Standard Errors
Defined benefit frozen retirement plans: Plan alternatives

Table 7. Standard errors for frozen defined benefit retirement plans:1 Plan alternatives, private
industry workers,  National Compensation Survey, March 2011

Characteristics

No
alternative to
frozen plans

Alternatives
to frozen
plans
available

Alternatives for employees in frozen plans

New defined
benefit plan

Enhanced
existing
defined
contribution
plan

New defined
contribution
plan

Other

All workers

1.2

1.2

1.5

2.6

2.6

0.4

Worker characteristics

            

Management, professional, and related

1.4

1.4

2.1

3.9

3.9

0.8

    Management, business, and financial

1.4

1.4

2.2

4.3

4.5

–

    Professional and related

1.9

1.9

2.3

4.5

4.3

–

Service

3.0

3.0

1.8

–

9.0

–

Sales and office

2.3

2.3

2.3

2.8

3.1

[2]

    Sales and related

2.4

2.4

1.4

5.5

5.6

–

    Office and administrative support

2.6

2.6

2.9

2.7

3.0

[2]

Production, transportation, and material moving

2.4

2.4

2.5

3.8

4.8

–

    Production

2.6

2.6

3.3

5.2

5.9

–

    Transportation and material moving

3.9

3.9

–

–

7.0

–

Full time

1.1

1.1

1.6

2.6

2.8

0.4

Part time

5.3

5.3

1.4

5.1

5.5

–

Union

2.6

2.6

4.8

2.7

4.4

–

Nonunion

1.2

1.2

1.4

2.9

2.8

0.4

Average wage within the following categories:3

            

    Lowest 25 percent

5.8

5.8

0.7

7.7

6.7

–

    Second 25 percent

2.6

2.6

2.8

3.6

4.4

–

    Third 25 percent

2.1

2.1

1.7

3.1

3.2

–

    Highest 25 percent

1.1

1.1

2.5

3.8

3.5

0.7

        Highest 10 percent

1.3

1.3

2.7

5.1

4.6

–

Establishment characteristics

            

Goods-producing industries

1.4

1.4

2.6

3.5

4.1

–

    Manufacturing

1.4

1.4

2.7

3.5

4.3

–

Service-providing industries

1.6

1.6

1.7

3.0

3.1

–

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

3.4

3.4

2.9

3.2

3.6

–

        Retail trade

5.1

5.1

–

5.0

5.3

–

        Utilities

5.5

5.5

5.5

–

–

–

    Financial activities:
       Finance and insurance:
         Insurance carriers and related activities

4.1

4.1

5.3

5.9

5.2

–

    Education and health services:
       Educational services

7.5

7.5

–

–

7.6

–

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

7.6

7.6

–

–

7.7

–

        Health care and social assistance

2.9

2.9

1.7

4.6

5.0

–

1 to 99 workers

1.4

1.4

3.7

5.1

4.2

–

100 workers or more

1.4

1.4

1.6

2.7

2.7

–

    100 to 499 workers

2.9

2.9

2.1

3.5

4.1

–

    500 workers or more

1.5

1.5

2.2

3.3

3.4

[2]

Geographic areas

            

Middle Atlantic

4.7

4.7

2.1

4.7

6.3

–

East North Central

2.3

2.3

3.7

4.0

5.5

[2]

South Atlantic

2.6

2.6

2.3

4.5

4.4

–

Pacific

1.7

1.7

–

5.8

6.2

–

1Plans closed to new workers or plans that cease accruals for some
or all plan participants.

3The categories are based on the average wage for each occupation
surveyed, which may include workers with earnings both above and below
the threshold. The average wages are based on the estimates published in
the "National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United
States, 2010." See Technical Note for more details.

2Less than 0.05.


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/glossary20102011.htm.