Employer Retirement Plans Help Millennials with Savings Goals

More than three in four Millennial workers with access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan make consistent contributions from their paycheck to the retirement plan or to a savings account, compared with 43% of those without access to an employer-sponsored plan, according to a poll by Young Invincibles, a national advocacy group that aims to engage young adults on financial issues, higher education, health care and jobs.

Overall, two-thirds (67%) of full- and part-time working Millennials surveyed are saving consistently. Most Millennial workers who are saving save between 6% and 10% of their monthly income. Fifty-four percent of Millennial workers are saving between 0% and 10% of their income, while 13% save 11% or more.

Eighty percent of survey respondents with access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan say their employer contributes to their retirement account, while 18% do not receive employer contributions.

The survey found that more than two-fifths (41%) of Millennials surveyed would put a 10% increase in annual income toward savings or investment. Twenty-four percent would put that money in an accessible savings account, 11% would put it toward long-term savings or retirement, and 6% would invest the money in higher-risk markets or stocks.

Just 23% said they would spend a 10% increase in annual income on a home or car purchase, a child’s education or care, consumer or luxury goods, or managing other financial obligations. Twenty-one percent would put this additional income toward paying down debt.

Seventy-four percent of Millennials surveyed who are working full- or part-time have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan; however, access to these plans varies dramatically by income level. Fewer than half (48%) of workers earning less than $25,000 have access to an employer-sponsored plan, compared with 72% of workers earning $25,000 to $50,000, 77% of workers earning $50,000 to $75,000, and 84% earning $75,000 or more.

Millennial workers’ access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan also varies by education attainment: 64% of Millennial voters without a bachelor’s degree have access to an employer-sponsored plan, while 82% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher have access.

Eighty-five percent of Millennials surveyed would support a state-facilitated retirement plan that “would provide a voluntary option for workers without a way to save for retirement at work.”

Findings of the Young Invincibles poll are here.