While the percentage of plan members who describe their personal financial situation as significantly or somewhat better than last year decreased from 42 per cent in 2025 to 34 per cent, the percentage that describe it as significantly worse or somewhat worse has also dropped, from 26 per cent last year to 22 per cent, according to Benefits Canada’s 2026 Employee Savings Survey.

During a webinar discussing the survey’s results, Jimmy Carbonneau, national director of group retirement, group insurance and group annuity plans advisor at AGA Benefit Solutions, said these findings are indicative of an E-shaped economy — in which higher-income employees continue spending and lower-income workers scale back their consumption — and likened the results to a car’s check-engine light. “I’m not saying the car is run down or is beyond repair, but some parts may need attention or an upgrade.”

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For the first time, the survey, which polled 500 plan........

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