Confidence in Voluntary Benefits Industry Rises

Confidence among carriers, brokers, and vendors in the voluntary employee benefits industry rose in 2011, according to a new survey.

Eastbridge Consulting Group, Avon, Conn., published this finding in a summary of results from a new survey of voluntary employee benefits. The company conducts the survey semi-annually and includes responses from individuals active in the market, among them carriers, brokers, vendors and employees.

The survey determines industry confidence based on a “confidence index,” a single number that compares current results to a baseline measure. The index is calculated using three key expectation measures about the voluntary industry: sales growth; profitability of the industry; and employee enthusiasm about voluntary products.