Teambridge, the AI-native workforce management platform, has released its 2025 market research report, The Retention Puzzle: What Today’s Workers Want and What Drives Them Away, highlighting a stark reality for employers: hourly workers won’t stick around if their needs aren’t met—even in a soft job market.
Surveying over 1,000 hourly workers across healthcare, manufacturing, events and venues, and long-term care, the report uncovers what truly drives retention—and what prompts workers to walk.
Hourly Workers Aren’t Clinging to Jobs
Despite broader economic signals suggesting slowing job growth, only 29% of hourly workers say they’re likely to stay with their current employer over the next year.
Pay matters, but it’s not the only factor. Half of respondents said flexible hours, reliable scheduling, and good communication are critical in deciding where to work. By contrast, opportunities for promotion or career growth mattered to just 31% of workers.
“Making the roles of essential workers reliable isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s critical to the US economy,” said Tito Goldstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Teambridge. “The ‘Essential Economy’ represents $7.5 trillion in output per year—52 million jobs. These workers can’t be replaced with AI, and we need them to stay in the workforce to keep the country running.”
Reliability Is the New Retention Currency
The report’s findings underscore that reliability drives retention across sectors:
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Schedule control is limited: Only 51% of hourly workers feel they control their schedules.
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Communication breakdowns are costly: 39% have missed shifts or deadlines due to poor communication, rising to 50% among retention-risk workers.
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Pay is important—but faster pay matters more: 68% say access to earned wages increases loyalty, jumping to 78% for those likely to leave.
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Technology failures drive turnover: 22% have quit because of the tools they were required to use; another 9% have considered it.
Industry-specific insights reveal nuanced challenges:
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Healthcare: 52% left a job or stopped claiming shifts due to communication issues.
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Light industrial: 52% value simple, reliable tools like easy clock-in/out and shift visibility.
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Events & venues: 44% reported missed shifts or deadlines due to communication breakdowns.
What Employers Can Do
Teambridge co-CEO Arjun Vora frames the solution succinctly:
“Reliability has to be the new employer or agency value proposition. When workers can count on schedules, pay, and accessible support, they stay.”
The research demonstrates that hourly workforce retention isn’t just about wages or perks—it’s about operational reliability. Employers and agencies who prioritize:
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Predictable and flexible scheduling
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Clear, responsive communication channels
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Faster access to earned pay
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Simple, effective technology
…will be best positioned to retain top talent in an increasingly mobile and selective workforce.
In short, for hourly workers, reliability isn’t optional—it’s a make-or-break factor for staying on the job.
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