1995 Employee Benefits in Medium and Large Establishments — 1997-07-25

Retirement plan participation by employees in medium and large private establishments (those with 100 workers or more) has remained fairly constant, but there has been a shift in the types of plans providing coverage, according to a 1995 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data from the Employee Benefits Survey show that, in 1995, 80 percent of full-time employees in medium and large private establishments participated in one or more retirement income plans, up from the 78 percent reported in 1993. In 1995, 52 percent of all full-time workers participated in defined benefit plans, which use predetermined formulas to calculate retirement benefits, down from 56 percent in 1993. On the other hand, 55 percent of all full-time workers participated in defined contribution plans, which specify the employer's contribution but not the eventual benefit, up from 49 percent in 1993.