New York, NY–(HISPANIC PR WIRE – BUSINESS WIRE)–October 29, 2004–Almost half (45%) of women – and 36% of men – of voting age say that the Presidential candidates’ proposed benefits/healthcare platforms will influence their voting decision, according to MetLife’s 2004 Employee Benefits Trend Study. Among African-American and Hispanic voters, the percentage climbs to 46% and 49% respectively. More than one-third (39%) of U.S. employers agree, with 39% of businesses with 2 – 49 employees, 40% of midsize businesses (50 – 999 employees) and 35% of the nation’s largest companies (25,000+) identifying benefits and healthcare as a decisive voting issue.
“Since employees are shouldering more of the burden of their healthcare and benefits costs, they have become engaged in the political dialogue and its impact on their financial destiny,” notes Beth Hirschhorn, chief marketing officer for MetLife. “Likewise, for employers, the rising price of health insurance and pension liabilities have escalated employee benefits from a traditional human resources strategy to a board room priority.”
Survey findings also show that benefits play an important role in job selection decisions. While only one in five (20%) men identify benefits as an important reason for choosing an employer, 32% of women – and 37% of those who are separated/divorced – say it is a critical factor.
The MetLife Study was conducted during the third quarter of 2004 and consisted of two distinct surveys. The employee survey, fielded by NOP World in September, polled 903 full-time employees, age 21 and older, and 1,542 voting-age consumers. A total of 1,528 HR/Benefits executives from companies with at least two employees participated in the employer survey, which was fielded in September by TNS NFO.
MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to individual and institutional customers. The MetLife companies serve individuals in approximately 13 million households in the U.S. and provide benefits to 37 million employees and family members through their plan sponsors. Outside the U.S., the MetLife companies serve approximately 8 million customers through direct insurance operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan and Uruguay. For more information about MetLife, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.metlife.com.
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CONTACT:
MetLife,
Toni Griffin, 727-862-7006
or
Donna Stoehr/Lisa Karel, 212-840-1661,
