The ninth annual MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends revealed that, despite an improving economic outlook, employee loyalty is on the decline. The study reported that 47 percent of employees polled report a strong loyalty to their employers, down from 59 percent three years ago.

Employers, however, believe their employees have the same loyalty to them today – about half of employers surveyed believe their employees are still loyal.  The study was conducted by MetLife Inc. in conjunction with GfK Custom Research North America.

Employers proved during the past year that they were able to do more with less, which led to increases in productivity. It also likely led to decreases in employee loyalty, the study explained. More than one-third of employees polled hope to get another job in the next year. Given the current economic recovery, that hope could become a reality for many employees, leaving companies in the lurch.