One in three working Americans living paycheck to paycheck, survey shows

The latest figures paint a sobering portrait of the financial health of the American workforce: one out of every three individuals is just one paycheck away from falling behind.

New data released Monday by financial services company Bankrate indicates that 34% of Americans feel they are living the paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, with the number estimated to be even higher when factoring in "all U.S. adults, considering that 6 in 10 Americans (60.1 percent) are in the labor force," according to Labor Department numbers.

The latter is closer to the number given by LendingClub Bank in a 2023 study which focused on American consumers, finding that 61% live paycheck to paycheck.