The percentage of workers ages 21 to 64 participating in a 401(k)-type retirement plan was 33% in 2005, up from 24% in 1996, the Employee Benefits Research Institute reports.
Among workers with family incomes below $10,000, 7.4% took part in a defined-contribution plan in 2005, compared with 45% of those with family incomes of $75,000 or more.
Participation also improved with education, ranging from 11% of workers without a high school diploma to 50% of those with a graduate degree, EBRI, Washington, says.