Business
New Research Shows Employers Now Expect Earned Wage Access to Be Free--and a Part of a Broader Financial Wellness Strategy
A new report from Everest Group, a leading global research firm, finds that earned wage access (EWA) has become an established workforce benefit after more than a decade in the market. According to the research, EWA has reached an inflection point, with employers now expecting it to be delivered at no cost and as part of a broader financial wellness offering—rather than legacy EWA programs that simply provide instant payouts.
About this update from Everest Group, Ltd.
[{"type":"text","content":"77% of employers offering earned wage access cite employee financial wellness as the primary driver, reinforcing its role as a core workforce benefit","length":149,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Yet 8 out of 10 employers say their wellness programs struggle to demonstrate positive financial outcomes","length":105,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Everest Group, a leading global research firm, finds that earned wage access (EWA) has become an established workforce benefit after more than a decade in the market. According to the research, EWA has reached an inflection point, with employers now expecting it to be delivered at no cost and as part of a broader financial wellness offering—rather than legacy EWA programs that simply provide instant payouts.","length":474,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Key differences between traditional earned wage access models and modern financial wellness-driven EWA.","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Key differences between traditional earned wage access models and modern financial wellness-driven EWA.","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":225,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/c9491ea747b544d8464abf46b177d76b"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/REBJoqveWasjrmqIwfl1dA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM5NztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/c9491ea747b544d8464abf46b177d76b","width":400,"height":225}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2872144/Chime_Enterprise_traditional_earned_wage_access_vs_modern_ewa.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Read the complimentary Everest Group report: Download Here","length":58,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Join the Everest Group webinar examining what 10 years of EWA reveal—and what comes next: Register Here","length":103,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Based on national research involving more than 100 senior HR, finance, and payroll leaders, the report finds that:","length":114,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"list","items":[{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"While 77% of employers have adopted EWA to support employee financial wellness, 83% say their wellness programs struggle to demonstrate positive financial outcomes.","...