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Financial stress is the #1 threat to resiliency

One finding in our research stood above all others: Financial pressure is the most powerful disruptor of well-being and resiliency.

Across every demographic and industry, employees identified financial pressures (48%) and economic uncertainty (39%) as their top well-being challenges — ahead of burnout (29%). 

The impacts are significant and far-reaching.

At home, employees say financial stress leads to:

  • Increased stress or anxiety (72%) 
  • Sleep problems or fatigue (60%) 
  • Difficulty relaxing (49%) 

At work, it leads to:

  • Difficulty concentrating (48%) 
  • Increased stress (64%) 
  • Lower job satisfaction (44%) 

These aren’t small issues. They’re fundamental drivers of performance, productivity, and retention. 

The disconnect employers can’t ignore

Employers tend to overestimate employee financial well-being, more than any other well-being domain. Employees are signaling financial strain, but leaders often assume stability. 

Younger workers feel this even more intensely. Gen Z and Millennials are 7 percentage points more likely than older workers to say they need access to financial counseling (28% vs. 21%). 

Why financial well-being matters for resiliency

Financial strain drains: 

  • The ability to bounce back from unexpected expenses 
  • Emotional and mental bandwidth 
  • Problem-solving capacity 
  • Productivity and presence at work 

Quite simply, an organization cannot build a resilient workforce on unstable financial footing.

Key takeaways for employers

  1. Make financial well-being central to your people strategy. 
  2. Increase access to financial tools and support, especially for younger employees. 
  3. Communicate offerings clearly and consistently — many employees don’t know support exists. 
  4. Integrate financial wellbeing into your resiliency strategy, not as a standalone benefit.

Financial stress is the new frontline of workforce well-being and employers play an essential role in helping to address it.

Source: New York Life Group Benefit Solutions survey conducted by Morning Consult between November 21 – December 3, 2025 among a sample of 2002 U.S. employees and 400 employers in the private sector or government. The interviews were conducted online and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample based on gender. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. 

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