Economic Concerns Lower U.S. Workforce Health and Productivity, Raising Need for Employee-Employer Trust: New MetLife Study
As economic stress takes its toll, MetLife's 23rd annual Employee Benefit Trends Study finds employees are placing greater trust in employers to provide stability and support
MetLife's 2025 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study reveals notable drops in holistic health (-5%), productivity (-5%) and engagement (-7%) across the workforce and finds the majority of employees cite financial concerns, including rising medical costs (77%) and economic uncertainty (68%), as their primary source of stress.
Click here to download MetLife's 2025 Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS)
Amid social and economic turmoil, employees are turning to their employers for stability and support, while trust outside of the workplace is declining. According to MetLife's EBTS, 81% of employees hold their employer accountable for building trust at work, while employees overall are 1.5x more likely to trust their employer than other institutions.
With a greater responsibility to build trust also comes a significant opportunity to improve workplace outcomes, as MetLife's study finds trust, when combined with employee care, has a profound impact. Employees who trust and feel cared for by their employer are more likely to feel holistically healthy (3.8x), engaged (2.4x) and productive (1.9x) than those with either or neither.
MetLife's research shows employers can build trust by fostering a supportive culture and promoting positive benefits experiences, which includes providing employees with opportunities to give feedback and the right tools to choose and use their benefits effectively.
"Our research continues to validate that employers who demonstrate care for their employees see improved workplace health and outcomes," said Todd Katz, head of Group Benefits at MetLife. "What we've newly uncovered this year, given macro challenges, is an opportunity to fortify care by fostering trust. Employers that focus on prioritizing benefit experiences and culture can effectively build high-trust, high-performing workplaces."
Fostering Trust and Amplifying Care: Key Drivers
Workplaces that promote recognition of achievements, transparent leadership and empathy are more likely to foster trust between employees and employers, MetLife's report finds. Combining the right mix of benefits with a positive utilization experience is also highly correlated to increased trust and improved outcomes.
Employees who use and have positive experiences with their benefits are:
- 2.4x more likely to feel holistically healthy
- 2.1x more likely to trust that their employer will protect them in economic downturns
- 1.8x more likely to trust their employer's leadership
"Benefits provide employees with stability and protection in uncertain times, which helps them feel cared for and amplifies trust," adds Katz. "But as misunderstanding and underutilization of benefits persists, MetLife is helping employers deliver experiences that empower employees with greater confidence in their ability to choose, use and unlock the full potential of their benefits."
Employers can enhance benefits experiences by optimizing communication strategies, providing personalized guidance, and consistently engaging employees to support year-round utilization.
Tools like MetLife's Upwise, a digital solution that aids employees in choosing benefits wisely with personalized recommendations and using them seamlessly with timely reminders and guidance, help employees get the most value out of their benefits and employers the best return on investment. To date, adoption of MetLife's Upwise has been positive, particularly in benefits decision support—in 2024, 64% of employees who had the opportunity to use Upwise during enrollment did so and 84% of those completed the steps to get a benefits recommendation.1
Visit www.metlife.com/ebts2025 to view MetLife's 2025 Employee Benefit Trends Study or visit www.upwise.com to learn more about how MetLife is enhancing benefits experiences.
Unless otherwise stated, all data referenced in this release is from MetLife's 2025 Employee Benefit Trends Study.
Research Methodology
MetLife's 23rd annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study builds on over 20 years of data from employees and employers, incorporating multiple phases of qualitative and quantitative research. The quantitative portion surveyed 5,579 full-time employees in September and December 2024 and 2,567 HR decision-makers in September 2024. The qualitative portion interviewed 33 senior-level stakeholders and 16 employees in June and December 2024, respectively. Respondents were aged 21 and over and were nationally representative of the full-time U.S. workforce in terms of demographics and firmographics. The surveys, interviews and analysis were conducted by STRAT7, a global strategy, insights and analytics consultancy, in partnership with MetLife.
About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.
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1Based on enrollment data provided by participating MetLife customers between 10/1/2024 and 11/27/2024.
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