The Tough Retirement Challenges of Rural Americans
Next Avenue reports:
The report emphasizes how important public pension dollars are to rural areas. In fact, the researchers said, public pensions are one of the few available incentives to attract and keep public workers in rural communities. In much of rural America, the largest employers are public entities, such as a school district.
The retirement story of rural America is really part of a much bigger problem. In a sense, it’s another canary in the retirement savings coal mine.
Statement on Efforts in Alaska to Restore Pension Benefits to Address Grave Workforce Shortage
Alaska’s effort to restore a pension plan for public workers represents meaningful progress in addressing one of the state’s most pressing challenges: attracting and retaining a stable, experienced public workforce. While Governor Dunleavy has vetoed the legislation, the fact that the measure passed both the House and Senate demonstrates a growing recognition that retirement benefits are not just about retirement security — they also are an essential workforce management tool.