MetLife’s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study: Tips and Takeaways for Brokers

Quick look: MetLife’s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study is here, and it highlights how rising healthcare and living costs are reshaping benefits strategies for employers and employees alike. While staying on budget remains a top priority, many businesses are investing in more comprehensive benefits to support employee well-being and productivity. For brokers, the findings show an opportunity to guide clients toward flexible, cost-effective benefits solutions and professional employer organization (PEO) partnerships that improve access to care, strengthen wellness programs, and help small and midsized companies stay competitive.

It’s no secret that a competitive employee benefits package is essential to attract and retain top talent and support workforce well-being. However, financial constraints are making it harder for employers to offer robust plans, and harder for employees to afford the care they need.

This is where brokers can make a significant impact, opening the doors to higher-quality, more affordable benefits that help businesses reach their goals, sustain their bottom lines, and nurture workplace wellness.

MetLife’s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefits Trends Study sheds light on what employers are prioritizing and how they’re navigating these pressures, as well as current employee pain points and benefit utilization trends. Released this month, the report summarizes responses from nearly 2,480 decision-makers and leaders, and 2,541 full-time employees from organizations of all sizes and industries.

Below are the key findings, along with how to use them to guide benefits conversations with clients this year.

Businesses are balancing building competitive packages and staying on budget

Employers named “controlling healthcare costs” as their primary human resources (HR) objective. For the first time since 2022, this goal has surpassed productivity, loyalty, and attracting new talent.

Despite hesitancy around higher prices, 60% of employers have increased their investments in benefits, and 62% expanded their non-medical offerings, signaling an understanding of the importance of a comprehensive package.

Employees are cost-conscious

Businesses aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch. The survey also found that rising living expenses and medical costs are top stressors for 83% of employees, and over three-quarters of workers said economic uncertainty is a major concern.

This aligns with broader financial sentiment. Last year, Pew Research Center found that 28% of U.S. adults expect their financial situation to worsen in a year, versus just 16% the year prior. And according to a recent AARP Financial Security Trends Survey, growing everyday expenses are the top barrier to saving more for retirement.

For brokers, this underscores the importance of helping employers design plans that balance affordability with access to care.

Missed work and medical appointments

MetLife’s research shows that on average, employees miss over six days of work each year due to health-related issues. Additionally, half said they often avoid seeking medical care due to out-of-pocket costs. As a result, just 44% of workers report feeling holistically healthy, and workplace engagement, loyalty, and productivity rates remain stagnant.

On the other hand, the report found that healthy employees were 25% more productive and loyal and took 10% fewer sick days.

These figures illustrate the importance of ensuring staff have affordable healthcare coverage and tools like flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) to mitigate out-of-pocket expenses.

An opportunity to enhance overall well-being

While the MetLife research largely focuses on medical care, it also paints a picture of how voluntary benefits impact overall health and financial standing:

• 73% of employers said non-medical benefits are the most cost-effective way to support employee well-being, and 83% reported lower medical costs due to offering them
• Employees were 38% more likely to feel holistically healthy when using five or more non-medical benefits, and 69% more likely when they use 10 or more
• 62% of workers believe non-medical benefits are essential to accessing preventive care
• 84% of employees said that preventive care reduces their chances of having more serious health problems, and 80% report it ultimately saves them money

ExtensisHR: helping you meet your clients where they are

The challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses continue to evolve. Budgets and benefits remain a priority, and emerging complexity like adopting artificial intelligence (AI) require employers to spend more time on strategic activities, and less on administrative to-dos. The right professional employer organization (PEO) partner can help brokers serve up the right solutions to reduce this burden while strengthening their people strategy.

However, it’s important to choose partners carefully, and not every PEO is the same. Here’s what ExtensisHR delivers:

• Fortune 500-level employee benefits, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision offerings with FSA and HSA options, and a variety of voluntary plans like pet insurance, family-forming support, legal plans, student loan assistance, and more.
• Flexible HR solutions including PEO, HRO, PEO Premier^®, and SchoolCloud^®, that adapt alongside your clients as they grow and their workforce needs change.
• Best-in-class customer service, with each client receiving a dedicated Account Manager, HR Business Partner, Payroll Specialist, and Implementation Manager. Plus, worksite employees gain access to an Employee Solution Center with a same day case resolution exceeding 90% and phone calls answered in 15 seconds or less.
• Complimentary recruiting services, from creating job advertisements to helping with onboarding, to make it easier (and more affordable) for clients to hire the talent they need.
• Industry-leading accreditations, including IRS Certified PEO (CPEO), Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC), and SOC 1 Type 2.
• A broker-friendly business model, meaning we never compete against you and your clients remain yours.

Partnering with the right PEO amplifies your ability to solve your clients’ current pain points and position them for long-term success, while strengthening your book of business.

Want to learn more about working with ExtensisHR? Contact us today to start a conversation.