CHARLOTTE, N.C. – While nearly seven in 10 employees (68%) remain optimistic about their financial future over the next three years, many are seeking advice around both long-term savings and managing their personal finances today, a new Bank of America study shows.
This, combined with higher living costs and persistent inflation, is causing more workers to look for help prioritizing all their financial needs at once, the study says.
Twice as many American workers today are looking to their employers for guidance and resources around near-term financial needs, compared to two years ago. According to Bank of America’s 2025 Workplace Benefits Report (PDF), conducted in partnership with Bank of America Institute, 26% of the workforce is seeking help in areas such as emergency savings, paying down debt, and overall financial wellness, compared to 13% in 2023, BofA said.
“The modern employee wants help with their broader financial goals,” said Lorna Sabbia, head of workplace benefits at Bank of America. “Employers should consider additional resources to support their workforce in ways that bolster their long-term goals while also helping them tackle short-term challenges.”
Other areas where employees say they need financial wellness resources include retirement education and planning (36%), learning how to generate income in retirement (33%), and developing good financial skills and habits (33%).
Based on nationwide surveys of nearly 1,000 employees and 800 employers, the 15th annual Workplace Benefits Report explores employee financial well-being and retirement preparedness, the state of workplace benefits, and more.
BofA said findings show that financial wellness benefits continue to matter to employees and employers, with more than eight in 10 employers saying that financial wellness resources help drive job satisfaction, productivity, the ability to attract top talent, and be recommended as a great place to work. However, roughly half of larger employers (54%) offer financial wellness programs – and just a third (32%) of smaller companies.
The survey also found that workplace benefits are increasingly a factor in retaining talent, with nearly a quarter (24%) of employees today saying they recently left or have considered leaving their company because their workplace benefits are lacking, up from 15% in 2023.