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Employee benefits for domestic partners in March 2013
October 18, 2013
Nearly half of private industry employees with access to a defined benefit retirement plan in March 2013 had a plan that provides survivor benefits to same‐sex domestic partners. Among state and local government workers with access to a defined benefit retirement plan, three-fifths had a plan that provides survivor benefits to same‐sex domestic partners.
Percent of workers in private industry and state and local government with access to defined-benefit retirement plans by provision of survivor benefits for domestic partners, March 2013
Characteristic
Survivor benefits available
Survivor benefits not available
Private industry
Same-sex domestic partners
9
10
Opposite-sex domestic partners
8
11
State and local government
Same-sex domestic partners
50
33
Opposite-sex domestic partners
48
35
Nineteen percent of employees in private industry had access to a defined benefit retirement plan in March 2013. Nine percent were in plans that provide survivor benefits for same-sex partners and 8 percent for opposite-sex partners.
Among state and local government employees, 83 percent had access to a defined benefit retirement plan in March 2013. Fifty percent were in plans that provide survivor benefits for same-sex partners and 48 percent for opposite-sex partners.
In private industry, 70 percent of workers had access to healthcare benefits in March 2013. Thirty-one percent of workers had access to plans that provide healthcare benefits to same-sex partners, and 26 percent had access to plans that provide healthcare benefits to opposite-sex partners.
Percent of workers in private industry and state and local government with access to healthcare benefits by availability of benefits for domestic partners, March 2013
Characteristic
Partner benefits available
Partner benefits not available
Private industry
Same-sex domestic partners
31
39
Opposite-sex domestic partners
26
44
State and local government
Same-sex domestic partners
33
54
Opposite-sex domestic partners
28
59
In state and local government, 87 percent of workers had access to healthcare benefits in March 2013. Thirty-three percent of workers had access to plans that provide healthcare benefits to same-sex partners, and 28 percent had access to plans that provide healthcare benefits to opposite-sex partners.
These data are from the National Compensation Survey – Benefits program. To learn more, see "Unmarried Domestic Partners Benefit Fact Sheet, March 2013" (PDF) and Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2013, Bulletin 2776. Employees are considered to have access to a benefit plan if it is available for their use, regardless of whether they choose to enroll. A defined benefit retirement plan provides employees with guaranteed retirement benefits based on a benefit formula. A participant’s retirement age, length of service, and preretirement earnings may affect the benefits received.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employee benefits for domestic partners in March 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20131018.htm (visited October 06, 2024).
United States Department of Labor
