Defined benefit frozen retirement plans: Selected attributes

Table 6. Defined benefit frozen retirement plans:1 Selected attributes,
State and local government workers, March 2016
(All workers participating in frozen defined benefit plans = 100 percent)
Characteristics Time since plan closed to new workers or
stopped accruing benefits2
1 year 2 to 5 years Greater than
5 years
All workers
–
54
–
Worker characteristics
     
Management, professional, and related
–
55
–
    Professional and related
–
55
–
        Teachers
–
54
–
            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers
–
52
–
Service
–
50
–
    Protective service
–
56
–
Sales and office
–
57
–
    Office and administrative support
–
57
–
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
–
56
–
Production, transportation, and material moving
–
44
56
Full time
–
53
–
Part time
–
60
–
Union
–
56
–
Nonunion
–
51
–
Average wage within the following categories:3
     
    Lowest 25 percent
–
52
–
        Lowest 10 percent
–
–
53
    Second 25 percent
–
58
–
    Third 25 percent
–
54
–
    Highest 25 percent
–
52
48
        Highest 10 percent
–
55
45
Establishment characteristics
     
Service-providing industries
–
54
–
    Education and health services
–
53
–
        Educational services
–
54
–
            Elementary and secondary schools
–
53
–
            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities
–
60
40
        Health care and social assistance
–
–
50
            Hospitals
–
50
50
    Public administration
–
56
–
1 to 99 workers
–
50
–
    1 to 49 workers
–
–
49
    50 to 99 workers
–
52
–
100 workers or more
–
54
–
    100 to 499 workers
–
51
–
    500 workers or more
–
55
45
State government
–
53
47
Local government
–
54
–
Geographic areas
     
Northeast
–
36
64
    New England
–
65
35
    Middle Atlantic
–
26
74
South
–
52
48
    South Atlantic
–
73
27
    East South Central
–
55
45
    West South Central
–
21
79
Midwest
–
65
–
    East North Central
–
70
30
West
–
68
32
    Mountain
–
57
43
    Pacific
–
71
29
1Plans closed to new workers or plans that cease accruals for some or all plan participants.
2The length of time is calculated based on the year the plan was modified. For example, plans frozen
after January 2015 are included in the "1 year" column. Those frozen between 2011 and 2014 are included in
the "2 to 5 years" column and plans frozen before 2011 are included in the "Greater than 5 years" column.
3Surveyed 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 2016.

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/glossary20152016.htm.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.