Heading into Labor Day weekend, a new survey from OnePoll found that the average employee in the United States has not received a raise in three years.
Only 4% of respondents said they had received a raise this year, with 9% sharing that they received one a year ago, and 22% saying it had been two years. Meanwhile, 37% said it had been three.
When averaged out, the ordinary worker has been without a raise in 2.9 years.
Elsewhere in the survey, workers identified salary cuts, wage gaps, and worker strikes as their biggest fears. Generation X and baby boomers had particular concerns regarding their job security.
Most Americans surveyed were also lukewarm about how management and others viewed them. Just 37% said they felt "very recognized" at work, compared to 46% who said they felt "somewhat" recognized.
Another 8% didn't feel recognized at all.
Respondents largely agreed that strikes effectively pressure bosses for improved work conditions and pay, with 49% saying as much. In addition, two-fifths said they participated in a strike at some point.
President Joe Biden said Friday he would move forward with plans to extend overtime pay to over 3 million workers after the Department of Labor proposed the rule change earlier this week.
"Today, many salaried workers aren't guaranteed overtime pay unless they make under $35,568 a year," Biden wrote on X. "This week, my Administration proposed a new rule to raise that threshold, extending over-time pay to up to 3.4 million workers."
The rule revives an Obama administration effort that faced legal pushback from conservative business leaders before it was killed off. However, the announcement indicates that the Biden administration will reenter the fight.
Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.