The LuLac Edition #5, 723, July 26th, 2026

 

 

 

MORE THAN 60% OF RESTAURANT WORKERS ARE SKIPPING MEALS WHILE THEY FEED THE REST OF US

NEW DATA SHOWS 75% OF HOURLY RESTAURANT WORKERS ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, WITH MOST REPORTING CONSTANT FINANCIAL STRESS AS FOOD COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE.

Food prices have remained elevated for more than three years, while the cost of dining out continues to climb. For the millions of hourly employees who keep the restaurant industry running, those higher costs are taking a measurable toll.

According to the 2026 State of Hourly Restaurant Workers Study, 61% of hourly restaurant employees surveyed said they skipped more than one meal per week during the past month because they couldn’t afford food. The national survey, commissioned by Instant Financial and conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics, polled 750 hourly restaurant employees between March 3 and March 31. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. Census by age, region, gender, and geography. The survey also found that 75% of respondents are living paycheck to paycheck, a figure that rises to 83% among restaurant employees not in management roles.

A single setback can trigger a financial crisis

Nearly all respondents (97%) reported experiencing financial stress, with 63% describing it as constant or frequent. On average, respondents said they set aside just $92 from each paycheck, leaving little cushion to absorb an unexpected expense.

For Allison Padilla-Goodman, CEO of Giving Kitchen, a national nonprofit that provides financial assistance to food service workers in crisis, the data reflects what her organization sees every day. “For too many food service workers, the margin between getting by and falling into crisis is one missed shift, one medical emergency, or one unexpected bill,” Padilla-Goodman says. “At Giving Kitchen, three in five of the clients we serve are considered ‘working poor’ by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and more than 80% say they are not able to put money into savings.”

Restaurant workers face higher rates of food insecurity

The survey’s finding that 61% of respondents skipped meals points to a broader issue that extends across the food industry. A 2025 analysis by the Food Chain Workers Alliance found that frontline food workers were 93% more likely to experience food insecurity than workers in other industries, based on federal labor data spanning the food supply chain. The consequences can extend beyond workers’ personal lives: A 2025 study published in Personnel Psychology found that food-insecure workers were more distracted on the job.

Financial gaps are pushing workers into debt

Nearly four in five respondents (79%) said they used at least one financial workaround in the past three months because they needed money before payday.

Those measures included payday loans, overdrafts, credit card cash advances, and buy-now, pay-later services. Among respondents who took out payday loans, the average cost was $117 in fees and interest.

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Housing remains the most pressing need among the clients Giving Kitchen serves. According to the organization, 75% of people who received financial assistance reported that the support helped them avoid eviction. Padilla-Goodman says the financial strain often extends beyond a single unexpected expense.

“We are also seeing workers come to us with more complex needs, including a 62% increase in mental health referrals this year,” she says. “This is not just about one bill or one bad month. It is about an industry workforce carrying chronic instability without the basic safety nets many other workers rely on.”

Higher prices are outpacing wages

The findings come as food prices continue to outpace many household budgets. The Consumer Price Index rose 4.2% year over year in May, while the cost of dining out increased 3.5% over the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A separate BLS report found that real average hourly earnings fell 0.7% over the same period, suggesting wage growth has not kept pace with rising costs.

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Jason Dorsey, founder and president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, says the report stands out within the firm’s broader workforce research. “The findings from this study show a workforce under significant financial stress, and it is clearly affecting their daily lives,” Dorsey says. “It’s rare to see this consistently high intensity within workforce experiences.”  More Than 60% of Restaurant Workers Are Skipping Meals While They Feed the Rest of Us

New data shows 75% of hourly restaurant workers are living paycheck to paycheck, with most reporting constant financial stress as food costs continue to rise.  Stephanie Gravalese, Food & Wine.