2016 Employee Benefits in the United States — 2016-07-22

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.