{"id":949510,"date":"2026-04-07T09:58:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T13:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:58:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T13:58:45","slug":"cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>        <!--.bwalignc { text-align: center; list-style-position: inside }body {font:normal small Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#000;background-color:#fff;padding:24px;margin:0;} a img {border:0;} h3 {font-size:medium;color:#000;margin:0 0 1em 0; text-align:center;}-->  <\/p>\n<p class=\"bwalignc\"><b>Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"bwalignc\"><i>New MetLife data reveals how rising costs and \u201cjob hugging\u201d are changing how SMBs support and retain talent<\/i><\/p>\n<p>NEW YORK&#8211;(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.businesswire.com\">BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)&#8211;<br \/>\nSmall and mid-sized (SMB) businesses are navigating an increasingly complex environment marked by rising costs, heightened employee financial stress, and growing expectations. New insights from MetLife\u2019s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS) show that affordability pressures are reshaping how SMB employers operate and how their employees experience work.<\/p>\n<p>\nEmployers with fewer than 1,000 employees cite rising medical costs (72%) and the increasing cost of doing business (68%) as top stressors, prompting employers to rank controlling health costs as their number one benefits priority for the first time since 2022.<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>\nSmall businesses are also facing broader cost issues: the MetLife &amp; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index (SBI) found that 70% say rising prices have impacted operations in the past year<sup>2<\/sup>, and 34% cite cost as the biggest roadblock to growth<sup>3<\/sup>, highlighting how rising expenses are constraining margins and expansion plans.<\/p>\n<p>\nSMB employees are also feeling the strain, and it is beginning to show up in their overall wellbeing and confidence. Eighty-nine percent cite rising living expenses and medical costs as top stressors, while 71% point to economic uncertainty as a major concern. That sustained financial pressure is eroding holistic health\u2014defined as wellbeing across physical, mental, social, and financial dimensions.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cSmall and mid-sized businesses are feeling cost pressures from all sides, often with fewer buffers than large employers, while employees are dealing with rising costs in their personal lives,\u201d said Bradd Chignoli, Head of Regional Business at MetLife. \u201cThat combination is changing workplace dynamics and increasing risk for employers as financial stress rises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>From affordability pressure to workforce uncertainty and \u201cjob hugging\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\nAffordability challenges are unfolding alongside a softening and increasingly unpredictable labor market. Recent payroll data points to continued workforce uncertainty among small employers, with firms with fewer than 50 employees moving from significant job cuts in November 2025<sup>4<\/sup> to flat job creation in January 2026<sup>5<\/sup> and modest growth in February 2026<sup>6<\/sup>. This volatility reinforces a climate of caution rather than confidence.<\/p>\n<p>\nIn this environment, many employees are staying put not because they feel engaged, but because leaving feels too risky\u2014a dynamic known as \u201cjob hugging.\u201d Nearly two in three SMB employees who intend to stay say necessity is a factor. Among those staying out of necessity, 81% are not holistically healthy and 44% are not engaged, underscoring the hidden risks of need\u2011based retention.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cWhen retention looks strong on paper, but employees are staying out of fear, the underlying health of the workforce is at risk,\u201d Chignoli said. \u201cFor small and mid-sized businesses, reduced wellbeing and engagement can quickly show up in productivity, service quality, and growth potential.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>A strategic opportunity to compete through holistic health and the employee experience<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\nMetLife\u2019s findings point to a practical path forward: cost discipline does not have to come at the expense of employee outcomes. SMB employers estimate a $2.20 return for every $1 invested in employee health, driven by gains in productivity, retention, and reduced absenteeism and costs.<\/p>\n<p>\nYet many SMBs face difficult trade-offs. The SBI found that 40% cite limited budgets and 37% cite rising benefit costs<sup>7<\/sup> as the biggest barriers to offering benefits. Even so, many SMB employers continue to invest in benefits, particularly voluntary benefits, as a way to support employees\u2019 financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing without significantly increasing employer spend. In fact, over half, 56% of SMB employers have offered new voluntary benefits in the past year. As rising healthcare and operating costs constrain budgets, voluntary benefits offer a flexible way to expand support without adding significant budget pressure, allowing employers to provide opt\u2011in coverage that enhances the employee experience while maintaining cost control.<\/p>\n<p>\nRather than relying on any single lever, MetLife\u2019s research shows stronger outcomes come from a holistic approach to benefits and the employee experience\u2014one that reduces friction, improves access to care, supports prevention, and reinforces connection at work through focused, high-impact actions.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cSMBs don\u2019t need to outspend large employers to compete,\u201d said Chignoli. \u201cBut they do need to invest intentionally in benefits and the employee experience. In a period of job hugging, those investments can turn need-based retention into real commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>About MetLife\u2019s Employee Benefit Trends Study &amp; Methodology<br \/>\n<br \/><\/b>MetLife\u2019s U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS) is a leading source of insights into workplace trends, employee expectations, and employer strategies. MetLife\u2019s 2026 EBTS is based on two quantitative studies, conducted October 2025, including surveys of 2,480 HR decision-makers and leaders, and 2,541 full-time employees from organizations of various industries and sizes, with an additional survey of 2,550 employees in January 2026. Respondents are aged 21+ and nationally representative of the full-time U.S. workforce in terms of demographics, job roles and firmographics. New to the 24<sup>th<\/sup> EBTS, MetLife used cultural insights and semiotics to explore shifting habits, motivations, and feelings among workers. The research is collected in partnership with STRAT7, a global strategy, insight, and planning consultancy.<\/p>\n<p><b>About MetLife<br \/>\n<br \/><\/b>MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (\u201cMetLife\u201d), is one of the world\u2019s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metlife.com%2F&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metlife.com&amp;index=1&amp;md5=b49689f597035b0f1e7eb0829ec00ead\">https:\/\/www.metlife.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><sup>1<\/sup> Unless otherwise stated, all data is from <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metlife.com%2Febts&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=MetLife%26%238217%3Bs+24th+Annual+U.S.+Employee+Benefit+Trends+Study&amp;index=2&amp;md5=54ddac551e1add1328332542efa7ea2a\">MetLife\u2019s 24th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study<\/a>. This release contains data collected for but not reported in the primary report.<br \/>\n<br \/><sup>2<\/sup> June 2025, The <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uschamber.com%2Fsbindex%2F&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=MetLife+%26amp%3B+U.S.+Chamber+of+Commerce+Q2+2025+Small+Business+Index&amp;index=3&amp;md5=dd8b00eedca11f59fa9a4741356e39ea\">MetLife &amp; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Q2 2025 Small Business Index<br \/>\n<\/a><br \/><sup>3<\/sup> September 2025, <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uschamber.com%2Feconomy%2Fsmall-businesses-remain-upbeat-despite-challenge-of-high-costs&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=The+MetLife+%26amp%3B+U.S.+Chamber+of+Commerce+Q3+2025+Small+Business+Index&amp;index=4&amp;md5=6a3bb8e3d679fde28135f98263dee110\">The MetLife &amp; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Q3 2025 Small Business Index<br \/>\n<\/a><br \/><sup>4<\/sup><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediacenter.adp.com%2F2025-12-03-ADP-National-Employment-Report-Private-Sector-Employment-Shed-32%2C000-Jobs-in-November-Annual-Pay-was-Up-4-4&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=November+2025%2C+ADP+National+Employment+Report&amp;index=5&amp;md5=e12e8231ddc804d7698f17cb3a1d6ac6\">November 2025, ADP National Employment Report<br \/>\n<\/a><br \/><sup>5<\/sup><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediacenter.adp.com%2F2026-02-04-ADP-National-Employment-Report-Private-Sector-Employment-Increased-by-22%2C000-Jobs-in-January-Annual-Pay-was-Up-4-5&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=January+2026%2C+ADP+National+Employment+Report&amp;index=6&amp;md5=8de533055a0f9ab9fa9b4c046597ccb2\">January 2026, ADP National Employment Report<br \/>\n<\/a><br \/><sup>6<\/sup><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediacenter.adp.com%2F2026-03-04-ADP-National-Employment-Report-Private-Sector-Employment-Increased-by-63%2C000-Jobs-in-February-Annual-Pay-was-Up-4-5&amp;esheet=54481065&amp;newsitemid=20260407220776&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=February+2026%2C+ADP+National+Employment+Report&amp;index=7&amp;md5=3d8f5a7be289fb801983e4496fa09b99\">February 2026, ADP National Employment Report<br \/>\n<\/a><br \/><sup>7<\/sup> June 2025, The MetLife &amp; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Q2 2025 Small Business Index<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=bwnews&amp;sty=20260407220776r1&amp;sid=flmnd&amp;distro=nx&amp;lang=en\" style=\"width:0;height:0\" \/><span class=\"bwct31415\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"mmgallerylink\"><span id=\"mmgallerylink-phrase\">View source version on businesswire.com: <\/span><span id=\"mmgallerylink-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20260407220776\/en\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20260407220776\/en\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Media Contact:<br \/>\n<\/b><br \/>Judi Mahaney<br \/>\n<br \/>646-238-4655<br \/>\n<br \/><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"mailto:jmahaney@metlife.com\">jmahaney@metlife.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>KEYWORDS:<\/b> New York United States North America<\/p>\n<p><b>INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:<\/b> Finance Professional Services Small Business Insurance Human Resources<\/p>\n<p><b>MEDIA:<\/b><\/p>\n<table cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"3\">\n<tr>\n<td><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><b>Logo<\/b><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260407220776\/en\/2047942\/3\/metlife_eng_logo_rgb.jpg\" alt=\"Logo\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce New MetLife data reveals how rising costs and \u201cjob hugging\u201d are changing how SMBs support and retain talent NEW YORK&#8211;(BUSINESS WIRE)&#8211; Small and mid-sized (SMB) businesses are navigating an increasingly complex environment marked by rising costs, heightened employee financial stress, and growing expectations. New insights from MetLife\u2019s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS) show that affordability pressures are reshaping how SMB employers operate and how their employees experience work. Employers with fewer than 1,000 employees cite rising medical costs (72%) and the increasing cost of doing business (68%) as top stressors, prompting employers to rank controlling health costs as their number one benefits priority for the first time since &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-949510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce - Market Newsdesk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce - Market Newsdesk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce New MetLife data reveals how rising costs and \u201cjob hugging\u201d are changing how SMBs support and retain talent NEW YORK&#8211;(BUSINESS WIRE)&#8211; Small and mid-sized (SMB) businesses are navigating an increasingly complex environment marked by rising costs, heightened employee financial stress, and growing expectations. New insights from MetLife\u2019s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS) show that affordability pressures are reshaping how SMB employers operate and how their employees experience work. Employers with fewer than 1,000 employees cite rising medical costs (72%) and the increasing cost of doing business (68%) as top stressors, prompting employers to rank controlling health costs as their number one benefits priority for the first time since &hellip; Continue reading &quot;Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Market Newsdesk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T13:58:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=bwnews&amp;sty=20260407220776r1&amp;sid=flmnd&amp;distro=nx&amp;lang=en\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Newsdesk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Newsdesk\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/index.php\\\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/index.php\\\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Newsdesk\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/482f27a394d4fda80ecb5499e519d979\"},\"headline\":\"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T13:58:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/index.php\\\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1037,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/index.php\\\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cts.businesswire.com\\\/ct\\\/CT?id=bwnews&amp;sty=20260407220776r1&amp;sid=flmnd&amp;distro=nx&amp;lang=en\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/index.php\\\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\\\/index.php\\\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce - 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Market Newsdesk","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce - Market Newsdesk","og_description":"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce New MetLife data reveals how rising costs and \u201cjob hugging\u201d are changing how SMBs support and retain talent NEW YORK&#8211;(BUSINESS WIRE)&#8211; Small and mid-sized (SMB) businesses are navigating an increasingly complex environment marked by rising costs, heightened employee financial stress, and growing expectations. New insights from MetLife\u2019s 2026 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS) show that affordability pressures are reshaping how SMB employers operate and how their employees experience work. Employers with fewer than 1,000 employees cite rising medical costs (72%) and the increasing cost of doing business (68%) as top stressors, prompting employers to rank controlling health costs as their number one benefits priority for the first time since &hellip; Continue reading \"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce\"","og_url":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/","og_site_name":"Market Newsdesk","article_published_time":"2026-04-07T13:58:45+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=bwnews&amp;sty=20260407220776r1&amp;sid=flmnd&amp;distro=nx&amp;lang=en","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Newsdesk","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Newsdesk","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/"},"author":{"name":"Newsdesk","@id":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/482f27a394d4fda80ecb5499e519d979"},"headline":"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce","datePublished":"2026-04-07T13:58:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/"},"wordCount":1037,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=bwnews&amp;sty=20260407220776r1&amp;sid=flmnd&amp;distro=nx&amp;lang=en","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/","url":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/cost-pressures-are-reshaping-todays-small-and-mid-sized-business-workforce\/","name":"Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Today\u2019s Small and Mid-Sized Business Workforce - 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