Economic Concerns Hurt U.S. Workforce Health, Trust

As economic stress takes its toll, MetLife's 23^rd 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. 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. HR Technology Insights: Boost Career and Skills with CompTIA Essentials “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

HR Technology Insights: Simpplr Enhances Extensibility with Custom Apps “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. HR Technology Insights: Aura Intelligence Transforms AI Workforce Insights To participate in our interviews, please write to our HRTech Media Room at sudipto@intentamplify.com Source: Businesswire