Is Pension Inequality Growing?

The brief’s key findings are:

• Among workers whose employers offer a pension plan, participation rates are much lower for low earners and have declined over time.

• The decline is largely due to the rise of 401(k)s.

• Low earners often cite monetary constraints, though non-monetary reasons are also important.

• On the non-monetary side auto-enrollment should help, but little movement occurred between 2004 and 2007.