How financial anxiety affects employees at work

Financial anxiety doesn't stay at home when employees start work.

Money worries can affect how people feel, sleep, focus and plan for the future. And for U.S. employers, financial stress remains a significant workforce challenge.

PwC's 2026 Employee Financial Wellness Survey, based on nearly 3,500 U.S. employees, found that 59% are currently stressed about their finances. PwC also found that financial stress can affect areas including mental health, sleep, self-esteem, and productivity.

nudge's 2023 global financial health research also highlighted the relationship between money and anxiety:

• 17% of people felt overwhelmed by their debts
• 36% didn't believe their employer was interested in supporting their financial health
• 48% felt anxious about their current financial situation.

The research points to an important opportunity for employers. You can't remove every source of financial anxiety, but you can help employees understand their finances, navigate their options, and take action when it matters.

Here are three ways financial anxiety can affect employees at work; and how stronger financial health support can help.

1. Financial anxiety can affect mental and physical health

Financial health and mental health are closely connected.

Money worries can create stress and anxiety; that stress can then make it harder to engage with financial decisions and take action.

PwC's 2026 U.S. research found that financial stress affects several areas of personal wellness, including mental health, sleep and self-esteem.

That matters because employees are navigating significant financial pressures.

The Federal Reserve's 2026 Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households report found that 58% of U.S. adults said price changes over the previous year had made their financial situation worse. Sixteen percent had not paid all their bills in full in the previous month.

Financial health support can't remove those pressures. But it can give employees impartial information, relevant tools and practical next steps to help them feel more informed and in control.

2. Younger employees face particular financial pressures

Financial stress isn't experienced equally across the workforce.

Younger employees may be balancing everyday costs with student loans, housing, building emergency savings and beginning to save for retirement; often while having had less time to build financial resilience.

PwC's 2026 research shows how significant the impact can be. 85% of Gen Z respondents said financial stress affects their mental health, while 71% reported reduced productivity.

Our own research found a similar pattern. nudge's 2023 global financial health research found that 58% of 25 to 34-year-olds felt anxious about their financial situation. Among those offered financial education, that figure was 46%.

That doesn't mean financial education alone caused the difference. But it does suggest an association between access to financial education and lower reported financial anxiety.

For employers, the opportunity isn't simply to give younger employees more information. It's to make support relevant to the financial decisions they're actually making; and help them turn knowledge into action.

Personalized financial education can help someone understand where they stand, identify what matters to them, and find practical next steps based on their circumstances.

3. Financial stress can affect focus and performance at work

Financial anxiety isn't only a personal issue; it can follow employees into the workplace.

PwC's 2026 research describes financial stress as a potential business risk, with sustained financial pressure affecting productivity, engagement and long-term workforce stability.

The impact is particularly visible among younger workers; 71% of Gen Z respondents in PwC's survey reported reduced productivity as a result of financial stress.

Meanwhile, the American Psychological Association's 2025 Work in America survey found that 54% of U.S. workers said job insecurity had a significant impact on their stress levels; another indication of how financial and employment uncertainty can affect people's experience at work.

Financial health support can form part of an employer's response.

nudge's 2023 research found that 40% of employees who received financial education felt their relationship with their employer was strong and went beyond being purely transactional.

Supporting financial health can therefore be about more than addressing financial knowledge. It can help employees feel supported as they navigate the decisions and pressures affecting their lives.

How can employers help reduce financial anxiety?

There isn't a single financial challenge affecting every employee; so there can't be a single piece of financial education that solves it.

Employees need different support depending on their income, life stage, financial circumstances, goals, and location.

That's where personalization matters.

Rather than simply providing more financial information, employers can help employees understand what's relevant to them, navigate their workplace benefits, and identify actions they can take.

That could mean helping someone understand how to build emergency savings; manage debt; make better use of their health or retirement benefits; plan for a major life moment; or simply understand where their money is going.

And support needs to be available when employees need it. Financial health changes as life changes; a one-off webinar or annual campaign alone can't respond to every moment.

From financial anxiety to informed action

The goal isn't to eliminate every financial worry. Employers can't control the economy, the cost of living, or everything happening in an employee's life.

They can help people feel better equipped to respond.

nudge's 2023 global research found that 59% of employees who received financial education felt more hopeful about their finances.

That's where effective financial health support can make a difference; helping employees understand their situation, build knowledge and confidence, and take informed action.

By combining personalized financial education, intelligent technology and human expertise, employers can help people navigate financial decisions throughout their lives; from everyday money management and workplace benefits to debt, savings and retirement.

Because stronger financial health isn't simply about knowing more. It's about helping people make better financial decisions and take action when it matters.

Want to help your people build stronger financial health? Get in touch to learn how nudge can support your workforce.

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