Closing Pensions For Public Workers Has Proven A Mistake
In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes that state leaders have learned the hard way that ending pension benefits comes with little to be gained and a big price to pay.
More specifically, states that shifted new employees from defined benefit pensions to defined contribution or cash balance plans experienced increased costs for taxpayers without significant funding improvements. Also, moving away from pensions results in cuts to public employees’ retirement security, while government employers face increased challenges hiring and retaining staff to deliver essential public services.
Pensions Support a Stable, Experienced Public-Sector Workforce
Public pensions help government employers retain experienced career workers, reducing costly turnover and supporting the reliable delivery of essential public services, according to a report, Workforce Turnover and Retention in the Public Sector: Insights from Public Pension Plans. The research finds that while employee departures are concentrated in the first five years of service, retention is strong among workers who remain beyond that point.
80% of Americans Say U.S. Faces Retirement Crisis Amid Affordability Pressures and Debt
National polling research from the National Institute on Retirement Security finds that 80 percent of Americans believe the nation faces a retirement crisis, as rising costs, debt, and other affordability pressures make it harder to save. The survey also finds widespread caution about AI-generated financial advice and cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans, while 85 percent say Washington should make retirement security a higher national priority.
