Issues

Quick Facts on Pensions

$4 trillion - The estimated amount of money defined benefit pension funds hold in U.S. publicly traded equities, representing 26 percent of the U.S. equity market.

$1.6 trillion - Private sector defined benefit pension plans in assets, representing 6 percent of all U.S. stock equity holdings.

$250 billion - The estimated annual amount of money the defined benefit pension system provides in benefits to retirees and adds in economic stimulus to virtually every city, state and country across America.

78 million - The number of baby boomers who are nearing retirement.

64 million - The number of Americans estimated to be in defined benefit pension plans.

31,000 - The approximate number of voluntary private sector defined benefit pension plans in the U.S.

$18,500 - The average annual retirement income paid to individuals who have spent a career working for the public sector – policing streets, fighting fires, teaching children, caring for the sick.

2005 - The first year since 1933 that the personal savings rate was negative.

74 percent - The percentage of investment returns and employee contributions that pay for overall public sector pension costs for the 20-year period ending 2002. The remaining 26 percent of the revenue was derived from employer contributions.

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Sheila Hill
Local 1319, Maryland

Sheila Hill

"I've worked hard for my pension, and my union works hard to protect it. We want to ensure that our pension investments keep companies and CEOs honest and our retirement secure."