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

Table 5. Defined benefit retirement plans: Open, soft and hard freeze plans, private
industry workers, March 2018
(All workers participating in defined benefit plans = 100 percent)
Characteristics Open plans1 Soft freeze2 Hard freeze3
All
participants
still accruing
benefits 		Some
participants
still accruing
benefits
All workers
61
22
3
14
Worker characteristics
       
Management, professional, and related
54
23
4
19
    Management, business, and financial
58
17
3
21
    Professional and related
51
27
5
17
Service
75
–
–
–
    Protective service
83
–
–
–
Sales and office
57
24
2
17
    Sales and related
58
20
2
20
    Office and administrative support
56
25
3
16
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
77
17
2
4
    Construction, extraction, farming, fishing, and
     forestry
92
4
–
–
    Installation, maintenance, and repair
58
33
3
5
Production, transportation, and material moving
61
24
4
11
    Production
44
34
3
19
    Transportation and material moving
74
17
4
5
Full time
60
22
3
15
Part time
69
23
–
–
Union
78
17
1
4
Nonunion
49
25
5
21
Average wage within the following categories:4
       
    Lowest 25 percent
67
20
–
–
        Lowest 10 percent
88
–
–
–
    Second 25 percent
64
18
4
14
    Third 25 percent
61
22
3
14
    Highest 25 percent
59
23
3
14
        Highest 10 percent
57
22
4
17
Establishment characteristics
       
Goods-producing industries
57
23
6
14
    Construction
98
–
–
–
    Manufacturing
38
34
8
19
Service-providing industries
62
21
2
14
    Trade, transportation, and utilities
70
24
2
4
        Wholesale trade
68
21
–
–
        Retail trade
66
29
–
–
        Transportation and warehousing
75
20
–
–
        Utilities
61
30
3
5
    Information
33
49
–
–
    Financial activities
53
17
2
28
        Finance and insurance
50
18
2
30
            Credit intermediation and related activities
50
15
3
33
            Insurance carriers and related activities
62
22
1
15
        Real estate and rental and leasing
96
–
–
–
    Professional and business services
62
–
–
17
        Professional and technical services
75
–
–
–
    Education and health services
62
21
–
–
        Educational services
58
32
–
–
            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities
65
–
–
–
        Health care and social assistance
62
19
–
–
    Leisure and hospitality
93
–
–
–
        Accommodation and food services
100
–
–
–
    Other services
81
–
–
–
1 to 99 workers
66
18
2
14
    1 to 49 workers
64
18
1
17
    50 to 99 workers
68
19
–
–
100 workers or more
59
23
4
14
    100 to 499 workers
65
21
4
10
    500 workers or more
55
24
3
17
Geographic areas
       
Northeast
64
20
2
14
    New England
68
20
–
–
    Middle Atlantic
63
20
2
15
South
58
25
4
13
    South Atlantic
60
22
5
13
    East South Central
56
37
–
–
    West South Central
57
24
–
–
Midwest
61
20
4
15
    East North Central
61
20
4
15
    West North Central
62
20
–
–
West
60
23
3
14
    Mountain
60
23
–
–
    Pacific
60
23
4
14
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.
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 2018.

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

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