The ratio of workers participating in life insurance benefit programs has been declining for the past 6 years, government data shows.
The percentage of full-time workers participating in life insurance benefits in private industry totaled just 61% this year, down from 68% in 1999, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington.
For part-timers, the percentage declined from 15% to just 10% in the same period.
For small employers, specifically those with fewer than 100 workers, the number of employees covered by group insurance fell from 43% to 36% between 1999 and 2006, the BLS data shows. In companies with 100 or more employees, the ratio fell from 70% to 66% in the period.
Data for 2006 shows only 52% of blue-collar workers in private industry participated in group life insurance, up slightly from 51% in 2003. This compares to 58% of white-collar workers participating this year, up from 54% in 2003.