For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, July 22, 2016 USDL-16-1493
Technical information: (202) 691-6199 ncsinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 pressoffice@bls.gov
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS IN THE UNITED STATES - MARCH 2016
The participation rate for employer-sponsored medical care benefits for civilian workers was 52 percent
in March 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The participation rate was 49 percent
for private industry workers and 73 percent for state and local government workers. (See tables A and 2,
and chart 1.)
The participation rate for employer-sponsored retirement benefits, which include defined benefit and
defined contribution plans, was 54 percent for civilian workers. The participation rate was 49 percent for
private industry workers and 81 percent for state and local government workers. Differences in
retirement plan participation are influenced by the type of plan offered. (See tables A and 1, chart 1, and
the technical note.)
Fifty-seven percent of civilian workers participated in employer-sponsored life insurance benefits. The
participation rate for private industry workers was 54 percent and 78 percent for state and local
government workers. (See tables A and 5, and chart 1.)
The share of single coverage medical care premiums paid by employees averaged 19 percent for civilian
workers, 21 percent for private industry workers, and 13 percent for state and local government workers.
(See table 3 and chart 2.)
These data are from the National Compensation Survey (NCS), which provides comprehensive
measures of compensation cost levels and trends and also provides benefits incidence data on the
percentage of workers with access to and participating in employer-provided benefit plans. The survey
covers a broad range of benefits including holidays and vacations, sick leave, life insurance, and detailed
provisions for health care and retirement plans. Archived NCS news releases are available at
www.bls.gov/ncs/ncspubs.htm.
Table A. Selected employer-sponsored benefits: Access, participation and take-up rates1, March 2016
(All workers = 100 percent)
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Benefit Civilian Private industry State and local government
Access Participation Take-up Access Participation Take-up Access Participation Take-up
rates rates rates
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Retirement 69 54 78 66 49 75 90 81 90
Medical care 70 52 75 67 49 73 88 73 83
Life insurance 59 57 98 55 54 98 80 78 98
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1 For definitions of major plans, key provisions, and related terms, see the "Glossary of Employee Benefit Terms" at
www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/glossary20152016.htm and the technical note.
Highlights of employer-sponsored benefits for civilian workers by worker characteristics:
* Access to retirement benefits for major occupational groups ranged from 47 percent for service
workers to 84 percent for management, professional, and related workers. (See table 1.)
* Access to medical care benefits was 88 percent of full-time workers and 19 percent for part-time
workers. (See table 2.)
* Access to life insurance benefits was 85 percent for union workers and 54 percent for nonunion
workers. (See table 5.)
* For workers with an average wage in the lowest 25 percent category, 41 percent had access to
paid sick leave, 51 percent had access to paid vacations, and 53 percent had access to paid
holidays. For workers with an average wage in the highest 25 percent category, 87 percent had
access to paid sick leave, 79 percent had access to paid vacations, and 83 percent had access to
paid holidays. (See table 6.)
Highlights of employer-sponsored benefits for civilian workers by establishment characteristics:
* Access to retirement benefits by establishment size ranged from 53 percent for workers in
establishments with 1 to 99 workers to 86 percent for workers in establishments with 100
workers or more. (See table 1.)
* Eighty-four percent of civilian workers in goods-producing industries had access to medical care
benefits. For workers in service-providing industries, the access rate to medical care benefits was
68 percent. (See table 2.)
* The access rate for life insurance for workers by Census region was 51 percent in the West, 59
percent in the Northeast, 61 percent in the South, and 62 percent in the Midwest. (See table 5.)
* For workers in establishments with 1 to 99 workers, the access rate was 56 percent for paid sick
leave, 68 percent for paid vacations, and 69 percent for paid holidays. For workers in
establishments with 100 or more workers, the access rate was 79 percent for paid sick leave, 79
percent for paid vacations, and 82 percent for paid holidays. (See table 6.)
More information can be obtained by calling (202) 691-6199, sending e-mail to ncsinfo@bls.gov, or by
visiting www.bls.gov/ebs.
Additional Data Available Fall 2016
More information will be published September 23, 2016 on the incidence and provisions of health care
benefits, retirement benefits, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability benefits, paid holidays
and vacations, and other selected benefits. For the latest benefit publications see www.bls.gov/ebs.