A decade of MetLife workforce data shows job satisfaction and retention are back to 2016 levels. However, employees are less financially secure and likely to have emergency savings.
Essentials, not luxuries, are driving everyday strain. According to the survey, 65% of respondents said the cost of everyday necessities is their top financial stressor.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 2:00 pm ET <br><br> SmartDollar expert Jeremy Duke breaks down how team members living paycheck to paycheck—without a safety net—shows up as distraction, burnout and turnover.
"Running a DC plan can be challenging, but when done correctly, the difference it can make to participants is truly life changing," the Mercer report states.
Though fewer survey respondents say their employers need to step up, more than half of employers say they plan to expand caregiver benefits within the next three years.
