Careers, retirement affected by worker financial insecurity

Debt and financial insecurity are affecting the decisions workers make about their futures, including about when and how they will retire, reports show.

Forty percent of workers say debt is influencing their career choices, which can lead to reduced mobility in the job market, one expert said.

Three in five workers say they live paycheck to paycheck, and every generation — except Generation Z — identified saving for retirement as their top financial goal. 

Forty percent of those in the U.S. middle class say their greatest retirement fear is outliving their savings and investments. Those surveyed said they face competing financial priorities, including paying off debt and saving for retirement. 

And 57% of workers said they aren’t confident they will be able to retire by their mid-60s. 

Read on below for more findings.