Standard Errors
Defined benefit retirement plans: Open, soft and hard frozen plans

Table 5. Standard errors for defined benefit retirement plans: Open, soft and hard
freeze plans, State and local government workers, March 2018
Characteristics Open plans1 Soft freeze2 Hard freeze3
All
participants
still accruing
benefits 		Some
participants
still accruing
benefits
All workers
0.9
0.9
0.1
[4]
Worker characteristics
       
Management, professional, and related
1.1
1.1
0.1
[4]
    Professional and related
1.3
1.2
0.2
[4]
        Teachers
1.7
1.7
–
–
            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers
2.1
2.1
–
–
Service
1.3
1.3
–
–
    Protective service
1.9
1.9
–
–
Sales and office
1.5
1.5
–
–
    Office and administrative support
1.5
1.5
–
–
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
4.3
4.3
–
–
Production, transportation, and material moving
3.9
4.0
–
–
Full time
0.9
0.9
0.1
[4]
Part time
3.0
3.0
–
[4]
Union
1.1
1.1
0.2
[4]
Nonunion
1.3
1.3
–
–
Average wage within the following categories:5
       
    Lowest 25 percent
1.4
1.5
–
–
        Lowest 10 percent
2.5
2.5
–
–
    Second 25 percent
1.7
1.7
–
–
    Third 25 percent
1.8
1.8
–
–
    Highest 25 percent
1.0
1.0
0.2
[4]
        Highest 10 percent
1.4
1.4
–
–
Establishment characteristics
       
Service-providing industries
0.9
0.9
0.1
[4]
    Education and health services
0.9
0.9
0.1
[4]
        Educational services
1.0
1.0
0.2
[4]
            Elementary and secondary schools
1.3
1.3
–
–
            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities
1.6
1.6
–
–
        Health care and social assistance
2.9
2.9
–
–
            Hospitals
3.3
3.2
–
–
    Public administration
1.5
1.5
–
–
1 to 99 workers
1.6
1.6
–
–
    1 to 49 workers
2.7
2.7
–
–
    50 to 99 workers
2.6
2.6
–
–
100 workers or more
1.0
1.0
0.1
[4]
    100 to 499 workers
2.0
2.0
–
–
    500 workers or more
0.9
0.9
0.1
[4]
State government
1.5
1.5
–
–
Local government
1.1
1.1
0.1
[4]
Geographic areas
       
Northeast
1.9
2.0
–
–
    New England
4.4
4.2
–
–
    Middle Atlantic
2.1
2.2
–
–
South
1.6
1.6
[4]
–
    South Atlantic
2.4
2.4
–
–
    East South Central
2.7
2.7
–
–
    West South Central
1.7
1.8
–
–
Midwest
1.7
1.6
–
–
    East North Central
1.8
1.8
–
–
    West North Central
3.6
3.2
–
–
West
1.8
1.9
–
–
    Mountain
4.4
4.8
–
–
    Pacific
1.8
1.8
–
–
1Plans open to new participants.
2New employees are not allowed in the plan. Benefit accruals may continue for existing participants.
3Participants in these plans stop accruing benefits on the date the plan is frozen. The benefit the employee receives is
calculated as of the day the plan was frozen.
4Less than 0.05.
5Surveyed 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 2018.

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/national-compensation-survey-glossary-of-employee-benefit-terms.htm.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.