Recent Data on Retirement Benefits from the National Compensation Survey
The National Compensation Survey (NCS) provides comprehensive information on defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans. Under the NCS program, information on the incidence and provisions of benefits is published in stages. A bulletin is published with a March reference date each year with data collected from respondents for civilian (as defined by NCS), State and local government, and private industry workers, on the access to, and participation in, selected benefits such as retirement. A second publication, based on employer documentation of benefit plans, is published annually with more detailed information on basic provisions of defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans. Also, additional provisions of retirement data are published on a rotating basis.
Employer costs for employee compensation are published quarterly. Included are costs of defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, and employer Social Security contributions for different occupational and industry groups, worker characteristics, and geographic areas.
Employee Benefits (Retirement)
- Latest retirement coverage data: National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2012. For example, the percent of workers with access to defined benefit plans.
- Latest data with limited number of defined contribution provisions: National Compensation Survey: Health and Retirement Plan Provisions in Private Industry in the United States, 2010. For example, the percent of workers in defined contribution plans with deferred profit sharing.
- Most complete collection of recent data on defined benefit provisions: National Compensation Survey: Health and Retirement Plan Provisions in Private Industry in the United States, 2010. For example, the percent of workers with defined benefit plans subject to maximum years of credited service.
- Most complete collection of recent data on defined contribution provisions: National Compensation Survey: Health and Retirement Plan Provisions in Private Industry in the United States, 2009. For example, percent of workers with savings and thrift plans with no minimum age or service eligibility requirement.
- Most recent data on defined benefit retirement survivor benefit for unmarried domestic partners: National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2012 (PDF). (Table 44) For example, the percent of workers covered by defined benefit plans that make survivor benefits available to either same sex or opposite sex unmarried domestic partners.
- Glossary of retirement benefits terms.
Employer Cost Trends
Published Articles
- “Who has benefits in private industry in 2012?" Beyond the Numbers: Pay and Benefits, September 2012, Vol. 1, No. 13, (focuses on access to and participation in retirement and other benefits by various worker and establishment characteristics).
- “Program Perspectives on Legally Required Benefit Costs (PDF)" Program Perspective, April 2012, (includes data on employer costs for Social Security by occupational and industry characteristics).
- “Changing Landscape of Employment-based Retirement Benefits" Compensation and Working Conditions Online, September 2011, (highlights changes in retirement plan features).
- “Program Perspectives on Defined-Contribution Plan Investment Choices (PDF)" Program Perspective, June 2011, (data on commonly found investment options in savings and thrift (e.g. 401(k)) retirement plans for private industry workers. Highlighted data includes available investment choices for employee and employer contributions).
- “Program Perspectives on Defined Contribution Plans (PDF)" Program Perspectives, March 2011, (highlights six types of defined contribution plans, providing BLS data on participation by type of plan and method of contribution).
- “Program Perspectives on State and Local Government Benefits (PDF)" Program Perspectives, January 2011, (includes data on Defined Contribution retirement plan types and Defined Contribution investment choices).
- “Program Perspectives on Defined Contribution Plans (PDF)" Program Perspective, November 2010, (data on defined contribution retirement plans, including access and participation rates for private industry and state and local government workers).
- “Program Perspectives on Combined Benefit Plans (PDF)" Program Perspectives, July 2010, (new data series on employee access to medical care and retirement benefits).
- “How Does Your 401(K) Match Up?" Compensation and Working Conditions Online, May 2010, (overview of NCS terms for typical Savings and Thrift plans).
- “Program Perspectives on Frozen Defined-Benefit Plans (PDF)" Program Perspective, April 2010, (data on the frequency, accrual of benefits, and alternatives to frozen defined-benefit plans as well as the length of time since the plans were frozen).
Last Modified Date: September 24, 2012
|
