Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 23

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

ROBERT W. VAN GIEZEN

Surveys of the construction industry in Salt Lake CityOgden, UT, and Toledo, OH, show considerable variation in the incidence and costs of insurance and retirement benefits. Higher-skilled occupations and higher

degrees of unionization generally resulted in higher rates

of incidence and employer costs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS) and the Employment Standards Administration (ESA),

agencies of the U.S. Department of Labor, agreed to have BLS conduct four

surveys of the construction industry

between April 1998 and May 1999.

These surveys were intended to determine the feasibility of collecting data

on employer costs for employee compensation for blue-collar occupations

in local areas. They also were designed

to assist ESA in determining prevailing wages and benefits for construction workers employed on federally

funded projects.

This article discusses the insurance

and retirement results of the final two

test surveys conducted in the Salt Lake

City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH,1

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).

An article reviewing the results of retirement benefits in the construction

industry in Jacksonville, FL, and Tucson, AZ, was published earlier.2

Survey design

The surveys covered all private construction establishments in the two

MSAs. The list of establishments (sampling frame) from which the survey

sample was selected was developed

from State unemployment insurance

reports. Sampling frames were developed for June 1997 for Salt Lake CityOgden and March 1998 for Toledo, the

most recent reference months available

at the time of sample selection.

The sample of establishments was

drawn by first stratifying the sampling

frame by the following five construction categories within the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system:

• General contractors (residential

building)

• General contractors (nonresidential building)

• Highway and street construction

• Heavy construction, except highway and street

Insurance and Retir Insurance and Retir Insurance and Retirement

Benefits in the Salt Lake Benefits in the Salt Lake Benefits in the Salt Lake

City-Ogden, UT City-Ogden, UT, and

Toledo, OH, Construction oledo, OH, Construction

Industries Industries Industries

Robert W. Van Giezen is an economist in the

Division of Compensation Data Analysis and

Planning, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Telephone: (202) 691-5186

E-mail: VanGiezen_R@bls.gov

This is the latest in a series of

articles analyzing the results of

four surveys of the construction

industry in the Jacksonville, FL;

Tucson, AZ; Salt Lake CityOgden, UT; and Toledo, OH,

Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

Earlier articles have analyzed

earnings results in the four areas

and retirement benefits in Jacksonville and Tucson.
24 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000

• Special trade contractors

Establishments were selected within

each category with a probability proportionate to employment size (that is,

the larger an establishment’s employment, the greater its chance of selection). Weights were applied to each

sampled establishment so that all establishments would be represented.

The survey of Salt Lake City-Ogden

was conducted between October 1998

and February 1999, and the Toledo survey took place between April and July

1999. BLS field economists collected

data primarily through personal visits

to employers. The Salt Lake CityOgden survey sampled 450 establishments with 14,547 workers to represent

the 5,186 establishments and 44,624

workers estimated to be in the MSAs

construction industry. Similarly, 450 establishments with 7,821 workers were

studied to represent the 1,383 establishments and 15,487 workers estimated

to be in the construction industry in

Toledo.3

BLS economists randomly selected

occupations (each with a probability

of selection proportional to employment) from a complete list of the

establishment’s nonsupervisory bluecollar occupations. The selected occupations were then classified into 185

detailed occupations,4 which were aggregated into four major occupational

groups (MOGs):

• Precision production, craft, and

repair

• Machine operators, assemblers,

and inspectors

• Transportation and material

moving

• Handlers, equipment cleaners,

helpers, and laborers

Once the occupation was classified,

various characteristics of the occupation were identified, including full- or

part-time work schedule, union or nonunion status, and time or incentive pay

basis.

Sample weights were calculated for

each establishment and occupation so

that survey estimates would represent

total employment in the sampling

frame. These weights reflected the relative size of the establishment within the

survey and the relative size of the occupation within the establishment.

Weights were used to aggregate the

individual establishments and occupations into the various data series. If a

sampled establishment did not provide

data, the weights of responding sampled establishments in the same industry classification were adjusted to account for the missing data.

Determining access, participation,

and costs

Workers with access to a benefit included only those who currently have,

or eventually will be eligible for, the

benefit. An employer may establish a

length of service or age requirement

that the employee must satisfy to

qualify for the benefit. In other instances, employees may decline to participate in a benefit plan, such as health

insurance, because they must contribute to the cost of the plan. In all these

cases in which a benefit is made available to an occupation, all employees in

the occupation were considered to

have access to the benefit.

Workers considered to be participating in a benefit were those who were

enrolled in a plan, having met any eligibility requirements. The employer made

contributions on behalf of participating employees.

Costs for insurance and retirement

benefits are presented on a cents-perhour-worked basis. To accomplish this,

all benefit data were converted to an

annual cost per participant and divided

by the annual hours worked. For example, a health insurance premium paid

on a quarterly basis was multiplied by

4 to arrive at an annual cost-per-participant. To calculate annual hours

worked, leave hours are subtracted

from straight-time and overtime hours.

The result was the cost of health insurance per hour worked.

Health insurance example. Consider

a case in which all 10 employees in an

occupation have access to a health

plan, but 5 of the employees elect not

to participate in the plan because it requires an employee contribution. In

this case, 100 percent of all the workers

have access to health insurance, but

only 50 percent participate. The employer’s share of the premium is $120

per participant per month. The annualized cost per participant is the monthly

premium ($120) multiplied by 12 months

($1,440 per year).

The work schedule for the occupation is normally 8 hours per day, 40

hours per week. However, during 12

weeks of summer, an additional 10

hours per week are worked, for a total

of 2,200 hours for the year. To arrive at

the annual number of hours worked,

leave hours and hours not worked must

be subtracted. For example, the occupation averages 10 days off for vacation, 5 days for holidays, and 5 sick

leave days. In addition, because of bad

weather, an additional 5 days also are

lost during the year. The total of nonworking hours is 200 hours. The total

hours worked for the occupation is

2,000 per year (2,200 minus 200).

The cost for health insurance is

$1,440 divided by 2,000 hours, or $0.72

per hour worked per participant.

Life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability

Life insurance, short-term disability,

and long-term disability are relatively

inexpensive benefits that provide payments in the event of illness, injury, or

death. The availability of these benefits varied considerably in the two

survey areas, but costs per participant

to employers typically ranged from

$0.02 to less than $0.20 per hour worked.

Life insurance provides cash to beneficiaries in the event of an employee’s

death or dismemberment. Access to a

life insurance plan was offered to 42

percent of nonsupervisory blue-collar

workers in Salt Lake City-Ogden and

to 76 percent of comparable workers in

Toledo. (See table 1.) The disparity in

participation between the two metropolitan areas was even greater, with

nearly three-fourths of the workers in

Toledo versus fewer than one-third in
 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 25

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

Salt Lake City-Ogden participating in

a plan. Costs per participant in Toledo

were twice those in Salt Lake City-Ogden

($0.12 versus $0.06 per hour worked.)

Short-term disability (STD) provides pay for a number of weeks (usually 26) to employees who are temporarily unable to work due to a

nonwork-related accident or illness.

Access to STD was available to more

than two-thirds of the workers in Toledo, compared with fewer than oneseventh of the workers in Salt Lake

City-Ogden. (See table 2.) All but 1

percent of the workers with access

participated in STD plans in both metropolitan areas. The costs of STD benefits were comparable in both areas and

among most occupations, ranging from

$0.03 to $0.09 per hour worked.

Long-term disability (LTD) provides

partial salary continuation to employees who are unable to work for extended

periods due to illness or injury. LTD

plans were offered to a very small percentage of workers in both areas—12

percent in Salt Lake City-Ogden and

only 1 percent in Toledo. (See table 3.)

Nearly all workers offered the benefit

participated, with costs ranging from

$0.04 to $0.14 per hour worked.

Health insurance

Health insurance provides preventive

and protective health care services to

employees and their families. Included

in health care plans are medical, major

medical, dental, vision, and prescriptive drug benefits. Access to health

insurance was widespread in both Salt

Lake City-Ogden (72 percent) and Toledo (89 percent.) (See table 4.) However, participation rates differed considerably, with fewer than one-half of

the workers participating in a plan in

Salt Lake City-Ogden, compared with

more than four-fifths in Toledo. The

cost per participant of health insurance

also varied considerably between the

two metropolitan areas, with costs per

participant in Toledo ($2.67 per hour)

nearly double those in Salt Lake CityOgden ($1.35).

The differences in participation and

employer costs for health insurance are

affected both by eligibility requirements and by any required employee

contributions. For example, in Salt Lake

City-Ogden, fewer than half of handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

laborers with access to health insurance participated. In many cases, employees did not meet the eligibility requirement because of the high worker

turnover rate in these occupations. In

other instances, the requirement of employee contributions lowered the rates

of participation.

In Salt Lake City-Ogden, costs per

participant for individual occupations

ranged from under $1.00 per hour

worked for plasterers and concrete and

terrazzo finishers to $2.15 per hour

worked for plumbers, pipefitters, and

steamfitters, and sheetmetal workers.

In Toledo, costs per participant for individual occupations ranged from $1.53

per hour for construction trades helpers to $3.84 per hour for structural metal

workers.

Defined benefit plans

Defined benefit plans provide employees with a specified retirement benefit,

typically based on salary and length of

service. Access to defined benefit retirement plans varied considerably between the two metropolitan areas. In

Salt Lake City-Ogden, only 16 percent

had access versus 63 percent in Toledo. (See table 5.) Nearly all workers

with access participated in a plan. Most

defined benefit plans are fully funded

by the employer. The cost per participant was $1.65 and $2.32 per hour

worked in Salt Lake City-Ogden and

Toledo, respectively.

The incidence and costs varied considerably among the occupations. In

Salt Lake City-Ogden, a populous trade

such as painters had no access to defined benefit plans. Costs ranged from

$0.83 per hour worked for construction

laborers to $2.72 for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. In Toledo, more

than 90 percent of brickmasons and

stonemasons, their apprentices, and

operating engineers participated in a

defined benefit plan. Costs per hour

ranged from $0.45 for electrician apprentices to $4.52 for sheetmetal workers.

Defined contribution plans

Defined contribution plans provide an

explicit method of determining employer contributions for retirement, with

individual accounts established for

each employee. Monetary benefits at

retirement are a function of employer

contributions, employee contributions,

and the return on the investment of

contributions. Access to defined contribution plans was provided to a little

more than one-third of workers in Salt

Lake City-Ogden and one-half of workers in Toledo. In Salt Lake City-Ogden,

virtually all of the workers with access

to a defined benefit plan participated,

compared with fewer than one-half of

their counterparts with access to a defined benefit plan. Rates of participation in defined contribution plans were

higher in Toledo (nearly 90 percent),

but were still below those of defined

benefit plans. Lower rates of participation in defined contribution plans can

be attributed to the method of financing, which may require employee contributions in order for employers to provide any funding. (See table 6.)

Among individual occupations in

Salt Lake City-Ogden, only carpenter

apprentices had a majority of workers

who were participating in a plan. In

Toledo, a great disparity in access was

found. Brickmasons and stonemasons

(and their apprentices) and plasterers

had no access to defined contribution

plans. On the other hand, more than 9

of 10 electricians and plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters had access to and

participated in plans.

Costs per participant varied considerably among individual occupations.

In Salt Lake City-Ogden, costs per hour

were lowest for construction trades

helpers ($0.41) and construction laborers ($0.36) and highest for structural

metal workers ($1.27). In Toledo, costs

per hour ranged from $0.29 for sheetmetal workers, $0.30 for sheetmetal duct

installers, and $0.35 for sheetmetal apprentices, to $3.58 for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters and $3.92 for their

apprentices.
26 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000

Differences among union and

nonunion workers5

Union workers6 in both metropolitan

statistical areas (MSAs) had higher

rates of participation for health insurance than did their nonunion counterparts, with employer contribution rates

approximately double for union workers. (See table 7.) Nearly all union

workers in both areas participated in a

health insurance plan, versus only 4 in

10 nonunion workers in Salt Lake CityOgden and 5 in 10 nonunion workers

in Toledo. In many instances, nonunion workers were in plans that required employee contributions in order to receive the benefit. Costs per

participant were $2.08 and $1.05 for

union and nonunion workers, respectively, in Salt Lake City-Ogden, and

$3.03 and $1.44 for comparable workers in Toledo.

Among the occupations allowing a

comparison, the difference in participation rates was narrowest between

union and nonunion electricians (100

percent of union workers versus 75

percent of nonunion workers), and

widest among laborers (98 percent of

union workers versus 24 percent of

nonunion workers). Costs per participant were higher for union workers.

Participation in defined benefit retirement plans was found almost exclusively among union workers. In

both metropolitan areas, more than 90

percent of union workers participated

in such plans, compared with fewer

than 3 percent of nonunion workers.

(See table 8.) For example, in Salt Lake

City-Ogden, all union carpenters and

electricians participated while no comparable nonunion workers participated.

More nonunion workers participated in defined contribution than in

defined benefit plans; however, union

workers still participated at nearly

twice the rate for nonunion workers in

both metropolitan areas. (See table 9.)

The cost per participant was higher for

union than for nonunion workers. In Salt

Lake City-Ogden, costs per hour were

$0.95 and $0.65 for union and nonunion workers, respectively. In Toledo,

comparable costs were $2.62 and $0.77.

Summary

The results of the two construction

surveys provide an interesting look at

two different labor markets. At the

time of the survey, Salt Lake CityOgden was undergoing a tremendous

building boom, triggered in large part

by preparations for the Winter Olympic games. The labor force in Salt Lake

City was a little over double that of

Toledo.7

 However, the number of

nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction in Salt Lake City-Ogden

(26,876) was nearly triple that of Toledo (9,733). (See table 10.)

The union and nonunion composition of the labor force within the two

metropolitan areas differed. Union

workers comprised only 14 percent of

workers in Salt Lake City-Ogden, compared with nearly two-thirds of workers in Toledo. This difference is reflected in the benefits that are offered

to employees—particularly defined

benefit plans, which typically are offered to a higher percentage of union

workers than of nonunion workers.

1

 Detailed information is available in Salt

Lake City-Ogden, UT, Wages and Benefits,

Construction Industry Test Survey, November 1998, Bulletin 2510-3 (Bureau of Labor

Statistics, June 1999); and Toledo, OH, Wages

and Benefits, Construction Industry Test Survey, May 1999, Bulletin 2510-4 (Bureau of

Labor Statistics, October 1999). 2

 Two earlier articles summarized the results of the Jacksonville, FL, and Tucson,

AZ, surveys. See Robert W. Van Giezen, “Test

Surveys of the Construction Industry,” Compensation and Working Conditions, Summer

1999, pp. 8-14, and Hilery Z. Simpson, “Retirement Benefits in the Jacksonville, FL and

Tucson, AZ Construction Industries,” pp. 15-

18 of the same issue. An article also summarized the earnings results from the Salt Lake

City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, surveys.

See Robert W. Van Giezen, “BLS Completes

Test Surveys of the Construction Industry,”

Compensation and Working Conditions,

Spring 2000, pp. 21-27. Also see the publications, Jacksonville, FL, Wages and Benefits, Construction Industry Test Survey, April

1998, Bulletin 2510-1 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 1998); and Tucson, AZ, Wages

and Benefits, Construction Industry Test Survey, May 1998, Bulletin 2510-3 (Bureau of

Labor Statistics, October 1998). 3

 For more information, see Salt Lake

City-Ogden Test Survey, p. 22; and Toledo

Test Survey, p. 22. 4

 Blue-collar supervisors, included in the

surveys of Jacksonville and Tucson, were

excluded from the list of occupations studied

in the Salt Lake City-Ogden and Toledo surveys. 5

 Benefit data for union and nonunion

workers have not previously been published. 6

 Union workers are those whose wages

are determined through collective bargaining.7

 In May 1999, the civilian labor force in

the Toledo, OH, metropolitan area numbered

323,600 (Employment and Earnings (Bureau of Labor Statistics), August 1999, p.

133). In November 1998, the civilian labor

force in the Salt Lake City-Ogden metropolitan area numbered 706,600 (Employment

and Earnings, January 1999, p. 137).
 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 27

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

TABLE 1. Life insurance:1 Access, participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar occupations,

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ........... 42 (1) 32 $0.06 76 73 $0.12

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 44 (1) 34 .07 77 74 .14

Construction trades .................................................. 41 (1) 31 .07 76 73 .14

Brickmasons and stonemasons.. ....................... - - - 93 93 .13

Brickmason and stonemason apprentices ........ - - - 100 100 .13

Tile setters, hard and soft ................................... 24 24 .07 - - -

Carpenters .......................................................... 42 (2) 32 .07 66 64 .07

Carpenter apprentices ........................................ 94 81 .06 51 51 .10

Drywall installers ................................................. 29 14 .04 - - -

Electricians .......................................................... 37 (2) 36 .09 100 98 .16

Electrician apprentices ........................................ 25 (1) 19 .08 95 95 .17

Painters ............................................................... - - - 53 53 .13

Plasterers ............................................................ 42 28 .02 89 89 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 72 66 .10 97 96 .20

Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter apprentices . 55 38 .06 92 91 .21

Concrete and terrazzo finishers.. ....................... 34 (9) 19 .02 87 76 .11

Insulation workers ............................................... 50 46 - 77 69 .12

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment

 operators ........................................................... 69 69 - - - -

Roofers ................................................................ 22 14 - 52 46 .12

Sheetmetal duct installers ................................... 100 100 .10 100 97 .13

Structural metal workers ..................................... 46 38 .10 11 4 -

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 54 24 - 70 61 .09

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 63 (3) 53 .06 82 79 .12

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 78 56 - 91 91 .08

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

 mechanics ......................................................... 59 (5) 46 .05 59 51 .12

Sheetmetal workers ............................................ 95 95 .11 86 86 .14

Sheetmetal apprentices ...................................... - - - 100 98 .14

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ......... 11 11 - 64 59 -

Welders and cutters ............................................ 6 6 - - - -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 58 (1) 46 .03 86 84 .07

Truck drivers ....................................................... 57 43 .03 56 54 .05

Operating engineers ........................................... 64 56 .04 98 98 .07

Excavating and loading machine operators ....... 52 (2) 39 .03 99 93 .07

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators ............... 64 61 - - - -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers . 35 (2) 23 .07 68 64 .08

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 36 (8) 25 - - - -

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 31 24 .12 40 31 .10

Construction laborers ......................................... 36 (2) 22 .03 77 75 .08

Occupation3

Toledo, OH4

Percent

with

access5

Percent

participating

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4

Cost per

participant

Percent

with

access

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

1

 Life insurance provides cash to beneficiaries in the event of

employee death or dismemberment. The purpose of the benefit is

to help beneficiaries pay for burial expenses and to replace lost

income resulting from death or dismemberment. The benefit is

commonly distributed as a lump-sum cash payment but it can also

be distributed as an annuity. 2

 The percent of employees with access to life insurance are

those employees in an occupation who currently have, or eventually will be eligible for, the benefit. This includes employees who

have not yet met an eligibility requirement or who do not make

required contributions. Participation in a life insurance plan is the

percentage of all employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the employer is making a contribution. The employer’s cost for the benefit

is the cents per hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual cost per participant and dividing by the annual

hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA includes Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5 The number in parentheses is the percent of workers for

whom access data were not determinable.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. n.e.c. means

“not elsewhere classified.”
28 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000

TABLE 2. Short-term disability benefits:1 Access, participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar

occupations, Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ........... 14 (1) 13 $0.04 68 (6

) 67 $0.05

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 15 (1) 14 .03 71 71 .05

Construction trades .................................................. 13 (1) 12 .03 73 72 .05

Brickmasons and stonemasons ......................... 0 0 - 93 93 .05

Brickmason and stonemason apprentices ........ - - - 100 100 .05

Tile setters, hard and soft ................................... 0 0 - - - -

Carpenters .......................................................... 15 (1) 14 .03 56 56 .04

Carpenter apprentices ........................................ 46 46 - 51 51 .03

Drywall installers ................................................. 29 14 .04 - - -

Electricians .......................................................... 27 (2) 27 .03 88 88 .05

Electrician apprentices ........................................ 9 (1) 9 - 90 90 .05

Painters ............................................................... 0 0 - 47 47 .04

Plasterers ............................................................ 0 0 - 89 89 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 46 43 .03 86 86 .06

Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter apprentices . 21 14 .04 89 89 .06

Concrete and terrazzo finishers ......................... 1 (2) 1 - 63 63 .05

Insulation workers ............................................... 21 21 - 69 69 .03

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment

 operators ........................................................... 0 0 - - - -

Roofers ................................................................ 0 0 - 44 40 .04

Sheetmetal duct installers ................................... 82 82 - 90 87 .04

Structural metal workers..................................... 12 12 - 100 93 .06

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 0 0 - 35 34 -

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 31 (3) 28 .03 59 59 .04

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 19 18 - 49 49 -

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

 mechanics ......................................................... 25 (5) 21 - 18 18 .05

Sheetmetal workers ............................................ 78 78 - 76 76 .04

Sheetmetal apprentices ...................................... - - - 100 98 .04

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ......... 0 0 - 38 38 -

Welders and cutters ............................................ 0 0 - - - -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 17 17 .05 74 (1) 73 .08

Truck drivers ....................................................... 21 20 - 35 (3) 33 .08

Operating engineers ........................................... 34 34 - 96 96 .09

Excavating and loading machine operators ....... 5 5 - 83 (2) 82 .08

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators ............... 56 53 - - - -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers . 9 (1) 9 .05 54 (6

) 54 .05

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 30 (8) 30 - - - -

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 12 11 .05 24 24 .06

Construction laborers ......................................... 7 (1) 7 .04 63 (6) 63 .05

Toledo, OH4 Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4

Occupation3 Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

with

access5

Percent

with

access5

1

 Short-term disability (STD) provides full, partial, or a combination of full and partial pay to employees who are unable to work

because of a nonwork-related accident or illness. The duration of

short-term disability benefits is a fixed number of weeks, usually

26, and benefits are provided on a per-disability basis. 2 The percent of employees with access to short-term disability

are those employees in an occupation who currently have, or

eventually will be eligible for, the benefit. This includes employees

who have not yet met an eligibility requirement or who do not make

required contributions. Participation in short-term disability is the

percentage of all employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the employer is making a contribution. The employer’s cost for the benefit

is the cents per hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual cost per participant and dividing by the annual

hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA includes Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5

 The number in parentheses is the percent of workers for

whom access data were not determinable. 6

 Less than 0.5 percent.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. n.e.c. means

“not elsewhere classified.”
 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 29

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

TABLE 3. Long-term disability benefits:1 Access, participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar

occupations, Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ........... 12 (1) 11 $0.07 1 1 $0.06

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 14 (1) 13 .06 2 2 .06

Construction trades .................................................. 13 (1) 12 .06 2 2 .06

Brickmasons and stonemasons ......................... 0 0 - 0 0 -

Brickmason and stonemason apprentices ........ - - - 0 0 -

Tile setters, hard and soft ................................... 0 0 - - - -

Carpenters .......................................................... 13 (1) 13 .04 0 0 -

Carpenter apprentices ........................................ 15 15 - 0 0 -

Drywall installers ................................................. 0 0 - - - -

Electricians .......................................................... 23 (2) 23 - 6 6 -

Electrician apprentices ........................................ 8 (1) 8 - 0 0 -

Painters ............................................................... 0 0 - 0 0 -

Plasterers ............................................................ 0 0 - 0 0 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 46 43 .08 1 1 -

Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter apprentices . 19 12 - 5 5

Concrete and terrazzo finishers ......................... 0 (2) 0 - 0 0 -

Insulation workers ............................................... 19 19 - 0 0 -

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment

 operators ........................................................... 0 0 - - - -

Roofers ................................................................ 0 0 - 0 0 -

Sheetmetal duct installers ................................... 14 14 - 0 0 -

Structural metal workers ..................................... 12 12 - 11 4 -

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 6 5 - 13 12 -

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 26 (3) 25 .05 0 0 -

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 0 0 - 0 0 -

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

 mechanics ......................................................... 22 (5) 20 - 0 0 -

Sheetmetal workers ............................................ 78 78 - 0 0 -

Sheetmetal apprentices ...................................... - - - 0 0 -

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ......... 0 0 - 0 0 -

Welders and cutters ............................................ 0 0 - - - -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 5 5 .13 0 0 -

Truck drivers ....................................................... 3 2 - 0 0 -

Operating engineers ........................................... 13 13 - 0 0 -

Excavating and loading machine operators ....... 5 5 - 0 0 -

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators ............... 4 4 - - - -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers . 8 (1) 7 .12 0 0 -

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 30 (8) 30 - - - -

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 14 12 .14 0 0 -

Construction laborers ......................................... 5 (1) 4 .11 0 0 -

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4 Toledo, OH4

Percent

with

access5

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Occupation3 Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

with

access

1

 Long-term disability (LTD) provides salary continuation to

employees who, due to illness or injury, are unable to work for an

extended period. LTD benefit payments begin after a predetermined period of disability (generally 3 or 6 months). Payments are

made until the end of the disability, the employee’s retirement age,

or for a specified number of months, depending on the employee’s

age at the time of the disability. In most instances, LTD payments

equal a percent of predisability earnings. The illness/injury does

not have to be job related. 2 The percent of employees with access to long-term disability

are those employees in an occupation who currently have, or

eventually will be eligible for, the benefit. This includes employees

who have not yet met an eligibility requirement or who do not make

required contributions. Participation in long-term disability is the

percentage of all employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the employer is making a contribution. The employer’s cost for the benefit

is the cents per hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual cost per participant and dividing by the annual

hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA includes Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5 The number in parentheses is the percent of workers for

whom access data were not determinable.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. n.e.c. means

“not elsewhere classified.”
30 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000

TABLE 4. Health insurance:1 Access, participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar occupations,

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ........... 72 (1) 47 $1.35 89 83 $2.67

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 73 (1) 50 1.40 90 85 2.81

Construction trades .................................................. 71 (1) 49 1.39 89 84 2.89

Brickmasons and stonemasons ......................... 42 10 - 93 93 2.86

Brickmason and stonemason apprentices ........ - - - 100 100 2.82

Tile setters, hard and soft ................................... 60 39 - - - -

Carpenters .......................................................... 68 (1) 49 1.20 80 75 1.84

Carpenter apprentices ........................................ 100 86 1.63 53 51 2.07

Drywall installers ................................................. 42 18 1.13 - - -

Electricians .......................................................... 94 (2) 83 1.66 100 97 3.39

Electrician apprentices ........................................ 88 (1) 58 1.22 97 97 3.37

Painters ............................................................... 21 4 - 68 61 2.45

Plasterers ............................................................ 48 28 .88 89 89 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 94 82 2.15 100 98 3.71

Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter apprentices . 70 46 1.31 100 97 3.75

Concrete and terrazzo finishers ......................... 59 (7) 33 .98 98 82 2.46

Insulation workers ............................................... 100 71 1.20 77 62 2.55

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment

 operators ........................................................... 81 73 - - - -

Roofers ................................................................ 61 40 1.62 84 60 2.20

Sheetmetal duct installers ................................... 100 100 1.80 100 97 2.38

Structural metal workers..................................... 91 58 1.55 100 93 3.84

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 74 31 .99 93 73 1.55

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 90 (3) 63 1.48 99 95 2.25

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 96 62 1.31 100 90 2.84

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

 mechanics ......................................................... 88 (5) 53 1.27 99 90 1.84

Sheetmetal workers ............................................ 100 99 2.09 100 100 2.48

Sheetmetal apprentices ...................................... - - - 100 98 2.74

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ......... 80 72 1.07 100 76 1.84

Welders and cutters ............................................ 81 71 - - - -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 86 (1) 59 1.31 96 92 3.08

Truck drivers ....................................................... 82 55 1.30 87 75 2.31

Operating engineers ........................................... 100 81 1.54 100 99 3.44

Excavating and loading machine operators ....... 84 (2) 56 1.12 99 96 2.98

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators ............... 86 54 - - - -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers . 63 (2) 31 1.18 78 71 1.82

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 48 (8) 21 - - - -

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 57 30 1.21 56 45 1.53

Construction laborers ......................................... 66 (2) 31 1.17 83 77 1.86

Toledo, OH4 Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

with

access

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

with

access5

Occupation3

1

 Health insurance provides preventive and protective health

care services to employees and their families. Included are medical and major medical plans, as well as dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits. Plans may be financed through a private carrier,

union fund, or may be self funded. 2

 The percent of employees with access to health insurance are

those employees in an occupation who currently have, or eventually will be eligible for, the benefit. This includes employees who

have not yet met an eligibility requirement or who do not make

required contributions. Participation in a health insurance plan is

the percentage of all employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the

employer is making a contribution. The employer’s cost for the

benefit is the cents per hour worked per participant, calculated by

determining the annual cost per participant and dividing by the

annual hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The

Toledo, OH, MSA includes Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5

 The number in parentheses is the percent of workers for

whom access data were not determinable.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups

may include data for categories not shown separately. n.e.c.

means “not elsewhere classified.”
 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 31

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

TABLE 5. Defined benefit retirement:1 Access, participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar occupations,

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ........... 16 (1) 15 $1.65 63 63 $2.32

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 18 (1) 17 1.68 65 65 2.44

Construction trades .................................................. 18 (1) 17 1.61 66 66 2.34

Brickmasons and stonemasons ......................... 7 7 - 93 93 3.32

Brickmason and stonemason apprentices ........ - - - 100 100 3.35

Tile setters, hard and soft ................................... 0 0 - - - -

Carpenters .......................................................... 17 (1) 17 1.02 54 54 2.30

Carpenter apprentices ........................................ 58 58 - 46 46 2.21

Drywall installers ................................................. 8 3 - - - -

Electricians .......................................................... 32 (2) 32 1.46 80 80 .91

Electrician apprentices ........................................ 11 (1) 9 - 40 40 .45

Painters ............................................................... 0 0 - 47 47 3.41

Plasterers ............................................................ 13 11 - 89 89 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 53 50 2.72 85 85 2.19

Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter apprentices . 10 8 - 85 85 2.23

Concrete and terrazzo finishers ......................... 8 (7) 8 - 48 48 1.44

Insulation workers ............................................... 21 21 - 48 48 -

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment

 operators ........................................................... 0 0 - - - -

Roofers ................................................................ 25 23 .87 40 33 1.00

Sheetmetal duct installers ................................... 73 73 - 60 59 -

Structural metal workers ..................................... 30 30 1.85 89 89 3.57

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 0 0 - 40 40 1.73

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 19 (3) 19 2.12 57 57 3.39

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 19 15 - 49 49 -

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

 mechanics ........................................................ 3 (5) 3 - 16 16 2.08

Sheetmetal workers ............................................ 96 96 2.12 76 76 4.52

Sheetmetal apprentices ...................................... - - - 55 55 -

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ......... 0 0 - 0 0 -

Welders and cutters ............................................ 0 0 - - - -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 20 (1) 18 1.73 70 69 2.60

Truck drivers ....................................................... 26 21 1.43 28 23 2.37

Operating engineers ........................................... 34 34 - 96 96 2.64

Excavating and loading machine operators ....... 7 (2) 7 - 74 74 2.58

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators ............... 56 53 - - - -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers . 8 (2) 6 1.36 54 54 1.63

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 0 (8) 0 - - - -

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 7 5 - 19 19 1.03

Construction laborers ......................................... 9 (2) 8 .83 63 63 1.69

Occupation3

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4 Toledo, OH4

Percent

with

access5

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Percent

with

access

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

1

 Defined benefit retirement is a type of retirement plan that

provides employees with a specified retirement benefit, generally

monthly annuity payments. The benefit formula is predetermined

and typically is based on salary and length of service. The employer contributions are usually not fixed; however, multiemployer

plans have fixed employer contributions. Employers are obligated

to provide enough funds to pay anticipated future benefits, including additional contributions to make up for any investment losses

by the pension fund. Common provisions of defined benefit plans

are coordination with Social Security payments, survivor annuities,

disability retirement, and early retirement. 2

 The percent of employees with access to defined benefit

retirement are those employees in an occupation who currently

have, or eventually will be eligible for, the benefit. This includes

employees who have not yet met an eligibility requirement or who

do not make required contributions. Participation in a defined benefit plan is the percentage of all employees who have met the

eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose

behalf the employer is making a contribution. The employer’s cost

for the benefit is the cents per hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual cost per participant and dividing by

the annual hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA includes Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5 The number in parentheses is the percent of workers for

whom access data were not determinable.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. n.e.c. means

“not elsewhere classified.”
32 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000

TABLE 6. Defined contribution retirement:1 Access, participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar

occupations, Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT and Toledo, OH, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ........... 36 (2) 16 $0.71 50 44 $2.21

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 37 (2) 18 .79 65 60 2.33

Construction trades .................................................. 34 (1) 17 .82 65 60 2.47

Brickmasons and stonemasons ......................... 44 16 - 0 0 -

Brickmason and stonemason apprentices ........ - - - 0 0 -

Tile setters, hard and soft ................................... 32 11 - - - -

Carpenters .......................................................... 43 (2) 24 .54 64 61 2.16

Carpenter apprentices ........................................ 100 88 .48 51 51 2.08

Drywall installers ................................................. 3 1 - - - -

Electricians .......................................................... 46 (2) 26 .78 95 92 2.28

Electrician apprentices ........................................ 47 (1) 13 .81 66 58 1.61

Painters ............................................................... 15 12 - 18 5 -

Plasterers ............................................................ 9 2 - 0 0 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 22 13 .70 92 91 3.58

Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter apprentices . 49 22 .69 81 73 3.92

Concrete and terrazzo finishers ......................... 10 (14) 4 - 74 72 2.99

Insulation workers ............................................... 37 26 - 21 1 -

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment

 operators ........................................................... 29 15 - - -

Roofers ................................................................ 22 8 - 80 53 2.22

Sheetmetal duct installers ................................... 27 18 - 86 84 .30

Structural metal workers..................................... 78 48 1.27 89 89 2.25

Construction trades, n.e.c. ................................. 31 7 - 49 39 .88

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 53 (3) 25 .62 65 60 1.19

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................. 68 34 - 33 29 -

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration

 mechanics ......................................................... 57 (5) 27 .45 83 71 .73

Sheetmetal workers ............................................ 4 2 - 77 77 .29

Sheetmetal apprentices ...................................... - - - 67 62 .35

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ......... 57 31 - 40 19 -

Welders and cutters ............................................ 60 30 - - - -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 48 (2) 20 .66 21 12 .73

Truck drivers ....................................................... 44 14 .50 54 24 .61

Operating engineers ........................................... 44 18 - 2 2 -

Excavating and loading machine operators ....... 54 (4) 26 .67 18 16 -

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators ............... 8 3 - - - -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers . 30 (3) 8 .38 17 10 .70

Helpers, mechanics and repairers ..................... 43 (8) 8 - - - -

Helpers, construction trades .............................. 28 7 .41 34 17 .60

Construction laborers ......................................... 30 (3) 8 .36 11 6 .75

Toledo, OH4 Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

with

access5

Percent

with

access

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Occupation3

1

 Defined contribution retirement is a type of retirement plan

with an explicit method of determining employer contributions. Individual accounts are established for each employee, with periodic

employer and/or employee contributions and investment earnings.

Monetary benefits at retirement are a function of employer contributions, employee contributions, and the return on the investment

of employer and employee contributions. Employer contributions

may come from the current operating funds or from company

profits, but not from company stock. Contributions are invested in

such vehicles as stocks, bonds, securities, and money market

funds. 2 The percent of employees with access to defined contribution

retirement are those employees in an occupation who currently

have, or eventually will be eligible for, the benefit. This includes

employees who have not yet met an eligibility requirement or who

do not make required contributions. Participation in a defined contribution plan is the percentage of all employees who have met the

eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose

behalf the employer is making a contribution. The employer’s cost

for the benefit is the cents per hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual cost per participant and dividing by

the annual hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA includes Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5

 The number in parentheses is the percent of workers for

whom access data were not determinable.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately. n.e.c. means

“not elsewhere classified.”
 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 33

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

TABLE 7. Health insurance:1 Participation and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar occupations in

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, by union affiliation, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonproduction blue-collar workers ............. 98 $2.08 38 $1.05 99 $3.03 52 $1.44

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 97 2.15 41 1.05 99 3.16 53 1.38

Construction trades .................................................. 97 2.14 39 1.02 99 3.22 48 1.33

Carpenters .......................................................... 100 1.80 39 .89 99 2.09 44 1.14

Electricians .......................................................... 100 2.45 75 1.15 100 3.63 76 1.39

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 94 2.36 71 1.87 100 4.08 88 1.66

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 100 2.20 55 1.21 99 2.66 89 1.66

Machine operators, assemblers and inspectors .......... - - 72 1.07 - - 76 1.84

Transportation and material moving .............................. 100 2.11 54 1.15 100 3.47 75 2.15

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ... 99 1.72 24 .95 99 2.11 38 1.02

Construction laborers ......................................... 98 1.54 24 1.03 100 2.06 38 1.04

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4 Toledo, OH4

Union5 Nonunion Nonunion Union5

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Occupation3

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

participating

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Cost per

participant

1

 Health insurance provides preventive and protective health

care services to employees and their families. Included are medical and major medical plans, as well as dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits. Plans may be financed through a private carrier,

union fund, or may be self-funded. 2 Participation in a health insurance plan is the percentage of all

employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the employer is making a

contribution. The employer’s cost for the benefit is the cents per

hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual

cost per participant and dividing by the annual hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA consists of Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5 Union workers are workers whose wages are determined

through collective bargaining.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately.

SOURCE: Unpublished data. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation Levels and Trends.
34 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000

TABLE 8. Defined benefit retirement:1 Participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar occupations in

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, by union affiliation, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonproduction blue-collar workers ............. 92 $1.70 2 $1.25 95 $2.32 3 $2.14

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 98 1.74 2 1.01 93 2.44 3 2.67

Construction trades .................................................. 97 1.67 1 - 93 2.33 3 2.67

Carpenters .......................................................... 100 1.01 0 - 97 2.30 0 -

Electricians .......................................................... 100 1.46 0 - 93 .91 0 -

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 94 2.71 6 - 100 2.23 11 -

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 100 2.18 2 - 93 3.39 0 -

Machine operators, assemblers and inspectors .......... - - 0 - - - 0 -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 100 1.81 8 - 100 2.62 9 -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ... 67 1.35 (6) - 99 1.65 2 -

 Construction laborers ............................................... 83 .81 (6) - 100 1.69 2 -

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4 Toledo, OH4

Union5 Nonunion Union Nonunion 5

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Occupation3

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

participating

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Cost per

participant

1

 Defined benefit retirement is a type of retirement plan that

provides employees with a specified retirement benefit, generally

monthly annuity payments. The benefit formula is predetermined

and is typically based on salary and length of service. The

employer’s contributions are usually not fixed; however, multiemployer plans have fixed employer contributions. Employers are

obligated to provide enough funds to pay anticipated future benefits, including additional contributions to make up for any investment losses by the pension fund. Common provisions of defined

benefit plans are coordination with Social Security payments, survivor annuities, disability retirement, and early retirement. 2

 Participation in a defined benefit plan is the percentage of all

employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the employer is making a

contribution. The employer’s cost for the benefit is the cents per

hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual

cost per participant and dividing by the annual hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA consists of Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5

 Union workers are workers whose wages are determined

through collective bargaining. 6

 Less than 0.5 percent.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately.

SOURCE: Unpublished data. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation Levels and Trends.
 Compensation and Working Conditions Fall 2000 35

Insurance and Retirement Benefits Insurance and Retirement Benefits

TABLE 9. Defined contribution retirement:1 Participation, and employer costs2 for nonsupervisory blue-collar occupations in

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo, OH, by union affiliation, November 1998-May 1999

 All nonproduction blue-collar workers ............. 24 $0.95 14 $0.65 53 $2.62 27 $0.77

Precision production, craft, and repair .......................... 29 .96 16 .72 73 2.64 31 .79

Construction trades .................................................. 33 .96 14 .76 75 2.74 27 .84

Carpenters .......................................................... 15 .50 13 .59 99 2.26 11 1.01

Electricians .......................................................... - - 32 .67 98 2.45 57 .55

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ............... 0 - 27 .70 96 3.89 63 1.29

Other precision production, craft, and repair .......... 6 - 29 .61 59 1.54 62 .66

Machine operators, assemblers and inspectors .......... - - 31 - - - 19 -

Transportation and material moving .............................. 0 - 22 .66 (6) - 34 .70

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ... 10 - 7 .31 4 - 15 .70

Construction laborers ......................................... 16 - 7 .25 0 - 17 .75

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT4 Toledo, OH4

Union5 Nonunion Union Nonunion 5

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Occupation3

Cost per

participant

Percent

participating

Percent

participating

Percent

participating

Cost per

participant

Cost per

participant

1

 Defined contribution retirement is a type of retirement plan

with an explicit method of determining employer contributions. Individual accounts are established for each employee, with periodic

employer and/or employee contributions and investment earnings.

Monetary benefits at retirement are a function of employer contributions, employee contributions, and the return on the investment

of employer and employee contributions. Employer contributions

may come from the current operating funds or from company

profits, but not from company stock. Contributions are invested in

such vehicles as stocks, bonds, securities, and money market

funds. 2

 Participation in a defined contribution plan is the percentage of

all employees who have met the eligibility requirements, who are

enrolled in a plan, and on whose behalf the employer is making a

contribution. The employer’s cost for the benefit is the cents per

hour worked per participant, calculated by determining the annual

cost per participant and dividing by the annual hours worked. 3

 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in

construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1

of 4 major occupational groups. 4

 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and Weber Counties. The Toledo,

OH, MSA consists of Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 5 Union workers are workers whose wages are determined

through collective bargaining. 6

 Less than 0.5 percent.

NOTE: Dash indicates that no data were reported or that data

did not meet publication criteria. Overall occupational groups may

include data for categories not shown separately.

SOURCE: Unpublished data. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation Levels and Trends.

TABLE 10. Number of nonsupervisory blue-collar workers in Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, and Toledo,

OH, by occupational group, November 1998-May 1999

All nonsupervisory blue-collar workers ....................................... 26,876 9,733

Precision production, craft, and repair occupations ........................ 17,462 6,562

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors ............................ 243 45

Transportation and material moving occupations ............................ 2,466 1,116

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ..................... 6,706 2,010

Salt Lake CityOgden, UT2 Toledo, OH2

Number of

workers3

Number of

workers3

Occupation1

1 A classification system including about 185 individual occupations is used to cover all nonsupervisory

blue-collar workers in construction industries. Individual occupations are classified into 1 of 4 major

occupational groups. 2 The Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Davis, Salt Lake, and

Weber Counties. The Toledo, OH, MSA includes

Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties. 3 Workers include full- and part-time workers in

private industry.

NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual

items may not equal totals.