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Pension Coverage 2019

Occupational Pensions

Over 6 in 10 occupational pensions are 'defined contribution'

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The proportion of workers with an occupational pension from their current employment who identified their pension as a Defined Contribution pension was 61.7% and 36.4% of workers had a Defined Benefit occupational pension from their current job, while 1.9% had a Hybrid pension. Rates of Defined Benefit occupational pension cover is highest for the older age groups, with 53.3% of females and 51.8% of males in the 55 to 69 years age group having a Defined Benefit occupational pension in their current employment. See Table 4.1.

Self-employed persons, who did not have an occupational pension, were asked if they had an occupational pension from a previous employment. Over two thirds (67.2%) confirmed they had a Defined Contribution pension, while 28.4% had a Defined Benefit occupational pension and 4.4% were part of a Hybrid pension scheme from a previous employment. See Table 4.1

Note that Hybrid pensions were included for the first time as an occupational pension type in the Quarter 3 2019 Pensions Survey. A Hybrid pension scheme is one which is neither a full defined benefit scheme nor a full defined contribution scheme, but has some of the characteristics of each.

Table 4.1 Persons with occupational pension coverage classified by pension type, Q3 2019

	Defined Benefit	Defined Contribution	Hybrid
Employees with an occupational pension from their current employment	36.4	61.7	1.9
Employees with occupational pension, only from a previous employment	20.7	77	2.3
Self employed persons with occupational pension from a previous employment	28.4	67.2	4.4

Over half of workers with no occupational pension say employer does not offer one

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Over half of employees (53.2%) without an occupational pension said that their employer did not offer a pension scheme, while one quarter (25.1%) had chosen not to join their employer's pension scheme. A further 14.6% of employees without an occupational pension were not eligible to join their employer’s occupational pension scheme. See Table 4.2.

Table 4.2 Employees aged 20 to 69 years who do not have an occupational pension classified by reasons for not having an occupational pension, Q3 2019

X-axis label	Male	Female
My employer does not offer a company pension scheme	49.6	56.6
I have chosen not to join my employer's pension scheme	28.1	22.2
I am not eligible to join my employer's pension scheme	15.9	13.3
Not stated	6.4	7.9

Nearly six out of every ten (58.2%) of part-time workers reported that their employer did not offer a pension scheme, compared with just over half (50.8%) of full-time workers. The most common sectors where the employer did not offer a pension scheme for employees were the Skilled trades (60.9%) and the Caring, leisure and other services (55.9%) occupational groups. See Tables 4.2 and 4.3.

Table 4.3 Employees' reasons for not having an occupational pension by NACE economic sector and broad occupational group Q3 2019

Table 4.3 Employees' reasons for not having an occupational pension¹by NACE economic sector and broad occupational group, Q3 2019
% employees aged 20 to 69 years who do not have an occupational pension
		Employer does not offer a company pension scheme	Have chosen not to join employer's pension scheme	Not eligible to join employer's pension scheme	Not stated	Total
State		53.2	25.1	14.6	7.2	100.0

NACE economic sector
A.	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	[64.4]	[20.7]	[10.7]	[4.2]	100.0
B-E.	Industry	46.5	30.3	17.7	5.5	100.0
F.	Construction	50.5	26.6	12.9	9.9	100.0
G.	Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor
	vehicles and motor cycles	53.5	26.8	13.7	6.1	100.0
H.	Transportation and storage	39.2	35.9	13.3	11.5	100.0
I.	Accommodation & food service activities	65.3	14.9	13.6	6.2	100.0
J.	Information & communication	49.2	37.7	6.0	7.1	100.0
K-L.	Financial, insurance and real estate activities	28.8	39.8	26.8	4.6	100.0
M.	Professional, scientific and technical activities	57.3	22.3	13.1	7.3	100.0
N.	Administrative and support service activities	53.7	30.1	9.7	6.5	100.0
O.	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	[44.9]	[15.0]	[35.7]	[4.4]	100.0
P.	Education	46.1	19.2	28.6	6.1	100.0
Q.	Human health and social work activities	49.0	26.8	12.8	11.4	100.0
R-U.	Other NACE activities	68.1	12.7	14.0	5.1	100.0

Broad occupational group
1.	Managers, directors and senior officials	52.9	36.2	8.0	2.9	100.0
2.	Professionals	42.6	33.2	16.1	8.1	100.0
3.	Associate professional and technical	44.3	32.9	19.1	3.7	100.0
4.	Administrative and secretarial	51.0	25.6	14.7	8.8	100.0
5.	Skilled trades	60.9	20.2	11.7	7.2	100.0
6.	Caring, leisure and other services	55.9	20.7	13.7	9.7	100.0
7.	Sales and customer service	54.7	23.8	13.9	7.6	100.0
8.	Process, plant and machine operatives	51.2	29.8	13.9	5.0	100.0
9.	Elementary	57.8	18.6	16.4	7.2	100.0
	Other/not stated	*	*	*	*	*
¹From current employment.
Note: Figures in parentheses [ ] indicate percentages based on small numbers and are, therefore, subject to a wide margin of error.
Note: * Sample occurrence too small for estimation.
Note: Data are subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values.

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Pension Coverage 2019

Occupational Pensions

Over 6 in 10 occupational pensions are 'defined contribution'

Over half of workers with no occupational pension say employer does not offer one

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Table 4.1 Persons with occupational pension coverage classified by pension type, Q3 2019
% of persons aged 20 to 69 in employment with occupational pension coverage
		Employees with occupational pension from their current employment				Employees with occupational pension, only from a previous employment				Self-employed persons with occupational pension from a previous employment
Sex/Age Group		Defined Benefit	Defined Contribution	Hybrid¹	Total	Defined Benefit	Defined Contribution	Hybrid¹	Total	Defined Benefit	Defined Contribution	Hybrid¹	Total
State		36.4	61.7	1.9	100.0	20.7	77.0	2.3	100.0	28.4	67.2	4.4	100.0

Male
	Age Group
	20-24	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
	25-34	19.1	78.4	2.5	100.0	12.7	87.3	0.0	100.0	0.0	100.0	0.0	100.0
	35-44	25.3	73.1	1.6	100.0	11.7	84.8	3.4	100.0	18.5	77.7	3.8	100.0
	45-54	32.2	65.9	1.9	100.0	17.2	82.8	*	100.0	19.2	75.3	5.5	100.0
	55-69	51.8	45.8	2.4	100.0	32.4	64.5	3.0	100.0	50.0	47.8	2.2	100.0
	Total	30.3	67.7	1.9	100.0	17.8	80.4	1.8	100.0	30.2	66.3	3.5	100.0

Female
	Age Group
	20-24	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
	25-34	34.3	64.1	1.7	100.0	13.9	78.6	7.5	100.0	0.0	67.4	32.6	100.0
	35-44	41.9	55.4	2.6	100.0	15.5	82.9	1.5	100.0	18.5	78.7	2.8	100.0
	45-54	44.1	54.7	1.2	100.0	20.6	75.1	4.2	100.0	15.7	75.0	9.3	100.0
	55-69	53.3	44.4	2.3	100.0	58.5	39.7	1.7	100.0	44.2	52.5	3.2	100.0
	Total	42.7	55.4	1.9	100.0	24.3	72.6	3.1	100.0	23.9	69.5	6.6	100.0
¹Hybrid pension schemes were included as an option in the Pensions Survey for the first time in Quarter 3 2019.A hybrid pension scheme is one which is neither a full defined benefit scheme nor a full defined contribution scheme, but has some of the characteristics of each.
Note: * Sample occurrence too small for estimation.
Note: Data are subject to sampling and other survey errors, which are relatively greater in respect of smaller values.