New Year Resolutions: Why Your Employees Need Better Financial Support in 2025

As we step into 2025, the numbers tell a story about your workforce's financial resolutions. With 72% of workers having experienced financial setbacks last year and nearly half (46%) forced to tap into their emergency savings, it's no surprise that financial goals top the New Year's resolutions list. Your employees are sending a clear message: they're determined to take control of their finances this year, with or without your help.

Three major studies released in December 2024 from Fidelity’s 2025 Financial Resolutions Study, YouGov’s 2025 Resolution Analysis, and The New York Times Financial Resolution Success Study reveal a fundamental shift in how employees view their financial future.

The data exposes their struggles and a roadmap for organizations ready to turn this crisis into an opportunity.

This analysis will examine the hard numbers behind this change, uncover the patterns across different employee groups, and reveal exactly what the research tells us about building effective financial support programs. Most importantly, we'll show you why 2025 will be the year that separates forward-thinking organizations from those left behind.

What the Numbers Reveal

Almost two-thirds of Americans (65%) consider making financial New Year's resolutions for 2025. Interestingly, 33% say they'll be more conservative with their money than in past years. This represents a dramatic shift in how people think about their finances going into the new year. And it makes sense: 72% of workers hit money troubles in 2024, and nearly half had to use their emergency savings to get by.

Saving money has become the most common New Year's resolution across all age groups - 26% of adults make it their top priority. This is huge.

Different Groups, Different Needs

The numbers look very different when we break them down by age and background. Young workers (under 30) are twice as likely to make resolutions compared to older workers - 58% versus 24%. Nearly half of these younger employees (47%) want to save more money, and a third specifically want to get better at managing their finances.

We're also seeing big differences across cultural groups. Hispanic employees are leading the charge - 47% are making financial resolutions, compared to 38% of Black and 27% of white employees. This tells us we need different approaches for different groups.

What's Really Keeping Your Employees Up at Night

Digging deeper into why people are worried reveals something surprising. The biggest money worry for 2025 isn't rising prices or the economy but unexpected expenses. 38% of people worry most about surprise bills, slightly more than those worried about inflation (37%) or the economy (32%). This shows us that people aren't just worried about keeping up with day-to-day costs - they're scared about what might go wrong.

This fear is changing how people act. A whopping 79% of workers plan to build up their emergency savings, with women slightly more likely to focus on this (80%). When more than half your workforce (53%) says they're overwhelmed by money worries, it's their problem and yours, too.

What This Means for Your Business

Whether you see it or not, financial stress is hitting your bottom line. Look at what happened in 2024: 39% of people who tried to improve their finances couldn't do it because daily costs kept increasing. When people are stressed about money, they're less productive, take more sick days, and are more likely to look for new jobs.

But there's good news, too. When people stuck to their financial goals in 2024, they told us why they succeeded: 28% said it was because they had clear goals, 27% had realistic plans, and another 27% said seeing their progress kept them going. This tells us exactly how to help employees succeed.

Interestingly, 72% of workers say they have some kind of financial plan, but 53% still feel overwhelmed. This gap tells us something important - having a plan isn't enough. People need better tools and support to turn their plans into reality, and that’s where employers can help.

The Gender Gap We Need to Talk About

The research shows a troubling pattern: while everyone faced money concerns in 2024, women are having a harder time. Thirty percent of women have no emergency savings at all, compared to 19% of men. This is a problem we can fix with the right support programs.

What Works: Lessons from the Research

The studies point to three things that really work:

1. Automatic savings: When 78% of people say they try to be prudent with money but still struggle, the answer is to make saving automatic. The research shows that more people succeed when you take the effort out of saving money. This one of the superpowers behind Sunny Day Fund - automating saving straight from the source. Pay yourself first.
2. Different solutions for different people: The numbers show clearly that different groups have different needs. Young workers need different help than older ones, and what works for one cultural group might not work for another.
3. Show people their progress: When people see they're making progress, they're more likely to stick with their goals.

What Employers Must Do

2025 is the year to get serious about helping your employees with their finances. The old way of doing things - offering financial education and retirement plans - isn't enough anymore. Your people are facing money challenges right now, and they need real help.

Your action plan should include:

• Setting up easy ways for people to save money from their paychecks, like with Sunny Day Fund. Keep the money accessible for emergencies.
• Creating coaching programs that understand different cultural needs
• Using technology that helps people track and improve their finances
• Measuring whether these programs actually help your employees
• Incentivize employees to save, just like you do with the retirement plan.

The Bottom Line

All the research points to one thing: 2025 will be a make-or-break year for workplace financial support. Companies that help their employees handle finances better will keep their best people and get more done. Those that don't will watch their best workers leave for companies that take these concerns seriously.

The research has shown us what employees need. We know what works. The only question left is: Will you step up to help your employees in 2025?