September 16, 2011
Workers of color are substantially less likely to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan than white workers are. Over the years 2003-2009, for example, almost half of white workers (49.0 percent) participated in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, compared to only 42.6 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, 41.3 percent of black workers, and 26.6 percent of Latino workers.
Women (43.7 percent) are also generally less likely than men (45.4 percent) are to be in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. This holds true for white, AAPI, and black workers. Latino men, however, are less likely (25.3 percent) than Latino women (28.5 percent) to participate in an employer-sponsored plan.
(Data note: All data are from the March Current Population Survey for the years 2004 through 2010, covering calendar years 2003 through 2009. The sample is all workers ages 18 to 64. Participation in an employer-sponsored plan requires both that the employer has a plan and that the employee participates in the plan. Participation does not require that the employer make a financial contribution.)
