NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the U.S. economic outlook continues to improve, employee loyalty is on the decline, according to MetLife's 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends, released today. According to the study, 47% of employees report feeling very strong loyalty to their employer, down from 59% just three years ago. Yet many employers may be caught unaware by this downward trend since they believe their employees feel the same loyalty toward them today as they did several years ago. About half (51%) of surveyed employers today believe that their employees have very strong loyalty to them, and half believed the same in 2008.

While employers of all sizes saw productivity gains over the past 12 months, proving that many were able to "do more with less," this short-term gain may have come at the expense of employee loyalty. While 43% of larger employers (with 500 or more employees) and 38% of smaller employers (with fewer than 500 employees) reported productivity gains in 2010, more than one-third (36%) of employees hope to work for a different employer in the next 12 months.

"Worker loyalty has been slowly ebbing over the last several years, and it is important that employers take action to turn the tide around. The short-term gains employers realized from greater productivity appear to be short-lived and now pose bottom-line challenges as key talent considers other employment opportunities that have arisen as a result of the improving economy," said Anthony J. Nugent, executive vice president, U.S. Business, MetLife. "There is no doubt that the rebounding economy will bring more opportunities for employees, especially the high performers. A well-architected benefits offering will play an increasingly important role in retaining employees and positioning organizations for future growth."