These are the findings of a survey from UKG, a provider of HR, payroll and workforce management solutions, of more than 5,000 frontline US workers.

Those surveyed are engaged in shift work or non-salaried employees, who typically have to be present in a specific place at an assigned time to do their job – roles which are often sensitive to market fluctuations and price increases.

More than half of workers (52%) believe they are at risk of being laid off and nearly three-quarters (74%) feel tariffs changes will impact their future earnings, while almost seven in 10 expect an impact to their current earnings (68%). What’s more, 77% of frontline workers agree that tariffs hurt “Main [High] Street” more than their Wall Street counterparts.

At home, 83% of workers are changing personal habits in some way, including saving more money (48%), paying more attention to news and economic forecasts (31%), and putting off large purchases (26%). One in 10 frontline employees (13%) have even admitted to delaying their retirement plans, and one in four are actively looking for additional income streams (24%).

* For more on the situation of work in the US, read our feature in the upcoming issue of Recruiter: Navigating the shifting recruitment landscape in the US, out 7 May 2025. 

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