Retirement Benefits Available to Two-thirds of Private Industry Workers

However, a BLS news release said only half (51%) of private industry workers participated in a retirement plan. Among state and local government employees, 90% had access to retirement benefits and 86% participated in a retirement plan.

Medical care benefits were available to 71% of private industry workers, compared with 88% of state and local government workers. According to the news release, about half of private industry workers participated in a medical plan, while 73% of state and local government workers did.

Only 25% of the lowest wage earners — those with average hourly wages in the lowest 10% of all private industry wages — had access to medical care benefits. By contrast, nearly all workers with hourly wages in the highest 10% of all private industry wages had access to medical care benefits.

Private industry workers in service occupations have less access to medical care benefits (46%) than private industry management, professional, and related workers (86%), the BLS data showed.

Employers paid 82% of the cost of premiums for single coverage and 71% of the cost for family coverage, for workers participating in employer-sponsored medical plans. The employer share for single coverage was greater in state and local government (90%) than in private industry (80%). For family coverage, the employer share of premiums was similar for private industry and state and local government, 70% and 73%, respectively.

Nearly 90% of state and local government workers had access to paid sick leave, compared to approximately 60% of private industry workers.

The data is from the National Compensation Survey.