The Fact
In March 2025, 64% of union workers in private industry had access to a defined-benefit retirement plan, compared with 9% of nonunion private-industry workers. Defined-benefit plans promise retirement benefits according to a formula rather than simply paying out an individual investment account balance.
What This Means
Traditional pension access has not disappeared evenly. In 2025 it remained common among unionized private-sector workers and uncommon among nonunion workers.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, Retirement benefits by bargaining status, March 2025.