A historically low unemployment rate is igniting fierce competition for talent across the country. Employers are offering good pay and even better health and welfare benefits to attract and retain the best talent.  But an increasingly diverse workforce that spans multiple generations, from baby boomers to Generation Z, means that employers need to offer a range of voluntary benefits that appeal to many different types of employees. 

Here are the top voluntary benefits trends that will continue to take hold in 2018. 

Long-term care

Changes in Medicaid and Medicare, along with the rising cost of health care, mean that voluntary long-term care benefits are seeing a resurgence. Long-term care coverage helps to pay for care of people with chronic illness, disabilities and other conditions over an extended period of time. The coverage helps prevent rapid depletion of life savings and lessens the pressure on family members to provide care.