Why financial wellbeing Is a global priority for multinational employers

Financial health is the ability to manage current obligations and feel confident about the future. Latest data from the Global Findex shows account access has reached 75 percent of adults in low- and middle-income economies, yet only 56 percent say they could reliably cover a financial shock within 30 days. Closing that gap takes 1:1 guidance from Certified Financial Planner® professionals paired with best-in-class money management tools.

What is financial health, and why does it matter for employers?

The G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion and the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health define financial health as the extent to which a person or family can manage current financial obligations and feel confident about their financial future. The definition has two important parts, day-to-day stability and long-term confidence, and both show up at work.

For HR and benefits leaders at multinational organizations, financial health is the difference between an employee who gets a flat tire and can afford the unexpected expense, vs the one who has to miss a day of work and ultimately puts the cost on a credit card. A workforce strategy that ignores financial health leaves productivity, retention, and engagement on the table.

What does the World Economic Forum's Global Findex tell us about workforce financial stress?

The latest Global Findex shows financial account access has grown 80 percent since 2011 and now reaches 75 percent of adults in low- and middle-income economies. About 40 percent save in these accounts formally.

Financial worry, however, remains consistent across income levels. Thirty percent of adults cite monthly expenses as their top concern, 26 percent point to medical expenses, and 14 percent worry most about school fees or income in old age. Thirty-two percent of adults buy groceries on credit. Monthly bills and medical costs rank as top worries among higher-income adults too, which is why income alone is a poor proxy for financial wellbeing at the workforce level.

Regional patterns are important for global benefits design. Monthly expenses dominate worries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where the share approaches or exceeds 40 percent. Medical expenses lead in East Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America, often above 30 percent. School fees pull more weight in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions. A single financial wellbeing playbook will not land equally in every market. Local nuance should shape financial wellbeing program design and communications.

Why doesn't financial inclusion equal financial resilience?

Access to a financial account is necessary, but it is not the same as financial health. Only 56 percent of adults in low- and middle-income economies could reliably access extra money within 30 days to cope with a shock, a figure unchanged since 2021. Just one-third of adults globally could cover more than two months of expenses if they lost their main source of income.

Uptake of the products designed to absorb shocks is low. Roughly 10 percent of adults in low- and middle-income economies (excluding China) pay an insurance premium. Less than one in three save formally for old age. Only 9 percent of adults in these economies earn interest on their formal savings. About 1.3 billion adults still lack any financial account at all.

Health-related borrowing further windens this gap. In every region tracked by the Findex, adults in the poorest 40 percent of households borrow more for medical and health purposes than wealthier adults, and almost all of that borrowing is informal. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, around three in ten adults in the lowest income bracket borrowed for health reasons in the past year, mostly outside the formal financial system. Workforce benefits intersect with this pattern directly. Employees who manage medical costs through informal borrowing rarely flag that stress in a benefits survey, but it surfaces in absenteeism, claims behavior, and turnover.

An employer that benchmarks success only on retirement plan enrollment or financial account participation is measuring access. Financial wellbeing requires looking at whether employees can actually weather an emergency, fund a goal, and feel confident about what is next.

Where does emergency money actually come from?

The Findex breakdown of how resilient adults find emergency funds shows the lever employers can pull. Among adults who can raise emergency money inside 30 days, the largest sources are family and friends (about 16 percent of all adults), personal savings (about 18 percent), and work or extra income (about 15 percent). Borrowing, selling assets, and other sources make up the remaining slice.

Compared with 2021, reliance on savings ticked up while reliance on work and informal sources stayed flat or slipped. Findex analysts note that adults who lean on savings to absorb shocks are more likely to stay financially resilient over time. The message for benefits leaders is clear. Programs that help employees build and protect a dedicated emergency savings buffer move the financial health needle more significantly than programs focused only on retirement or general financial literacy. Pair that with 1:1 guidance from Certified Financial Planner® professionals so employees know how much to save, where to put it, and how to keep it intact when a suprise expense comes up.

How does this show up in the multinational workforce?

Multinational employers see the financial health gap most clearly in mixed workforces. A finance manager in Singapore, a contact center employee in Mexico, and a hybrid worker in Ireland face different local systems, but the stress patterns are consistent. Monthly bills, medical costs, education, and retirement appear at the top of every regional survey.

The LearnLux Workplace Financial Wellbeing Report tracks the same pattern inside the workforce. Employees want unbiased, personal guidance from a fiduciary, not a sales pitch from commissioned contractors. A program that pays its planners commissions on product sales has built-in conflicts that erode trust the moment an employee asks a hard question.

How can global employers help close the financial health gap?

The answer is not another point solution. It is a global financial wellbeing program that combines 1:1 guidance from Certified Financial Planner® professionals, or locally credentialed financial professionals, paired with best-in-class money management tools. That pairing gives every employee, across every region, the same fiduciary support and the same digital experience.

1. Fiduciary, not commissioned

The planners helping your employees should be fiduciaries with no product to sell. LearnLux planners receive no commissions, no referral fees, and no kickbacks. That structure lets a planner give honest guidance on whether to pay down debt, fund their retirement savings, or build an emergency buffer first.

2. Global reach with local nuance

Tax codes, retirement systems, and credential frameworks differ by country. A global program should bring the same standard of guidance to every market, with local context and in-country financial experts built in.

3. Holistic scope, not single-topic

A program that only handles retirement misses the monthly bills, medical costs, and education concerns the Global Findex flagged as top stressors. LearnLux offers digital learning, planning tools, and 1:1 CFP® guidance across budgeting, debt, equity compensation, benefits navigation, estate basics, retirement and more.

For a deeper buyer-side view, see the Workplace Financial Wellbeing Buyer's Guide and the guide to evaluating financial wellbeing solutions. To see how the LearnLux program is structured, visit the LearnLux Program overview.

Frequently asked questions

What is financial health?

Financial health is the extent to which a person or family can manage current financial obligations and feel confident about their financial future. It covers both day-to-day stability and long-term confidence.

What is the difference between financial inclusion and financial resilience?

Financial inclusion means having access to and using financial services like a bank account. Financial resilience means being able to absorb a shock, such as job loss, illness, or an unexpected expense. The 2024 Global Findex shows inclusion has risen sharply while resilience has stalled at 56 percent.

How many adults globally still lack a financial account?

About 1.3 billion adults still lack any financial account, according to the 2024 Global Findex.

Why should multinational employers care about financial wellbeing?

Financial stress affects productivity, retention, healthcare utilization, and engagement. Multinational workforces face the same top stressors across regions, including monthly bills, medical costs, education, and retirement.

Where do financially resilient adults find emergency money?

The Global Findex shows the largest sources are family and friends, personal savings, and income from work. Reliance on savings has grown since 2021, and Findex analysts find that adults who use savings to absorb shocks are more likely to remain financially resilient over time.

Why do poorer adults borrow more for medical expenses?

Across every region tracked by the Findex, adults in the poorest 40 percent of households borrow more for health and medical purposes than wealthier adults, and most of that borrowing is informal. Limited access to insurance, low formal savings balances, and gaps in benefits navigation push lower-income households toward family, friends, or community lenders.

What should a global workplace financial wellbeing program include?

Look for 1:1 guidance from Certified Financial Planner® professionals paired with best-in-class money management tools, fiduciary structure, global reach with local nuance, and holistic scope across budgeting, debt, benefits navigation, equity compensation, and retirement.

How is LearnLux different from a point solution?

Point solutions handle one topic, such as student loan repayment or retirement education. LearnLux is a global financial wellbeing program that consolidates planning, education, and 1:1 fiduciary guidance into one offering for every employee in every region.

How do I bring LearnLux to my workforce?

Request a demo to see how LearnLux supports financial health globally.

Methodology. Macro statistics in this article reference the World Economic Forum's article citing 2024 Global Findex Database, released in 2025, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health 2025 Annual Report. Workforce statistics reference the 2026 LearnLux Workplace Financial Wellbeing Report.