Origin's 2021 Financial Health Study

The State of Employee Financial Health and Wealth

We asked 1,000 workers about their financial wellness. They're struggling—and expect employers to help.

Get the full report

Our key findings

93%

of workers would like their employer to offer financial planning services.

28%

of employers offer financial planning and advisory services

39%

of workers never have consulted a financial planner

1. Employees need (and want) financial support

If we take a step back and look at the state of financial wellness during the past year, it’s clear employees are struggling. Of the 1,000 employees we surveyed, half of U.S. workers don't feel confident or are somewhat confident in their financial health and wellness.

2. And they're turning to Google and social media for financial advice

Overall, the majority of U.S. workers don’t know where to turn for financial advice, with two-thirds of workers wanting to make more informed decisions about their investments, but don’t know how. Almost half (44%) of employees use a simple search, like Google or Bing, for advice, while 36% of people use social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok.

3. Financial stress is hitting some groups harder than others

Specifically, respondents over 45 and female respondents are more likely to indicate that their financial health took a turn for the worse over the past year—likely due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Men are nearly 2x more likely to be confident or very confident in their financial health than women (62% of male respondents versus 38% of female respondents). Women are also 10% more likely than men to say their financial health is the same or worse than last year.

4. Housing costs and student loans top the list of financial woes for employees

Between worrying about mass layoffs and hitting pause on milestones, such as purchasing a home, it’s no wonder that employees are feeling lost about their finances—to the point where they’re struggling to make basic ends meet. 27% of respondents said their mortgage or rent payment causes the most financial stress, followed by student loan debt (18%)

5. Cryptocurrency is on a sharp rise as a way to build wealth

Our survey also found that employees over 45 are less likely to diversify their investments. While investing in cryptocurrency has become a popular wealth-building strategy, only 15% of those over 45 put additional income into cryptocurrency—compared to 34% of respondents between the ages of 36 to 45, and 33% of respondents between the ages of 22 to 35. Men are 27% more likely to put additional income into cryptocurrencies to build wealth than women.

6. Employees are looking to their employers for financial guidance

With an increased level of financial stress but nowhere to turn, nearly all (93%) employees indicated that they’re looking to their employers for financial planning. Unfortunately, less than one-third (28%) of companies are giving workers the financial guidance they need. Origin helps employers fill in this gap. Origin is a comprehensive financial wellness platform that helps employees manage their compensation, benefits, and personal finances—all with the personalized guidance of financial professionals.