Why do employers provide benefits such as healthcare insurance, dental insurance, and retirement plans instead of higher wages and salaries?

What will be an ideal response?

Employer-funded benefits became popular during World War II because the federal government froze wages. Since wages were the same, the easiest way for an employer to attract new workers was to add benefits. Benefits became a common practice, and the federal government increased the value of some benefits (such as healthcare insurance) by exempting them from corporate taxes and personal income taxes. Group healthcare insurance plans typically cost less than individually purchased plans (that are not tax deductible for most individuals or households), so workers prefer to receive healthcare insurance instead of an equivalent increase in pay.