For additional assistance on 

benefits, contact one of our 

information offices:

NATIONAL: WASHINGTON, DC

(202) 691-6199 TDD: (800) 877-8339

NCSinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs

REGIONAL:

ATLANTA

(404) 893-4222

BOSTON

(617) 565-2327

CHICAGO

(312) 353-1880

DALLAS

(972) 850-4800

KANSAS CITY

(816) 285-7000

NEW YORK

(646) 264-3600

PHILADELPHIA

(215) 597-3282

SAN FRANCISCO

(415) 625-2270

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

www.bls.gov/ebs 

National Compensation Sur

Employee Benefits in 

United States, March

National Compensation Sur

Health and Retiremen

Provisions in Private In

in the United States, 

and more!...

GLOSSARY

The next Program Perspectives will feature life/disability insurance.

Access. An employee has access to a 

benefit plan if the employee is in an 

occupation that is offered the plan. By 

definition, either all employees in an 

occupation have access to a benefit, or 

none has access.

Participation. Participation is the 

percent of employees who actually 

enroll in a benefit plan. A plan may 

be a contributory plan, which requires 

employees to contribute to the plan’s 

cost to participate, or it may be a 

noncontributory plan, where the 

employer pays 100 percent of the cost 

of the benefit.

Defined contribution plan. A defined 

contribution retirement plan specifies 

the level of employer contributions and 

places those contributions into individual 

employee accounts. Retirement benefits 

are based on the level of funds in the 

account at the time of retirement.

defined contribution private 

industry worker access rates were 

65 percent, with a participation rate 

of 49 percent. For private industry 

workers in service-providing 

industries, the access rate for 

defined contribution plans was 58 

percent, and the participation rate 

was 40 percent. In comparison, for 

State and local government workers 

in service-providing industries, the 

access rate for defined contribution 

plans was 29 percent, and the 

participation rate was 17 percent.

Defined contribution access 

and participation vary by 

government ownership. The 

defined contribution access rate for 

State government workers was 43 

percent, and the participation rate 

was 25 percent. Local government 

workers had lower access and 

participation rates in defined 

contribution plans, at 24 percent 

and 14 percent, respectively. ●

Percent of employees in defined contribution plans

required to contribute, National Compensation

Survey, March 2010

Worker or establishment

characteristic

Private

industry

State and local

government

All workers 63 58

By full-/part-time status

Full-time 63 58

Part-time 56 62

By bargaining unit status

Union 59 43

Nonunion 63 66

TABLE 2

from page 3►
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • NOVEMBER 2010 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

CHART

Access and participation rates to defined contribution

retirement plans, National Compensation Survey, 

March 2010, in percent

Private industry State and local government

benefit plans) and provisions 

of selected employee benefit 

plans. In this edition of Program 

Perspectives, defined contribution 

plans will be the focal point.

Information by worker

characteristics

Are there differences in coverage 

between full- and part-time 

workers? Not surprisingly, access 

and participation rates for defined 

contribution plans showed a sharp 

discrepancy between full-time 

and part-time private industry 

workers. Sixty-eight percent of 

full-time workers had access to 

defined contribution plans, as 

compared with 33 percent of parttime workers. The participation 

rate was 50 percent for full-time 

workers and 15 percent for parttime workers. (See table 1.)

Do access and participation rates 

for State and local government 

workers display similar relationships? 

Yes, but at lower relative percentage 

rates. Access rates for full-time 

workers were 33 percent, compared 

with 9 percent for part-time workers. 

Participation rates for State and local 

government workers were 19 percent 

for full-time workers, compared with 

5 percent for part-time workers.

What is the difference in access 

and participation rates for union and 

nonunion private industry workers? 

Union workers had an access rate 

of 55 percent, compared with 59 

percent of nonunion workers. Despite 

this difference, the participation 

rate for union workers was 44 

percent, above the 41 percent for 

nonunion private industry workers.

Do these private industry 

patterns carry over for State and 

local government union and 

nonunion workers? Yes, the results 

were similar, as State and local 

government union workers had a 

26-percent access rate to defined 

contribution plans, compared 

with 32 percent for nonunion 

workers. However, State and local 

governments had higher participation 

rates for nonunion workers, as 

compared with union workers 

in defined contribution plans.

Do access and participation 

rates in defined contribution plans 

increase as wages increase? For 

workers in the lowest 10-percent 

wage category, the access rate for 

private industry was 27 percent, 

and participation was 8 percent. 

These numbers steadily increased 

for higher wage categories, reaching 

an access rate of 81 percent and 

68 percent participation at the 

highest 10-percent level. State and 

local government workers access 

and participation for the lowest 

10-percent wage category were 20 

and 12 percent, respectively; 32 

percent of workers in the highest 

10-percent wage category had access 

to defined contribution plans, while 

19 percent participated in such plans.

Information by

establishment

characteristics

Does incidence vary by 

establishment size for defined 

contribution plans? Defined 

 Access

 Participation

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 

from cover page►
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • NOVEMBER 2010 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

CHART

Access and participation rates to defined contribution

retirement plans, National Compensation Survey, 

March 2010, in percent

Private industry State and local government

benefit plans) and provisions 

of selected employee benefit 

plans. In this edition of Program 

Perspectives, defined contribution 

plans will be the focal point.

Information by worker

characteristics

Are there differences in coverage 

between full- and part-time 

workers? Not surprisingly, access 

and participation rates for defined 

contribution plans showed a sharp 

discrepancy between full-time 

and part-time private industry 

workers. Sixty-eight percent of 

full-time workers had access to 

defined contribution plans, as 

compared with 33 percent of parttime workers. The participation 

rate was 50 percent for full-time 

workers and 15 percent for parttime workers. (See table 1.)

Do access and participation rates 

for State and local government 

workers display similar relationships? 

Yes, but at lower relative percentage 

rates. Access rates for full-time 

workers were 33 percent, compared 

with 9 percent for part-time workers. 

Participation rates for State and local 

government workers were 19 percent 

for full-time workers, compared with 

5 percent for part-time workers.

What is the difference in access 

and participation rates for union and 

nonunion private industry workers? 

Union workers had an access rate 

of 55 percent, compared with 59 

percent of nonunion workers. Despite 

this difference, the participation 

rate for union workers was 44 

percent, above the 41 percent for 

nonunion private industry workers.

Do these private industry 

patterns carry over for State and 

local government union and 

nonunion workers? Yes, the results 

were similar, as State and local 

government union workers had a 

26-percent access rate to defined 

contribution plans, compared 

with 32 percent for nonunion 

workers. However, State and local 

governments had higher participation 

rates for nonunion workers, as 

compared with union workers 

in defined contribution plans.

Do access and participation 

rates in defined contribution plans 

increase as wages increase? For 

workers in the lowest 10-percent 

wage category, the access rate for 

private industry was 27 percent, 

and participation was 8 percent. 

These numbers steadily increased 

for higher wage categories, reaching 

an access rate of 81 percent and 

68 percent participation at the 

highest 10-percent level. State and 

local government workers access 

and participation for the lowest 

10-percent wage category were 20 

and 12 percent, respectively; 32 

percent of workers in the highest 

10-percent wage category had access 

to defined contribution plans, while 

19 percent participated in such plans.

Information by

establishment

characteristics

Does incidence vary by 

establishment size for defined 

contribution plans? Defined 

 Access

 Participation

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 

from cover page►
For additional assistance on 

benefits, contact one of our 

information offices:

NATIONAL: WASHINGTON, DC

(202) 691-6199 TDD: (800) 877-8339

NCSinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs

REGIONAL:

ATLANTA

(404) 893-4222

BOSTON

(617) 565-2327

CHICAGO

(312) 353-1880

DALLAS

(972) 850-4800

KANSAS CITY

(816) 285-7000

NEW YORK

(646) 264-3600

PHILADELPHIA

(215) 597-3282

SAN FRANCISCO

(415) 625-2270

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

www.bls.gov/ebs 

National Compensation Sur

Employee Benefits in 

United States, March

National Compensation Sur

Health and Retiremen

Provisions in Private In

in the United States, 

and more!...

GLOSSARY

The next Program Perspectives will feature life/disability insurance.

Access. An employee has access to a 

benefit plan if the employee is in an 

occupation that is offered the plan. By 

definition, either all employees in an 

occupation have access to a benefit, or 

none has access.

Participation. Participation is the 

percent of employees who actually 

enroll in a benefit plan. A plan may 

be a contributory plan, which requires 

employees to contribute to the plan’s 

cost to participate, or it may be a 

noncontributory plan, where the 

employer pays 100 percent of the cost 

of the benefit.

Defined contribution plan. A defined 

contribution retirement plan specifies 

the level of employer contributions and 

places those contributions into individual 

employee accounts. Retirement benefits 

are based on the level of funds in the 

account at the time of retirement.

defined contribution private 

industry worker access rates were 

65 percent, with a participation rate 

of 49 percent. For private industry 

workers in service-providing 

industries, the access rate for 

defined contribution plans was 58 

percent, and the participation rate 

was 40 percent. In comparison, for 

State and local government workers 

in service-providing industries, the 

access rate for defined contribution 

plans was 29 percent, and the 

participation rate was 17 percent.

Defined contribution access 

and participation vary by 

government ownership. The 

defined contribution access rate for 

State government workers was 43 

percent, and the participation rate 

was 25 percent. Local government 

workers had lower access and 

participation rates in defined 

contribution plans, at 24 percent 

and 14 percent, respectively. ●

Percent of employees in defined contribution plans

required to contribute, National Compensation

Survey, March 2010

Worker or establishment

characteristic

Private

industry

State and local

government

All workers 63 58

By full-/part-time status

Full-time 63 58

Part-time 56 62

By bargaining unit status

Union 59 43

Nonunion 63 66

TABLE 2

from page 3►