August 25, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Retirement plans in 2005

In March 2005, half of private industry employees participated in an employer provided retirement plan.

Percent of workers participating in retirement benefits, private industry, National Compensation Survey, March 2005
[Chart data—TXT]

Twenty-one percent of private industry employees participated in defined benefit retirement plans and 42 percent were in defined contribution plans. (Some employees participate in both types.)

These data are from the BLS National Compensation Survey program. Learn more in "Employee Benefits in Private Industry, 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-1571, and "National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March 2005" (PDF) Summary 05-01.