Study: Most Employers Don't Plan on Cutting Benefits

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- Here's some good news for the U.S. workforce -- a study by MetLife(MET) shows that nine out of 10 employers plan on keeping employee benefits and don't plan on any cuts in this tepid economy. That should keep more savings in consumers' pockets and provide more financial stability for workers and employers.

The study, released Monday, shows that -- far and away -- American employers are apparently digging in their heels and don't plan on reducing benefits. Study participants included more than 1,500 decision makers and more than 1,400 employees at U.S. companies.

Nine out of 10 employers plan on keeping employee benefits with no cuts, a study shows.

The study also shows that younger workers are highly anxious about their financial futures (not exactly a shocker, given the economic hangover of the past five years).

The insurance company says 49% of employees surveyed say they are more dependent on employee benefits to help secure their financial situation, but that number jumps to 55% for workers in their 30s and early 40s, and to 66% for employees in their 20s (aka "Generation Y").

Based on the MetLife study results, it's increasingly evident that employees are using employee benefits as a shield against a sour economy, and that's a trend U.S. companies don't seem to mind a bit.

According to the survey, 60% of executives see increased employee reliance as a net gain for employers. The study says that companies are "creating additional opportunities to leverage workplace benefits programs to achieve their objectives, and only about 10%, regardless of company size, say they plan to reduce benefits."