Defined benefit frozen retirement plans: Plan alternatives

Table 7. Defined benefit frozen retirement plans:1 Plan alternatives, private industry workers, 
National Compensation Survey, March 2012

(All workers participating in frozen defined benefit plans = 100 percent)

Characteristics

No
alternative to
frozen plans

Alternatives
to frozen
plans
available

Alternatives for employees in frozen plans2

New defined
benefit plan

Enhanced
existing
defined
contribution
plan

New defined
contribution
plan

Other

All workers

11

89

21

35

36

–

Worker characteristics

            

Management, professional, and related

8

92

22

38

33

–

    Management, business, and financial

8

92

20

44

28

–

    Professional and related

8

92

23

35

36

–

Sales and office

15

85

14

45

28

–

    Sales and related

13

87

6

49

34

–

    Office and administrative support

16

84

17

43

25

–

Production, transportation, and material moving

12

88

23

20

51

–

    Production

5

95

28

24

50

–

Full time

11

89

21

35

35

–

Part time

17

83

14

25

51

–

Union

9

91

40

–

47

–

Nonunion

12

88

16

40

34

–

Average wage within the following categories:3

            

    Lowest 25 percent

31

69

–

18

52

–

    Second 25 percent

18

82

13

34

39

–

    Third 25 percent

12

88

19

36

38

–

    Highest 25 percent

6

94

26

36

33

–

        Highest 10 percent

6

94

24

43

28

–

Establishment characteristics

            

Goods-producing industries

3

97

27

30

44

–

    Construction

–

100

76

–

–

–

    Manufacturing

4

96

25

31

45

–

Service-providing industries

14

86

18

37

33

–

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

25

75

16

22

38

–

        Retail trade

40

60

–

20

45

–

    Financial activities

11

89

15

65

10

[4]

        Finance and insurance

9

91

15

66

10

[4]

            Credit intermediation and related activities

11

89

12

67

–

–

    Professional and business services

–

100

–

–

–

–

        Educational services

52

48

–

–

30

–

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

54

46

–

–

30

–

1 to 99 workers

6

94

11

52

33

–

    1 to 49 workers

6

94

–

60

25

–

100 workers or more

12

88

22

31

37

–

    100 to 499 workers

20

80

19

28

36

–

    500 workers or more

8

92

25

34

37

–

Geographic areas

            

Middle Atlantic

13

87

20

33

36

–

South Atlantic

12

88

14

36

37

–

1Plans closed to new workers or plans that cease accruals for some
or all plan participants.

4Less than 0.5.

2The sum of the individual components may be greater than the total
because some employers offer more than one alternative.


NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals.
Dash indicates no workers in this category or data did not meet publication
criteria. For definitions of major plans, key provisions, and related terms,
see the "Glossary of Employee Benefit Terms" at
www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/glossary20112012.htm.

3The categories are based on the average wage for each occupation
surveyed, which may include workers with earnings both above and below
the threshold. The average wages are based on the estimates published in
the "National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United
States, 2010." See Technical Note for more details.