Over One-Third of American Workers Are Delaying or Canceling Major Purchases Due to Job Security Concerns

More than one in three (36%) American workers are delaying or canceling a major purchase like a home or car due to their feelings about job security, according to a new survey report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. On the flip side, 31% have either already made a major purchase sooner than expected, or plan to due to their feelings about job security. This Redfin survey was conducted by Ipsos between March 9-10, 2026. The nationally representative survey was fielded to 1,005 U.S. residents, including 452 who are employed full-time and 112 who are employed part-time. The results for the combined group of workers have a credibility interval of +/- 5.1 percentage points. More than one in three (36%) respondents say their feelings about job security have no impact on their timeline for any major purchase decisions. In August 2025, when Redfin asked the same question to American workers, 42% said they were delaying or canceling plans to make a major purchase due to feelings about job security, six percentage points higher than today. However, the shares who said in August that they had already made (or planned to make) a major purchase sooner than expected (29%) is largely unchanged from today—as is the share who said they had made no changes to their plans (32%). Most American Workers Are Confident About Job Security Roughly two-thirds (69%) of workers say they are either somewhat confident or very confident about their job security—a similar share (66%) said the same last August. In comparison, 27% now say they are either somewhat concerned or very concerned about their job security. Nearly One in Three Workers More Concerned About Job Security Now Than Six Months Ago Roughly one-third (32%) of workers are more concerned about their job security than six months ago. In comparison, 18% are more confident about their job security. When Redfin asked the same question in August 2025, 37% of workers said they were more concerned about their job security today than six months ago, while 21% said they were more confident. Company Performance and AI Are Top Reasons for Job Insecurity Roughly three in ten (29%) workers who are concerned about their job security cited their company’s performance as the primary reason; a near-equal share (32%) said the same in August 2025. Currently, the next most-cited reason for job security concerns is the impact of artificial intelligence (18%), followed by government restructuring efforts (14%) and personal performance (12%). Nearly 20% of Workers Have Recently Missed Rent, Mortgage Payment or Paid Late Seven percent of workers say they have missed a rent or mortgage payment entirely in the last three months, and another 10% say they have been late on a housing payment. These shares were notably higher among those who are concerned about their job security. Nearly three in 10 members of this group (28%) have missed or been late on a recent housing payment. An overwhelming majority (70%) of workers who are confident in their job security have made all recent housing payments on time. Roughly one in seven (15%) workers say they are “very” or “somewhat” likely to be late on their mortgage or rent in the next three months. Thirteen percent say they are “very” or “somewhat” likely to miss a housing payment entirely in the next three months. A Slim Majority of American Workers Have an Emergency Fund for Housing Payments Most (55%) workers say they have an emergency fund to cover their monthly rent or mortgage payments if they face a financial crisis, while approximately one-third (34%) do not have such a fund. These figures vary slightly among workers who expressed concern about their job security and those who are confident; the former are slightly less likely to have a housing emergency fund (50%), while the latter are slightly more (59%). When asked how many months of housing payments their emergency funds cover, one in five workers with such funds say six months. Three months (16%) was the next most-selected time frame. To view the full report, including additional survey results, charts, and a methodology, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/job-security-major-purchases-2026/