Could your boss kick a little something into your student loan payments?

I'm David Brancaccio. First, lowest income countries are getting poorer and more in debt.

According to a new report this week from the World Bank. It identifies

26 countries needing more international aid. Here's Marketplace's Nova

Safo. The countries the World Bank identifies are mostly located in

sub-Saharan Africa but also include Yemen

and Afghanistan.

They account for 40% of all people living on less than $2.15 a day. Many of these countries do have plentiful natural resources such as

oil, cocoa, and precious metals needed for high-tech manufacturing. But big price swings in

commodities markets have left the countries vulnerable to economic shocks,

and they are in their worst financial shape in about two decades, according to the World Bank.

The report comes a week before annual meetings in Washington where the World Bank

and International Monetary Fund hope to raise $100 billion to help struggling countries.

I'm Nova

Safo for Marketplace. There is a way U.S. companies could help employees pay down

student loan debt the way the boss can help you save for retirement but will your company

go for it? Chris Farrell is Marketplace's senior economics contributor. Hey there

Chris. It's good to be with you David. So I guess it would make logical sense that if you got to pay more

student loans you might be less attentive to sock-in-away money for retirement but is there actual

evidence? So there's a recent example that comes from the Employee Benefits

Research Institute and J.P. Morgan Asset Management so they did a study

three-year period, and what they found in

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