SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 15, 2026 / Demand for flexible labor kept climbing in May. Businesses on the Instawork platform posted shifts at a double-digit pace for the fifth consecutive month. Active partners also grew at a double-digit rate year over year, and platform wages rose 6% – outpacing BLS national earnings growth of 3.4% and signaling an accelerating flexible labor market.
Workers are meeting the labor demand at a cost. The average commute on Instawork held at 28 miles in May at a time when gas hit $4.24 nationally, demonstrating that workers are stretching their range to capture income in an environment where, for most workers nationally, prices are rising faster than wages.
With the cost of living rising, flexible labor is filling the gap on both sides: companies are using it to meet demand without committing to headcount, and workers are using it to close the income gap.
BY THE NUMBERS: MAY 2026
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Shift Growth: Double-Digit % Growth YoY (5th consecutive month) |
Wage Index: 50 → 53 YoY (Wages +6% YoY) |
Most Requested Role: Warehouse Associate (5th consecutive month) |
Avg Worker Commute: 28 miles (down from 29 in April) |
WHERE THE GROWTH IS – WAREHOUSES, HOSPITALITY, AND FOOD SERVICE
Warehouse Associate held the top spot on Instawork for the fifth straight month – a streak that mirrors sustained momentum in logistics and light industrial across the country. The fastest-growing markets in May were Reno, Concord (NC), Boynton Beach, Cincinnati, and Kansas City, a spread that cuts across regions and sectors.
Hospitality kept pace with the industrial sector. Event server, line cook, dishwasher, and driver all ranked among the top shifts in May, a signal that service businesses are staffing back up with flexible workers – confirmed by the May BLS report, which showed leisure and hospitality adding 70,000 jobs nationally.
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Top Growth Markets: |
Top Shifts: |
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THE WORKER SQUEEZE
Wages on the Instawork platform grew 6% from a year ago, outpacing the national BLS average of 3.4%. But the May University of Michigan Consumer survey showed that real income expectations have been falling since March, with 57% of consumers reporting that high prices are actively eroding their personal finances, up from 50% in April. The consumer sentiment index fell to 44.8 in May, an all-time record low in the survey’s 70-year history. Cost of living, not any single event or headline, is the dominant weight.
ABOUT THE INSTAWORK PAY INDEX
The Instawork Pay Index is a monthly analysis of real-time platform data covering shift volume, wages, worker mobility, and geographic demand trends across Instawork’s network. May 2026 data reflects activity from May 1-31, 2026. The Pay Index is released following the BLS Employment Situation Summary.
ABOUT INSTAWORK
Instawork’s mission is to create economic opportunities for businesses and hourly workers across the globe. As the leading AI-powered marketplace for hourly labor, Instawork connects light industrial, hospitality, retail, and robotics companies to skilled workers, turning staffing agility into a competitive advantage. Instawork helps more than ten million workers earn on their terms while developing valuable skills.
Instawork is backed by leading investors such as Benchmark, Craft, Greylock, and Spark Capital.
Media Contact: Amanda Pires, Head of Communications – apires@instawork.com – 650-208-3728 – press@instawork.com
Sources: Instawork Platform Data · BLS Employment Situation May 2026 · University of Michigan Survey of Consumers May 2026 · ISM Manufacturing PMI May 2026 · NY Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations May 2026 · Federal Reserve Beige Book April 2026 · AAA National Gas Price Average
SOURCE: Instawork
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