Survey: 55% of U.S. workers can't cover a $500 emergency expense

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A SecureSave survey of 1,028 workers found 26% have no emergency savings at all, while 41% skipped necessary expenses in the past six months

SecureSave found that 55% of American workers cannot cover an unexpected $500 expense from savings, according to the company's 2026 Financial Stress Survey. The findings, based on responses from 1,028 workers polled last June, highlight the degree to which many American households remain financially vulnerable to unexpected costs.

The survey found that 26% of workers have no emergency savings at all, and 67% have set aside less than three months of expenses. Women face a steeper shortfall: 53% have less than one month of emergency savings, compared with 37% of men, according to SecureSave.

The savings gap is pushing workers toward difficult trade-offs. In the past six months, 41% of respondents said they skipped a necessary expense — including medical care, food, rent, or car repairs — because they lacked sufficient savings. Meanwhile, 37% increased their credit card debt over the past year, and 25% reduced, paused, borrowed from, or withdrew retirement savings, the company said.