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 Plan Provi

in Private Indu

in the United States, 

and more!...

GLOSSARY

The next Program Perspectives will feature fee-for-service plans.

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.

Total compensation. Total compensation is the cost of wages and 

salaries plus the employers’ cost 

of employee benefits. In table 1, 

“Percent of total compensation” is 

the cost of the individual line item 

divided by the total compensation 

cost, expressed as a percentage.

Civilian workers. The Civilian 

workers include the total private 

nonfarm economy excluding those 

in private households, and the 

public sector excluding the Federal 

Government.

Worker or establishment

characteristic

Medical 

care and 

retirement 

benefits

Medical 

care and no 

retirement 

benefits

Retirement 

benefits and 

no medical 

care

No medical 

care and no 

retirement 

benefits

By occupational group

Management, professional, and 

related 80 7 4 9

Service 41 10 10 39

Sales and office 64 9 8 18

Natural resources, construction, 

and maintenance 66 12 4 18

Production, transportation, and 

material moving 65 12 5 18

By wage category

Lowest 25th 32 9 13 45

Second 25th 67 12 5 16

Third 25th 76 11 3 10

Highest 25th 86 6 3 6

By full-/part-time status

Full-time 77 11 3 9

Part-time 20 4 20 56

By bargaining unit status

Union 89 3 3 5

Nonunion 59 11 7 23

By establishment size

1-49 workers 40 15 9 35

50-99 workers 59 13 9 20

100-499 workers 74 7 5 13

500 workers or more 86 3 3 7

Employee access to medical care and retirement 

benefits, civilian workers, March 2009

TABLE 2
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • JULY 2010 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

from cover page►

About 86 percent of all State and 

local employees have access to 

both benefits, compared with 60 

percent of private industry workers. 

The proportion of workers not having access to either benefit is higher 

in private industry (22 percent) 

than in State and local government (9 percent). (See chart 1.)

Differences in the mix of workers employed by State and local 

governments and private industry 

account for much of the difference 

in access to medical care and retirement benefit coverage. State and 

local governments employ a higher 

proportion of managerial, professional and related employees, about 

54 percent of all employees, than do 

private industry, where this group of 

workers represents about 23 percent 

of the workforce. Among civilian 

workers (private industry and State 

and local government) managerial, 

professional, and related employees 

are more likely to have retirement 

and medical care plans than other occupational groups—about 80 percent 

have access to both types of plans, 

compared with 66 percent of natural 

resource, construction and maintenance workers, 65 percent of production, transportation and material 

moving workers, 64 percent of sales 

and office workers, and 41 percent of 

service workers. The proportion of 

production, transportation, and material moving employees in private 

industry is about 3 times as great as 

its proportion in State and local government. For natural resources, construction, and maintenance workers, 

the proportion is about twice as great 

for private industry as compared 

with State and local governments.1

1

The percentage of employees by occupation is based on the weights used in 

the Employment Cost Index, which was 

developed using data from the Occupational Employment Statistics program.

Access rates by 

worker earnings

Access to both medical care and 

retirement benefits varies for employees in different occupations and 

CHART 1

Employee access to medical care and retirement benefits, March 2009

 Medical care

and retirement

benefits

 Medical care

and no

retirement

benefits

 Retirement

benefits and no

medical care

 No medical

care and no

retirement

benefits

Civilian

Private industry

State and local

government

0 10 20 30 40 100 60 70 80 90 100

Percent

Ownership1

1

Ownership refers to the legal status of the organization that operates the establishment. It may be a private industry organization 

such as a corporation, nonprofit, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc. or it may be a government organization such as Federal, State, 

local, special districts, quasi-government, etc.
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • JULY 2010 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

from cover page►

About 86 percent of all State and 

local employees have access to 

both benefits, compared with 60 

percent of private industry workers. 

The proportion of workers not having access to either benefit is higher 

in private industry (22 percent) 

than in State and local government (9 percent). (See chart 1.)

Differences in the mix of workers employed by State and local 

governments and private industry 

account for much of the difference 

in access to medical care and retirement benefit coverage. State and 

local governments employ a higher 

proportion of managerial, professional and related employees, about 

54 percent of all employees, than do 

private industry, where this group of 

workers represents about 23 percent 

of the workforce. Among civilian 

workers (private industry and State 

and local government) managerial, 

professional, and related employees 

are more likely to have retirement 

and medical care plans than other occupational groups—about 80 percent 

have access to both types of plans, 

compared with 66 percent of natural 

resource, construction and maintenance workers, 65 percent of production, transportation and material 

moving workers, 64 percent of sales 

and office workers, and 41 percent of 

service workers. The proportion of 

production, transportation, and material moving employees in private 

industry is about 3 times as great as 

its proportion in State and local government. For natural resources, construction, and maintenance workers, 

the proportion is about twice as great 

for private industry as compared 

with State and local governments.1

1

The percentage of employees by occupation is based on the weights used in 

the Employment Cost Index, which was 

developed using data from the Occupational Employment Statistics program.

Access rates by 

worker earnings

Access to both medical care and 

retirement benefits varies for employees in different occupations and 

CHART 1

Employee access to medical care and retirement benefits, March 2009

 Medical care

and retirement

benefits

 Medical care

and no

retirement

benefits

 Retirement

benefits and no

medical care

 No medical

care and no

retirement

benefits

Civilian

Private industry

State and local

government

0 10 20 30 40 100 60 70 80 90 100

Percent

Ownership1

1

Ownership refers to the legal status of the organization that operates the establishment. It may be a private industry organization 

such as a corporation, nonprofit, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc. or it may be a government organization such as Federal, State, 

local, special districts, quasi-government, etc.
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 Plan Provi

in Private Indu

in the United States, 

and more!...

GLOSSARY

The next Program Perspectives will feature fee-for-service plans.

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.

Total compensation. Total compensation is the cost of wages and 

salaries plus the employers’ cost 

of employee benefits. In table 1, 

“Percent of total compensation” is 

the cost of the individual line item 

divided by the total compensation 

cost, expressed as a percentage.

Civilian workers. The Civilian 

workers include the total private 

nonfarm economy excluding those 

in private households, and the 

public sector excluding the Federal 

Government.

Worker or establishment

characteristic

Medical 

care and 

retirement 

benefits

Medical 

care and no 

retirement 

benefits

Retirement 

benefits and 

no medical 

care

No medical 

care and no 

retirement 

benefits

By occupational group

Management, professional, and 

related 80 7 4 9

Service 41 10 10 39

Sales and office 64 9 8 18

Natural resources, construction, 

and maintenance 66 12 4 18

Production, transportation, and 

material moving 65 12 5 18

By wage category

Lowest 25th 32 9 13 45

Second 25th 67 12 5 16

Third 25th 76 11 3 10

Highest 25th 86 6 3 6

By full-/part-time status

Full-time 77 11 3 9

Part-time 20 4 20 56

By bargaining unit status

Union 89 3 3 5

Nonunion 59 11 7 23

By establishment size

1-49 workers 40 15 9 35

50-99 workers 59 13 9 20

100-499 workers 74 7 5 13

500 workers or more 86 3 3 7

Employee access to medical care and retirement 

benefits, civilian workers, March 2009

TABLE 2