September 25, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Variation in medical care benefits by occupation, 2008

Among the five major occupational groups, the percentage in private industry with access to medical care benefits ranged from 46 percent for service workers to 86 percent for management, professional, and related employees in March 2008.

[Chart data—TXT]

For sales and office workers, the proportion with access to such benefits was 71 percent. For natural resources, construction, and maintenance workers, the proportion was 77 percent and for production, transportation, and material moving workers, the proportion was 78 percent.

Overall, 71 percent of private-industry workers had access to medical care benefits in March 2008.

These data are from the BLS National Compensation Survey program. Find out more in National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2008, BLS Bulletin 2715.