Florida Entrepreneur Loses Job As Corporate Swag Market Shrinks

Costs are climbing fast and budgets are shrinking just as Americans prepare for midterm elections. Financial security feels harder to grasp every single day. Stacy Eichel, a woman living in Florida without children at home, spent years juggling two different roles to make ends meet. She worked full time in healthcare while quietly running her own small business on the side. That venture involved creating custom merchandise like coffee mugs and T-shirts for corporate clients who needed swag for conferences or holiday parties. For Eichel, this second income stream was more than just money. It fueled a restless spirit that never stopped looking for the next chance to grow. This type of business thrived when companies had loose cash to spend on small items that made dull events memorable.

Then September 2025 arrived and changed everything overnight. Eichel lost her marketing position at a healthcare firm after a major merger took place. Suddenly, her side hustle became the primary way she supported herself and her family. Yet just when she needed those earnings most, demand for her products began to vanish. Companies are tightening spending due to uncertainty over trade policy, looming tariffs, and the rapid spread of artificial intelligence across the economy. Custom branded goods have become a luxury item that many firms can no longer afford.

"The economy is such that fewer people are buying custom-branded swag because it's more of a luxury item," Eichel told Al Jazeera after cutting back her own expenses significantly. "When they have extra money in the budget, that's what they'll use it for, but now their budgets are very tight." Her story mirrors a much wider strain gripping the US labour market right now. A paycheck no longer guarantees safety or stability for workers everywhere. The headline unemployment rate only shows people actively hunting for work, ignoring those who want fewer hours than available or hold jobs that simply do not pay enough.

The Department of Labor tracks this hidden crisis using the U-6 measure. This broader metric sits at an elevated 7.6 percent today. While that number dropped from 8.1 percent a year ago, having employment does not mean Americans are moving ahead financially. The U-6 rate counts people working part time because full-time roles remain out of reach. It also includes individuals who want to work but have recently stopped looking entirely.

Even those employed full time find their money stretches much thinner than before. An estimated 4.5 million Americans currently work part time simply because they cannot locate full-time employment. Meanwhile nine million people hold multiple jobs at once, representing 5.5 percent of all employed workers in the latest report. "Underemployment is one of the most misunderstood economic problems in America because it doesn't always look like unemployment," said Tara Furiani, a workforce strategist based in Richmond, Virginia. She explained that it often looks like a college graduate stuck in retail despite their degree or a former executive accepting a role paying half their previous salary. Parents frequently work two jobs because neither employer provides enough hours, benefits, or income to support their families properly.

Average hourly wages rose by 3 percent over the past year according to official data. However consumer prices jumped even higher at 3.7 percent in the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the US Labor Department. This means prices are rising faster than wages leave many workers with less purchasing power overall. The risk to communities grows as limited access to information and resources leaves families vulnerable. We must ask ourselves if our current system can truly protect ordinary people from these mounting pressures before the next election cycle concludes.

Prices climbed 0.6 percent last month, yet average hourly wages crept up only a fraction at 0.1 percent. That tiny gap squeezes households like Eichel's tight. She has slashed her budget, cutting dining out, skipping takeout, and dropping cable entirely. "I never used to think before ordering in, and now we cook everything," she said. The sting of these costs hits hard as midterm elections approach, turning the price of living into a top worry for voters. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found that cost of living topped the list for 47 percent of people, leaving "democratic norms and values" far behind at just 22 percent. Another poll by Washington Post–ABC News–Ipsos showed Democrats holding a narrow lead over Republicans on handling the economy, with 40 percent backing them compared to 33 percent for GOP candidates. This marks the first time in twelve years that Democrats have held an edge on this specific issue. Meanwhile, Pew Research Center data released earlier this month reveals that 44 percent of Americans struggled to pay for at least one basic necessity over the past year, ranging from rent and mortgages to food and medical care. One in five respondents said they relied on a food bank or pantry during that same period.

Joshua Teicher, a video producer working in New York City's advertising sector, watched his opportunities vanish after the pandemic. Companies tightened their belts, and work dried up further recently. Even the slow trickle of gigs has nearly stopped. Teicher told Al Jazeera that he is now on Medicaid, government health care for lower-income individuals, and still finds it hard to afford prescriptions or groceries. "I'm having to go into my savings," he said. "Specifically, sometimes I don't want to get a second cup of coffee because it's like five bucks for an espresso or something like that." Eating healthy has become a struggle too; apples are ridiculous in price. He walks extra blocks to reach cheaper stores just to find affordable fruit. His tight budget also blocks access to needed knee surgery. Cartilage wears down in both knees, and while he fixed his right side, he cannot afford the same procedure for his left leg. Now one limb sits slightly longer than the other. Fuel costs add another heavy weight on shoulders of consumers. Gasoline averaged $4.29 a gallon as of Monday, according to the American Automobile Association. That price is well up from $2.98 during tensions between the US and Israel over Iran in late February. Market pressures keep growing even for those who hold down jobs. Finding a better-paying position remains difficult despite some industries adding roles. Uncertainty about economic policy fuels what economists call a "low-hire, low-fire" labor market. Employers pull back on hiring while layoffs stay relatively low. The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed job openings and quits staying largely unchanged. Babak Hafezi, a professor of international business at American University, noted that highly qualified people sit without work for twelve to eighteen months. With fewer openings available, workers stuck in unhappy roles hesitate to leave, even if they want higher pay or better conditions.

Workers face fiercer battles for open spots while employed staff lose leverage to demand better pay. Rising daily costs make it nearly impossible for many to climb out of financial trouble. Some full-time employees now stack part-time gigs just to survive.

"We have people come in all the time who are teachers looking for a part-time job, or who are in other fields asking, 'Do you know anyone hiring part-time? I just need 15–20 hours a week to make ends meet.' At what point does this end?" Debbie Louis, owner of a Brooklyn coffee shop, told Al Jazeera.

Hospitality and healthcare sectors added jobs recently, yet Hafezi warns growth could stall or turn negative soon. The Big Beautiful tax legislation might slash funding for rural hospital support programs. New immigration rules have also dampened international travel to the US over the past year, hurting businesses that rely on those revenues.

Meanwhile, American shoppers struggle with shrinking buying power. "Tariffs and economic pressures from high inflation are affecting Americans' purchasing power. As prices increase, unit consumption decreases [they buy less as] their paycheques don't go as far," Hafezi said. This situation makes people feel poorer and unable to spend freely. That describes the environment for many in the so-called K-shaped economy.

In this uneven system, wealthy consumers keep thriving while lower- and middle-income families fall further behind. The Conference Board's latest consumer confidence report shows higher-income households remain optimistic thanks to investment gains and bigger savings. Lower brackets feel quite different. "Ahead of the midterms, policymakers and employers should be examining not simply how many Americans are working, but whether available employment provides adequate wages, sufficient hours, predictable schedules, benefits and genuine opportunities for advancement. Because a paycheque and economic security are, again, not the same thing," Furiani, the workforce strategist, added.

Communities risk deepening divides if these trends continue unchecked. Information flows slowly through this maze of policy shifts and market forces. Only those with connections or insider knowledge see what is coming next. The gap between haves and have-nots widens every day.