Houston Methodist and professor of neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College. He also serves as scientific director of the CNSR.

● Caleb Kemere, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering at Rice, develops novel hardware and machine learning algorithms to understand how information is processed, stored and retrieved in vivo in the mammalian brain. In particular, a key area of Kemere’s focus is to understand how the activity of neural circuits during sleep and other offline periods helps to create stable, useful memories.

● Marcia O’Malley, Rice’s Thomas Michael Panos Family Professor in Mechanical Engineering, researches haptics and robotics with a focus on the design and control of wearable robotic devices for training and rehabilitation from injury such as a stroke. Forging new ways to leverage human-robot collaboration, O’Malley has led the development of robotic hardware and control systems for applications such as skill training in virtual reality; control of remote robots; communication; and movement assistance for workforce safety, dexterity and strength enhancement.

● Jacob Robinson is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering at Rice and founder and CEO of Motif Neurotech, a startup focused on developing therapeutic brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies to measure and regulate mental and cognitive states beginning with treatment-resistant depression. Robinson’s research efforts inform the development of next-generation implantable BCIs with improved performance and reduced surgical risk.

● Jerzy Szablowski, assistant professor of bioengineering, works on technologies to noninvasively control and monitor specific brain circuits without wearable or implanted devices. His technologies include synthetic serum markers that can monitor gene expression in the brain with a simple blood test, designer vectors for noninvasive gene delivery to the brain and site-specific therapeutics that can control selected brain circuits to avoid side effects associated with current brain therapies.

Brain health in the workplace

● Margaret Beier, professor and department chair of psychological sciences, examines how motivational and situational components and traits such as cognitive ability and personality are related to intellectual development throughout the lifespan with a current focus on workplace aging and continuous employment. Beier also studies predictors of performance in achievement settings and achievement-related choices throughout the career lifespan.

● Rebecca Brossoit is an assistant professor of psychological sciences whose research examines the health, safety and well-being of working populations. Brossoit studies employee sleep, organizational strategies and interventions for improving employees’ lives at work and home and the impacts of the built and natural environment on employee well-being.

Creativity, innovation and organizational behavior

● Jing Zhou is deputy dean of academic affairs for the Jones Graduate School of Business and the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management and Psychology. Her research interests are leading innovation; contextual and personal factors that facilitate or inhibit creativity and innovation; creativity receiving; consequences of creativity; cross-cultural differences in antecedents and consequences of creativity; and creativity in entrepreneurship.

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LiveCareer Survey Finds 77% of Workers Take on Extra Duties Weekly; 93% Say It Leads to Burnout

Only 11% of workers set boundaries, as pressure to accept additional tasks fuels widespread burnout and challenges productivity.

GUAYNABO, PR, January 16, 2025—LiveCareer®, a career service dedicated to resumes and cover letters, has released its Hidden Costs and Rewards of Extra Work Report, highlighting the prevalence of extra work responsibilities in the workplace and the impact these added tasks have on employee well-being and productivity. Based on a December 2024 survey of 1,160 U.S. workers, the report uncovers the challenges workers face, from burnout to difficulty managing workload expectations, while also shedding light on the positive outcomes some workers experience.

Key insights:

• 77% of employees are asked to take on additional work beyond their job description at least weekly.
• 93% of employees experience burnout from taking on extra work.
• Only 11% say they negotiate or set boundaries.
• Strained relationships with supervisors (40%) and reduced productivity (37%) are the top negative outcomes.
• Skill development (33%) and financial rewards (32%) are the top cited benefits.

“Extra work can be a stepping stone for career growth, with many workers viewing it as an opportunity to develop valuable skills and advance professionally,” said Jasmine Escalera, career expert for LiveCareer. “However, balancing additional tasks with core responsibilities can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction for some, especially when expectations are unclear or unfairly distributed.”

The Prevalence of Extra Work

Extra tasks are a reality for most employees, with the majority of workers saying they are regularly asked to perform work that falls outside of their job descriptions on a weekly basis. 

• 77% of employees are asked to take on additional work beyond their job description at least weekly.
  • 36% face these requests daily.
  • 41% are asked weekly.
  • Only 3% say they are never asked to take on extra work.

Burnout Is Widespread

The majority of workers experience burnout as a direct result of taking on additional responsibilities. 

• 93% of employees experience burnout from taking on extra work.
  • 59% frequently feel burned out from not saying no to extra responsibilities.
  • 34% occasionally experience burnout due to taking on extra work.

Reactions to Requests for Extra Work

When asked to take on extra tasks, most employees feel pressured to say yes, even when it may conflict with their workload or personal boundaries. 

• 56% of employees feel pressured and agree reluctantly to additional tasks.
• 30% accept extra work willingly.
• Only 11% set boundaries and say no to extra responsibilities.
• Just 3% decline requests.

Why Employees Say Yes

Employees take on additional responsibilities for a variety of reasons, often driven by external pressures or personal ambitions. 

• 27% cite pressure from managers or leadership.
• 24% want to seek recognition or stand out.
• 23% aim to be team players.
• 18% are motivated by career advancement opportunities.
• 8% admit they do not know how to decline extra work.

Sources of Extra Work

Requests for additional tasks come from a variety of sources:

• 23% from direct managers.
• 22% from senior leaders or vice presidents.
• 22% from coworkers.
• 21% from managers of other teams.
• 13% from HR departments.

Types of Extra Work Assigned

The additional responsibilities employees are asked to take on span a wide range of tasks, often extending beyond their core job functions. Employees reported being asked to take on:

• 37% planning or coordinating workplace events.
• 37% administrative duties.
• 34% of tasks are typically handled by another department.
• 32% overtime.
• 29% of tasks are from unfilled positions.
• 28% mentoring or training colleagues.
• 28% covering for absent coworkers.

Positive Outcomes

While taking on extra work presents challenges, many employees recognize significant benefits that can contribute to their personal and professional growth. These outcomes highlight how additional responsibilities, when managed effectively, can create valuable opportunities:

• 33% report skill development as a key benefit.
• 32% experience financial rewards like bonuses or raises.
• 31% form closer relationships with colleagues.
• 31% see opportunities for career advancement.

Negative Outcomes

However, employees face significant drawbacks when taking on extra work, particularly with their supervisor relationships and productivity levels:

• 40% experience strained relationships with supervisors.
• 37% report reduced productivity.
• 34% feel lower job satisfaction.
• 32% are concerned about setting unrealistic expectations for future performance.

Perceptions of Fairness and Compensation

Many employees view their extra responsibilities as essential to organizational success, with most feeling adequately rewarded for their efforts. However, perceptions of fairness and the benefits of extra work vary significantly across age groups:

• 56% of employees believe the extra work they take on is critical to the business’s success.
• 90% feel fairly compensated for their additional tasks.
• Older workers (41+) are more likely to perceive task distribution as fair (75%) compared to younger workers (25 or younger, 35%).
• Older workers (36%) are the most likely to see career advancement as a positive outcome, while younger workers (19%) are less likely to experience the same benefit.

“Organizations must strike a delicate balance between assigning additional tasks to foster employee growth and avoiding overburdening their workforce,” said Escalera. “By prioritizing open communication, equitable workload distribution, and encouraging healthy boundary-setting, employers can create a workplace culture that supports professional development while maintaining sustainable productivity, employee satisfaction and long-term organizational success.”

To view the full report with more information, please visit https://www.livecareer.com/resources/the-hidden-cost-of-extra-work or contact Nathan Barber at nathan.barber@bold.com. 

Methodology:

The findings provided were gathered through a survey conducted with 1,160 American workers on December 3, 2024. Participants were asked to share their feelings on how saying "no" to additional responsibilities impacts their personal lives and mental health by responding to various question types, including yes/no questions, open-ended questions, scale-based questions gauging agreement levels, and questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of answers.

About LiveCareer

LiveCareer is the premier career site empowering job seekers to find their path to professional success. Since 2005, LiveCareer has helped over 10 million workers worldwide by offering information, expert guidance, and support to boost their chances of finding a job in less time. This includes providing job seekers with resume templates that can help them build stronger resumes and cover letters. LiveCareer’s extensive suite of career resources also includes interview prep tools and original content to help candidates navigate their job search and target their chosen career path. Stay connected with LiveCareer's latest updates on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

After nearly two years of consultations, the federal government announced last week that healthcare practitioners other than doctors, such as nurse practitioners, pharmacists and midwives, can provide medically necessary care and it will be covered by the public healthcare system. 

The changes, which take effect on April 1, 2026, mean more people will have access to care, helping to alleviate pressure on walk-in clinics and emergency rooms. 

Mr. Jankowski warmly welcomed the federal health minister’s decision because it helped to clarify the Canada Health Act and opened the door to the private sector playing a bigger role in helping to improve Canada’s healthcare system with public tax dollars. 

With that said, he is worried about where the provinces will find the funds to pay for the new services, and is concerned existing services could suffer if provinces shift money to fund them.