Is Pension Coverage a Problem in the Private Sector?

The brief’s key findings are:

• Commentators question whether pension coverage is a serious problem, indicating that 80 percent have access to a plan.
• But this number refers to access – not participation – and to full-time workers in both the public and private sectors.
• A review of four household surveys and one employer survey finds that only about half of all private workers (age 25-64) are participating in a plan.
• So, yes, coverage remains a serious problem.