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Employee Benefits Survey
EBS EBS Program Links

Standard Errors
Financial benefits: Access

Table 41. Standard errors for financial benefits: Access, State and local government workers,
National Compensation Survey, March 2015

Characteristics

Health
savings
account

Section 125 cafeteria benefits

Savings
plans with
no employer
contribution3

Financial
planning

Flexible
benefits

Dependent
care flexible
spending
account1

Health care
flexible
spending
account2

All workers

1.6

1.7

1.7

1.8

1.6

1.3

Worker characteristics

            

Management, professional, and related

1.8

1.8

2.0

2.0

1.7

1.5

    Professional and related

1.9

1.8

2.1

2.1

1.7

1.5

        Teachers

1.9

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.1

1.4

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

1.8

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.4

1.7

Service

1.8

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.0

1.4

    Protective service

2.6

2.5

2.9

2.9

2.8

2.7

Sales and office

2.3

2.5

2.4

2.6

2.7

2.4

    Office and administrative support

2.4

2.6

2.4

2.6

2.6

2.5

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

3.4

3.2

3.6

4.0

3.9

3.7

Production, transportation, and material moving

3.6

3.3

3.7

3.7

4.9

2.2

Full time

1.7

1.8

1.9

2.0

1.6

1.5

Part time

2.6

2.0

2.4

2.7

2.5

1.4

Union

1.7

1.8

1.9

1.6

1.6

1.6

Nonunion

2.4

2.4

2.3

2.8

2.3

1.7

Average wage within the following categories:4

            

    Lowest 25 percent

2.3

2.7

2.3

3.1

2.7

1.5

        Lowest 10 percent

2.6

2.6

2.6

3.7

3.7

1.7

    Second 25 percent

1.9

1.9

2.2

2.2

2.1

2.2

    Third 25 percent

2.0

2.2

2.2

2.3

2.1

2.3

    Highest 25 percent

1.5

1.8

2.1

1.9

1.9

1.1

        Highest 10 percent

2.1

3.1

2.9

3.1

3.4

2.1

Establishment characteristics

            

Service-providing industries

1.6

1.6

1.7

1.9

1.6

1.3

    Education and health services

2.1

2.0

2.2

2.3

1.8

1.6

        Educational services

2.3

2.0

2.2

2.4

1.8

1.5

            Elementary and secondary schools

1.7

2.3

2.6

2.6

2.1

1.4

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

6.5

3.7

6.5

6.0

3.7

4.4

        Health care and social assistance

2.6

4.7

4.8

4.7

5.1

4.1

            Hospitals

4.0

6.3

6.4

6.0

7.2

5.4

    Public administration

1.8

2.2

2.3

2.2

2.3

2.4

1 to 99 workers

2.4

3.1

3.2

3.4

4.8

2.9

    1 to 49 workers

2.8

2.9

3.9

3.8

5.1

3.6

    50 to 99 workers

4.5

5.5

5.7

6.6

5.8

5.1

100 workers or more

1.7

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.5

1.4

    100 to 499 workers

2.2

2.7

2.8

3.1

3.1

2.2

    500 workers or more

1.9

1.8

1.8

1.7

1.7

1.7

State government

4.1

3.1

3.8

3.8

3.2

3.7

Local government

1.3

1.7

1.9

1.9

1.6

1.0

Geographic areas

            

Northeast

1.4

3.0

3.1

3.1

3.0

1.4

    New England

4.4

–

6.9

6.1

4.5

–

    Middle Atlantic

1.0

3.9

3.4

3.6

3.9

1.4

South

3.0

3.0

2.8

3.5

2.8

2.1

    South Atlantic

3.4

4.3

2.6

2.6

4.3

3.2

    East South Central

–

8.8

8.6

12.5

7.6

–

    West South Central

2.4

4.8

4.5

4.6

3.3

3.0

Midwest

3.0

2.7

3.0

2.1

3.0

3.6

    East North Central

3.4

2.4

2.8

2.1

4.1

2.8

    West North Central

5.7

6.3

5.7

3.7

4.3

7.7

West

3.5

3.9

4.9

4.9

3.0

2.5

    Mountain

6.2

–

14.0

14.2

4.8

2.6

    Pacific

4.2

2.2

4.0

3.8

3.5

3.3

1Formerly referred to as Dependent care reimbursement account.

2Formerly referred to as Health care reimbursement account.

3Savings plans established by the employer on behalf of the employee, but with no employer contribution.  These are cash or deferred
arrangement plans or individual retirement accounts used to fund savings and retirement plans authorized by section 401(k), 403(b), or 457 of
the Internal Revenue Code. The employees’ contributions can be pre- and post-tax. Employees may authorize a payroll deduction by theemployer to fund the established plan.

4Surveyed occupations are classified into wage categories based on the average wage for the occupation, which may include workers with
earnings both above and below the threshold.  The categories were formed using percentile estimates generated using wage data for March
2015.


Note: 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/glossary20142015.htm.