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NIRS Releases Report on Americans' Views of State and Local Employee Retirement Plans
On March 17, 2021, the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) released its survey report, Americans’ Views of State & Local Employee Retirement Plans. The NIRS research measures public sentiment about the benefits provided to state and local employees.
The national survey indicates that the role of state and local public employees has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 18 million state and local government employees continue to perform essential activities and services for their communities.
According to the survey:
- Overall, 77% of Americans agree that all workers should have a pension;
- About 72% of respondents agree that state and local employees should receive pensions since they help finance part of the cost by making employee contributions;
- Most respondents agree that public employees should receive pensions since they perceive their benefit levels to be about right (46%) or too low (31%), retirement benefits help compensate for lower public sector pay, and some jobs are physically demanding or pose significant risks; and
- The vast majority agree that providing pensions to state and local employees is helpful to recruit and retain employees.
The report is available here.