Cost of living is up. Paychecks are not. And workers are not OK.

American workers have one big complaint about their jobs: They don’t get paid enough to keep up with the soaring cost of living. Even with cost-of-living adjustments or pay increases, 4 in 10 workers say their income has not kept up with their expenses, according to a new USA TODAY/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey of more than 3,000 American workers. Heading into the 2026 midterm elections, cost-of-living concerns are the central issue at kitchen tables across America. With Americans paying higher prices f ...