If anyone still wonders whether voluntary benefits will continue to gain traction in the marketplace, no need for concern. Simply ask a few of the  three quarters of a million U.S. employers  who offer a voluntary option to some  90 million employees* about the broadening embrace of voluntary benefits. More than half of workers surveyed in MetLife's 10^th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends reported they were interested in having a wider array of voluntary benefits which they could purchase and pay for.

Despite the clear popularity of benefits which employees pay for wholly or in part, though, there is plenty of room for a stronger presence of these products on the benefits menu. Only 19% of employers surveyed in the Employee Benefits Trends Study planned to increase the number of voluntary benefits offered in the next 18 months, and participation rates often are not where employers want them to be.

Click here to read MetLife's white paper to help brokers and employers tailor benefits to specific workforces.