Employee Benefits in the United States Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, September 19, 2024                                             USDL-24-1921

Technical information:  (202) 691-6199  *  ncsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/ebs
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902  *  pressoffice@bls.gov

                        EMPLOYEE BENEFITS IN THE UNITED STATES - MARCH 2024


Medical care benefits were available to 72 percent of private industry workers and 89 percent of state 
and local government workers in March 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-
three percent of private industry workers had access to dental benefits and 60 percent of state and local 
government workers had access. Twenty-eight percent of private industry workers had access to vision 
benefits while 39 percent of state and local government workers had access. (See table 2.) 

For private industry workers participating in medical plans with single coverage, the employer share of 
premiums was 80 percent and the employee share was 20 percent. State and local government workers 
participating in medical plans with single coverage saw 86 percent of premiums covered by employers 
and 14 percent by employees. For family coverage, employers paid 68 percent of premiums for private 
industry workers and 71 percent for state and local government workers. Thirty-two percent of 
premiums were funded by the employee for family coverage among private industry workers. For state 
and local government workers, employees covered 29 percent of such plans. (See tables 3 and 4.)  

Seventy-nine percent of private industry workers and 92 percent of state and local government workers 
had access to paid sick leave. Eighty-one percent of private industry workers and 68 percent of state and 
local government workers had access to paid holidays. Paid personal leave is defined as a leave benefit, 
used for reasons important to the individual employee, but not otherwise provided by other forms of 
leave (for example, sick leave, vacations, and holidays). This benefit was available to 49 percent of 
private industry workers and 62 percent of state and local government workers. (See table 6.)

For private industry workers in establishments with 1 to 99 employees, the average number of annual 
paid vacation days for workers was 10 days after 1 year of employment, 14 days after 5 years, 16 days 
after 10 years, and 17 days after 20 years. For private industry workers in establishments with 500 or 
more employees, the average number of annual paid vacation days for workers was 14 days after 1 year 
of employment, 18 days after 5 years, 21 days after 10 years, and 24 days after 20 years. 

In the West Census region, 53 percent of private industry workers and 81 percent of state and local 
government workers had access to life insurance. Long-term disability insurance was available to 34 
percent of private industry workers and 48 percent of state and local government workers in this region. 
Thirty-six percent of private industry workers and 30 percent of state and local government workers had 
access to short-term disability insurance in the West Census region. (See table 5.)

Highlights of employer-sponsored benefits

Occupational group
	* Access to medical care benefits ranged from 52 percent for service occupations to 94 percent for 
	  management, business, and financial occupations among civilian workers.
	* Eighty-three percent of teachers had access to medical care benefits and 60 percent participated 
	  among civilian workers. 
	* Among state and local government workers, 92 percent of teachers had access to medical care 
	  benefits and the take-up rate for these benefits was 74 percent.

Work status
	* Eighty-nine percent of full-time civilian workers had access to medical care benefits and 26 
	  percent of part-time workers had access to medical care benefits. The take-up rate was 66 percent 
	  for full-time workers and 46 percent for part-time workers.
	* Ninety-nine percent of full-time state and local government workers had access to retirement 
	  benefits and 89 percent participated, while 43 percent of part-time workers had access to 
	  retirement benefits and 37 percent participated.
	* In the private industry, 87 percent of full-time workers had access to medical care benefits and 
	  the take-up rate was 65 percent. Twenty-six percent of part-time workers had access to these 
	  benefits and the take-up rate was 45 percent.

Industry group
	* Eighty-five percent of workers in goods-producing industries had access to medical care benefits 
	  and 70 percent of workers in service-providing industries had access among private industry 
	  workers.
	* Within education and health services, 75 percent of workers had access to medical care benefits 
	  and 44 percent of workers participated in such benefits for private industry workers.
	* Eighty-nine percent of state and local government workers in service-providing industries had 
	  access to medical care benefits and the take-up rate was 75 percent.

Establishment size
	* Access to medical care benefits among all civilian workers ranged from 56 percent for 
	  establishments with less than 50 workers to 91 percent for establishments with 500 workers or more.
	* Take-up rates among all civilian workers were 60 percent for establishments with less than 50 
	  workers, 60 percent for establishments with 50 to 99 workers, 68 percent for establishments with 
	  100 or more workers, 66 percent for establishments with 100 to 499 workers, and 70 percent for 
	  establishments with 500 workers or more.

Census area
	* Medical care benefits access among private industry workers by Census region was 73 percent in 
	  the Northeast, 71 percent in the Midwest, 71 percent in the South, and 74 percent in the West. 
	  Take-up rates for medical care benefits ranged from 61 percent in the South to 66 percent in the 
	  Midwest.
	* Breaking these numbers down further by Census division, access to medical care benefits in the 
	  Pacific division was 76 percent for private industry workers. The access rate was 68 percent for 
	  workers in the East South Central division.