The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But for a lot of American workers, this season comes with a less festive side: stretched budgets, extra shifts and a growing sense that their paycheck just isn't going far enough.
What We Did
To find out how the season is affecting working Americans, we surveyed 1,000 full-time U.S. workers about how they're covering rising holiday costs, and what it means for their careers. The results show that for many, the pressure of the holidays isn't just about gifts. It's prompting them to take on extra work, borrow money, and even reconsider their jobs altogether.
Key Findings:
- More than half of American workers (56.2%) have considered changing jobs or seeking a higher salary because of the cost of living or the holidays.
- One in four (25%) have already actively looked for a better-paying job.
- More than one in four (27.1%) are borrowing to get through the season.
- Everyday costs like food and household bills (23.3%) are a bigger driver of extra work than Christmas gifts (21.1%).
- Financial stress is the No. 1 cause of work-related exhaustion (20.4%).
Rising Costs Are Making Workers Rethink Their Careers
When money gets tight, many people start asking whether their job is still paying them enough. Our survey found that more than half of workers (56.2%) have considered changing jobs or seeking a higher salary in the past three months because of rising costs or holiday expenses.
For one in four (25%), it's gone beyond thinking about it: they've already started looking for a better-paying job. Another 31.2% have considered it but haven't acted yet, and 16.4% say they'd consider it if their finances got worse.
Only 27.4% say rising costs haven't affected their career decisions at all. In other words, nearly three in four workers have a job move on their radar or would if things got tighter.
How Workers Are Paying for the Holidays
Extra shifts, side hustles and seasonal jobs
The most common way workers are covering the season is simply by working more. More than half (53.6%) have taken on, or plan to take on, extra work. Nearly three in 10 (29.4%) are picking up extra shifts or overtime, about one in four (24.6%) are taking on freelance work or a side hustle, and nearly one in five (19.3%) are starting a temporary or seasonal job.
Others are looking to earn more without adding hours: 19.5% are looking for a higher-paying job, and 15.6% are asking for a raise.
Cutting back and borrowing
Cutting back on spending is the single most common thing workers are doing to overcome the risings costs (39.5%). One in five (21%) are dipping into their savings and nearly one in 10 (9.7%) are selling their belongings.
For some, that still isn’t enough. More than one in four workers (27.1%) are borrowing to get through the holidays, whether that’s by taking on debt or using credit (15.5%), using buy now, pay later (13.5%) or borrowing from family or friends (6.4%).
Gifts Aren't the Largest Expense
It's easy to assume presents are the main financial strain at this time of year. But when we asked workers about the main reason for taking on extra work, everyday costs came out on top. Nearly one in four (23.3%) pointed to food and household expenses, ahead of Christmas gifts (21.1%) and existing debts or bills (18.9%). This is unsurprising as federal data shows that grocery prices have risen a staggering 28% from September 2020 to September 2026.
For many, the holidays aren't creating money problems so much as contributing to existing ones, making them harder to ignore.
Money Worries Are Wearing Workers Down
The financial pressure is also spilling into how workers feel while working. Financial stress is the top factor contributing to work-related exhaustion (20.4%), ahead of long working hours (17.5%) and an excessive workload (14.2%).
Workers who are borrowing to cover the holidays appear to be feeling it most. More than two in five (43.9%) say they are increasingly exhausted, experiencing significant burnout or struggling to find the motivation to work, compared to 30% of those who aren't borrowing.
Workers who named financial stress as their main source of exhaustion were also more likely to be borrowing for the holidays (35.8% vs. 24.9%).
Gen Z Feels the Squeeze Most
The research found that younger workers are under the most pressure this season. Four in five Gen Z workers (80%) have considered changing jobs or seeking a higher salary, compared to 61.5% of millennials and 45.3% of Gen X. Two in five (39.2%) have already actively looked for a better-paying job, double the rate of Gen X (19.1%).
Gen Z are also working the hardest to cover the season. Nearly three in four (72.5%) are taking on extra work, compared to 58.6% of millennials and 43.8% of Gen X. Gen Z workers are nearly three times as likely as Gen X to ask for a raise to cover holiday costs (29.2% vs. 10.1%).
Women More Likely to Be Covering Debts and Bills
Women were more likely than men to cite financial stress as the main driver of their exhaustion (24.5% vs. 16%). Women were also more likely to say covering existing debts or bills is their main reason for extra work (22% vs. 15.6%), while men were more likely to be saving for the new year (17.5% vs. 12.6%).
Is the Holiday Squeeze Here to Stay?
The research finds that for many American workers, the holidays aren’t creating money problems so much as exposing them. When more than half are taking on extra work just to cover the season, it’s a sign that pay isn’t keeping pace with everyday costs.
Picking up extra shifts or a side hustle can help in the short term, but it isn’t a long-term fix. If you’re regularly working more just to make ends meet, it may be time to look at whether your current role still pays what you’re worth. Research the going rate for your job in your area before your next pay conversation.
Every extra shift, side hustle and seasonal job you’ve taken on this year is experience worth putting on paper. Resume.io’s professional resume builder can help you turn that experience into a resume that gets you paid what you deserve.
Methodology
We surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults conducted via Pollfish in October 2026. The survey was distributed to a nationally representative sample.
