About 40% of large employers that operate in the United States have shifted to relying on defined contribution retirement plans, from defined benefit pension plans, over the past decade.
Researchers at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Washington, a consulting firm, have reported that finding in a survey of results from an informal survey of 300 large employers.
Surveyed companies that offer new hires only a defined contribution plans, such as a 401(k) plan, contribute an average of up to 5.82% of employees’ pay to the plan accounts.