DOCSLIB.ORG

State Personal Income and Employment: Concepts, Data Sources, and Statistical Methods

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

State Personal Income and Employment: Concepts, Data Sources, and Statistical Methods September 2020 Table of Contents I. Introduction A Brief History Uses of the State Estimates Place of Residence and Place of Measurement Relation of Personal Income in the NIPA and in the State Personal Income Accounts Industrial Classification Revisions to NAICS Descriptions changed from NAICS 2002 to NAICS 2007: Descriptions changed from NAICS 2007 to NAICS 2012: Per Capita Personal Income Farm Proprietors’ Income Personal Income, Adjusted Gross Income, and Money Income Employment Sources of the Data Preparation and Revision Schedule Release and Publication Schedule Tables Resources on BEA’s website Glossary Mapping of regional statistics Previously published estimates Statistical area delineations Table A. Relation of Personal Income in the NIPA and the State Personal Income Accounts Table B. Regional Income and Employment Data Tables Available from the Bureau of Economic Analysis II. Wages and Salaries Wages and Salaries in Industries Fully Covered by the UI Programs Adjustment for congressional staff wages Adjustment for tax misreporting Adjustment for wages and salaries that are excluded from the QCEW data Wages and Salaries in Industries Not Fully Covered by State UI Programs Farms Farm labor contractors Private elementary and secondary schools September 2020 STATE METHODOLOGY ii II. Wages and Salaries (continued) Religious membership organizations Private households Railroads Military Alternative Measure of Wages Table C. Wages and Salaries, by Industry, United States, 2019 Table D. Relation of BEA Wages and Salaries to Wages as Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019 III. Supplements to Wages and Salaries Employer Contributions for Employee Pension and Insurance Funds Pension plans Defined benefit plans National estimates State estimates Defined contribution plans National estimates State estimates Insurance funds Group health insurance plans National estimates State estimates Group life insurance plans National estimates State estimates Supplemental unemployment benefit plans National estimates State estimates Privately administered workers’ compensation plans National estimates State estimates Employer Contributions for Government Social Insurance Contributions for OASDI and HI Contributions for unemployment insurance State unemployment insurance and federal unemployment tax funds Railroad employees’ unemployment insurance Federal employees’ unemployment insurance Contribution for railroad retirement Contributions for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Contributions for military medical insurance Contributions for veterans’ life insurance Contributions for federal workers’ compensation Contributions for state-administered workers’ compensation Contributions for state-administered temporary disability insurance September 2020 STATE METHODOLOGY iii III. Supplements to Wages and Salaries (continued) Table E. Components of Supplements to Wages and Salaries, United States, 2019 IV. Proprietors’ Income Nonfarm Proprietors’ Income Income of nonfarm sole proprietorships and partnerships Income of nonfarm tax-exempt cooperatives Farm Proprietors’ Income Gross farm output Cash receipts from sale of agricultural products Federal government payments to farm operators Imputed and miscellaneous income received Value of the change in farm inventories Production expenses Depreciation Wages and salaries Fines Farm housing Livestock purchased Corporate farm income Table F. Proprietors’ Income, by Industry, United States, 2019 V. Dividends, Interest, and Rent Personal Dividend Income Imputed receipt of dividend income from pension plans Dividend income received from S corporations Other dividend income Personal Interest Income Monetary interest receipts Imputed interest receipts from employee pension plans Imputed interest receipts from financial institutions and insurance companies Rental Income of Persons Monetary rental income Monetary rental income from farms owned by nonoperator landlords Royalties Other monetary rental income Imputed rental income Mobile homes Permanent-site nonfarm dwellings Permanent-site farm dwellings Table G. Components of Property Income, United States, 2019 September 2020 STATE METHODOLOGY iv VI. Personal Current Transfer Receipts Current Transfer Receipts of Individuals from Governments Retirement and disability insurance benefits Social Security benefits Railroad retirement and disability benefits Workers’ compensation Other government retirement and disability insurance benefits Temporary disability benefits Black lung benefits Pension Benefit Guaranty benefits Medical benefits Medicare benefits Medicaid benefits Other medical care benefits Military medical insurance benefits Income maintenance benefits Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Other income maintenance benefits Family assistance General assistance benefits Foster care and adoption assistance Additional Child Tax Credit Energy Assistance Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits Unemployment insurance compensation State unemployment insurance compensation Unemployment Compensation of Federal Employees (UCFE) Unemployment compensation for railroad employees Unemployment Compensation for Veterans (UCX) Other unemployment compensation Trade adjustment assistance Redwood Park benefits Public service employment benefits Transitional benefits Veterans’ benefits Veterans’ pension and disability benefits Veterans’ readjustment benefits Veterans’ life insurance benefits Other assistance to veterans State and local government payments to veterans Veterans’ community care benefits September 2020 STATE METHODOLOGY v VI. Personal Current Transfer Receipts (continued) Education and training assistance Federal fellowship benefits Federal educational exchange benefits Interest on guaranteed student loans Higher education student assistance Job Corps benefits State educational assistance Other transfer receipts of individuals from governments Compensation of survivors of public safety officers Compensation of victims of crime Alaska Permanent Fund benefits Disaster relief benefits Radiation exposure compensation Japanese interns redress benefits Anti-terrorism judgment receipts Compensation of victims of September 11 Bureau of Indian Affairs benefits TV Converter Box coupons American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Federal Additional Compensation for unemployment ARRA COBRA premium reduction ARRA Economic Recovery lump sum ARRA Making Work Pay tax credit ARRA Government Retiree tax credit American Opportunity tax credit Home Affordable Mortgage Program principle reduction Temporary High-Risk Health Insurance premium reduction World Trade Center Health benefits Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 rebates Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) credit Adoption tax credit Health Coverage Tax Credit Health Insurance Premium Assistance Tax Credit Cost-Sharing Reduction Subsidy Health Benefits for Retired United Mine Workers of America members Current Transfer Receipts of Nonprofit Institutions Receipts from the federal government Receipts from state and local governments Receipts from businesses Current Transfer Receipts of Individuals from Businesses BP oil spill settlement receipts Other transfer receipts of individuals from businesses Table H. Components of Personal Current Transfer Receipts, United States, 2019 September 2020 STATE METHODOLOGY vi VII. Contributions for Government Social Insurance Employer Contributions for Government Social Insurance Employee and Self-employed Contributions for Government Social Insurance Contributions for OASDI and HI Contributions by employees Contributions by the self-employed Contributions by employees for other government social insurance programs Contributions for railroad employee retirement insurance Contributions for state unemployment insurance and for temporary disability insurance Contributions for Supplementary Medical Insurance and for veterans’ life insurance Contributions for Supplementary Medical Insurance Contributions for veterans’ life insurance Table I. Components of Contributions for Government Social Insurance, United States, 2019 VIII. Residence Adjustment Net Residence Adjustment for Intercounty Community Flows Modifying the provisional estimates International Border Workers Inflows from and outflows to Canada and Mexico U.S. residents employed by certain foreign organizations IX. Personal Current Taxes Personal Current Taxes Paid to the Federal Government Individual income taxes (net of refunds) Income tax refunds Current taxes on income retained by fiduciaries Personal Current Taxes except Personal Property Taxes Paid to State Governments Individual income taxes Motor vehicle and operator license taxes Other license taxes Personal Current Taxes except Personal Property Taxes Paid to Local Governments Individual income taxes Motor vehicle and operator license taxes Miscellaneous taxes Personal Property Taxes Paid to State and Local Governments Table J. Personal Income, Disposable Personal Income, and Personal Current Taxes, by Component, United States, 2019 September 2020 STATE METHODOLOGY vii X. Quarterly Estimates of State Personal Income Revision Schedule for the Quarterly Estimates Control Totals for the Quarterly Estimates Control totals for the quarterly estimates of wages and salaries Sources and Methods for Quarterly Personal Income by Component Wages and salaries Supplements to
Recommended publications
  • No Free Lunch: Higher Superannuation Means Lower Wages

    No Free Lunch: Higher Superannuation Means Lower Wages

    No free lunch: Higher superannuation means lower wages February 2020 Brendan Coates, Will Mackey, and Matt Cowgill No free lunch: Higher superannuation means lower wages Grattan Institute Support Grattan Institute Working Paper No. 2020-01, February 2020 Founding members Endowment Supporters This working paper was written by Brendan Coates, Will Mackey, and The Myer Foundation Matt Cowgill. Owain Emslie and Jonathan Nolan made valuable National Australia Bank contributions to the report. Susan McKinnon Foundation We would like to thank Jeff Borland, Bob Breunig, Rebecca Cassells, Affiliate Partners Rafal Chomik, John Freebairn, Sean Innis, Guyonne Kalb, Mike Keating, Kristen Sobeck, Geoff Warren, Roger Wilkins, and a number of Medibank Private others for their comments on this working paper. We would also like to Susan McKinnon Foundation thank Grattan Institute’s Public Policy Committee. Veitch Lister Consulting Analysis in this paper used the R programming language (R Core Senior Affiliates Team, 2019) and a range of R packages including the Tidyverse Cuffe Family Foundation (Wickham et al, 2019). Maddocks The opinions in this paper are those of the authors and do not The Myer Foundation necessarily represent the views of Grattan Institute’s founding PwC members, affiliates, individual board members, reference group Scanlon Foundation members, or reviewers. Any remaining errors or omissions are the Trawalla Foundation responsibility of the authors. Wesfarmers Grattan Institute is an independent think tank focused on Australian Westpac public policy. Our work is independent, practical, and rigorous. We aim Affiliates to improve policy outcomes by engaging with decision makers and the broader community. Allens Ashurst For further information on the Institute’s programs, or to join our mailing Corrs list, please go to: http://www.grattan.edu.au/.
  • Main Economic Indicators: Comparative Methodological Analysis: Wage Related Statistics

    Main Economic Indicators: Comparative Methodological Analysis: Wage Related Statistics

    MAIN ECONOMIC INDICATORS: COMPARATIVE METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: WAGE RELATED STATISTICS VOLUME 2002 SUPPLEMENT 3 FOREWORD This publication provides comparisons of methodologies used by OECD Member countries to compile key short-term and annual data on wage related statistics. These statistics comprise annual and infra-annual statistics on wages and earnings, minimum wages, labour costs, labour prices, unit labour costs, and household income. Also, because of their use in the compilation of these statistics, the publication also includes an initial analysis of hours of work statistics. In its coverage of short-term indicators it is related to analytical publications previously published by the OECD for indicators published in the monthly publication, Main Economic Indicators (MEI) for: industry, retail and construction indicators; and price indices. The primary purpose of this publication is to provide users with methodological information underlying the compilation of wage related statistics. The analysis provided for these statistics is designed to ensure their appropriate use by analysts in an international context. The information will also enable national statistical institutes and other agencies responsible for compiling such statistics to compare their methodologies and data sources with those used in other countries. Finally, it will provide a range of options for countries in the process of creating their own wage related statistics, or overhauling existing indicators. The analysis in this publication focuses on issues of data comparability in the context of existing international statistical guidelines and recommendations published by the OECD and other international agencies such as the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat).
  • PERSONAL INCOME TAX LAW (Updated Text*)

    PERSONAL INCOME TAX LAW (Updated Text*)

    PERSONAL INCOME TAX LAW (updated text*) PART ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1 This Law introduces the personal income tax and regulates the taxation procedure of the civilian's personal income. Article 2 Personal income tax (hereinafter: income tax) is paid annually for the sum of the net revenue from all sources, except for the revenues that are tax exempt by this Law. Article 3 The following types of revenues earned in the country and abroad are included in the income according to which the tax base is determined: 1) personal income from employment, pensions and disability pensions; 2) income from agriculture; 3) personal income from financial and professional activities; 4) income from property and property rights; 5) other types of revenues. All revenues under paragraph 1 of this article which are paid in cash, paid in kind or through other means, are subject to taxation. Article 4 For the different types of revenues under article 3 of this Law, an advance payment of the income tax is calculated throughout the fiscal year, which is paid by deduction from each salary payment or based on the decision of the public revenue authorities, unless otherwise determined by this Law. The amount of the compensated tax under paragraph 1 of this article is deducted from the estimated annual income tax, while the tax reductions are accepted in the amount approved with the advance estimation. _________________________________ *)The Law is published in the " Official Gazette of Republic of Macedonia",No.80/93, and the amendment and supplement in 70/94,71/96 and 28/97 Article 5 The annual amount of the income tax and the amounts of the advance payments and tax reductions that are deducted from the annual taxation are determined by the regulations that are valid on January 1 in the taxable year, unless otherwise determined by this Law.
  • Employment, Personal Income and Gross Domestic Product)

    Employment, Personal Income and Gross Domestic Product)

    South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin February 2013 February 2013 Labor Market Information Center SD Department of Labor & Regulation How is South Dakota faring in BEA Economic Indicators? (Employment, Personal Income and Gross Domestic Product) From the January 2013 South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin Employment Data from BEA The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) publishes employment data for state and local areas. The data includes an estimate of the total number of jobs, including both full- and part-time jobs and detailed by place of work. (Full- and part-time jobs are counted at equal weight.) Employees, sole proprietors and active partners are all included, but unpaid family workers and volunteers are not. Proprietors are those workers who own and operate their own businesses and are reported as either farm or nonfarm workers. The number of workers covered by unemployment insurance is a key component of the employment data published by the BEA and in information compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more information regarding covered workers, see the South Dakota Covered Workers & Annual Pay 2011 Annual Summary on our website at www.sdjobs.org/lmic/menu_covered_workers2011.aspx. The chart on the following page shows annual employment change during the 2000-2011 period. Comparative data is included for the United States, South Dakota and the Plains Region (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota). (continued on next page) Page 1 of 23 South Dakota e-Labor Bulletin February 2013 For the 2010-2011 period, which reflects economic recovery, South Dakota attained a total employment growth rate of 1.2 percent, compared to a growth rate of 1.1 percent for the Plains Region and 1.3 percent for the nation.
  • Iowa Personal Income and Wage/Salary Income

    Iowa Personal Income and Wage/Salary Income

    IOWA PERSONAL INCOME AND WAGE/SALARY INCOME Overview. Personal income includes wage and salary income and income earned through the operation of farms and other businesses, rent, interest, dividends, and government transfer income (Social Security, unemployment insurance, etc.). Iowa Wage and Salary Growth. Wage and salary income is a component of overall personal income. Over time, Iowa wage and salary income equals about 50.0% of total personal income. Wage and salary income is not as volatile as overall personal income. Since the end of the December 2007 U.S. recession in June 2009, annual Iowa wage and salary income growth has averaged about 3.2%. For the second quarter of calendar year (CY) 2021, wage and salary income increased 1.5% compared to the first quarter of CY 2021 and increased 11.2% compared to the same quarter of CY 2020. Iowa Personal Income Growth. Iowa personal income increased 1.3% for the second quarter of CY 2021 when compared to the same quarter of CY 2020. Income decreased 6.1% from the first quarter of CY 2021, due to a reduction in economic stimulus from the federal government. Personal income growth for the second quarter of CY 2020 was revised up to 11.9% from the originally released growth rate. Personal income growth is quite volatile over time, as is evident in Chart 2. In addition to quarterly volatility, reported personal income for Iowa suffers from significant revisions, usually related to changes in estimated farm income. Farm Proprietor Income. Since 2012, Iowa overall personal income has been growing more slowly than Iowa wage and salary income due to the decline in Iowa farm proprietor income.
  • ECONOMIC INDICATORS Sources and Methods

    ECONOMIC INDICATORS Sources and Methods

    STATISTICS DIRECTORATE MAIN ECONOMIC INDICATORS Sources and Methods LABOUR AND WAGE STATISTICS APRIL 1997 ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT Table of contents Page 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 5 2. Explanatory notes......................................................................................................................................... 9 Canada .....................................................................................................................................................10 Mexico......................................................................................................................................................23 United States.............................................................................................................................................31 Japan ........................................................................................................................................................43 Australia...................................................................................................................................................52 New Zealand.............................................................................................................................................63 Austria......................................................................................................................................................75
  • Wage and Benefit Survey 2

    Wage and Benefit Survey 2

    2017 MIDDLE TENNESSEE WAGE & BENEFIT SURVEY Pickett Macon Clay Stewart Montgomery Robertson Sumner Trousdale Jackson Overton Fentress Houston Smith Dickson Putnam Cheatham Davidson Wilson Humphreys DeKalb White Cumberland n Williamson Rutherford Hickman anno Van C Warren Buren Perry Maury Lewis Bedford Coffee Marshall Moore Wayne Lawrence Giles Lincoln Franklin Dr. Murat Arik, Director Jones College of Business Business & Economic Research Center Sponsored by In Partnership with Wage and Benefit Survey 2 Wage and Benefit Survey Project Team This project is the product of the yearlong effort of the following individuals: Project Director Murat Arik, Ph.D., Director of Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) Report Preparation and Data Analysis Allison Logan, BERC Research Associate Survey Logistics and Administration Barbara Pieroni, BERC Associate Regional Networking, Field Work, Database Creation, and Mapping Kendrick Curtis, Ph.D., Assistant Executive Director, Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association Editor Sally Govan, BERC Senior Editor Acknowledgment I would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to this project: Nathanael Asrat, BERC undergraduate research associate; Dr. Steven Livingston, BERC associate director; and the staff of MTIDA for their work and support of this project. Business and Economic Research Center| Jennings A. Jones College of Business Wage and Benefit Survey 3 Executive Summary The Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at Middle Tennessee State University conducted a wage and benefit survey of a 40-county region between June and October 2017. The wage and benefit survey was sponsored by Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association (MTIDA) and USDA as well as regional partners--the Upper Cumberland Development District, the South Central Tennessee Development District, the Greater Nashville Regional Council, the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, The Highlands Economic Partnership, and Tennessee Central Economic Authority—and local chambers and economic development organizations.
  • Analyzing Employers' Costs for Wages, Salaries, and Benefits

    Analyzing Employers' Costs for Wages, Salaries, and Benefits

    Analyzing employers' costs for wages, salaries, and benefits Employment Cost Index data now provide a breakdown of hourly costs incurred; in March 1987, employee benefits accounted for more than one fourth of compensation in private industry FELICIA NATHAN Employee compensation in private industry cost employers This article presents cost estimates for the components of $13 .42 per hour worked in March 1987 . Straight-time compensation for private industry workers, I by industry di- wages and salaries-73 .2 percent of the costs-averaged vision and occupational group . In addition, relative errors $9.83, while benefit costs-the remaining 26 .8 percent- associated with the estimates and costs as a percent of total averaged $3.60 . compensation are shown . This article also discusses high- These costs are based on data from the Bureau of Labor lights of the compensation cost estimates, illustrates how the Statistics Employment Cost Index (ECI) which measures estimates were calculated, and briefly explains the standard quarterly changes in employer costs for employee compen- errors associated with the estimates. sation . The ECI is a fixed-weight Laspeyres index that uses 1980 census employment counts as weights . Data collected Compensation costs for the ECI can be used to derive compensation cost levels at During the post-World War II era, employee benefits no additional burden on survey respondents, but current have become an important part of labor costs and worker employment weights are required . The BLS Current Employ- income . Today, slightly more than one-fourth of employee ment Statistics survey in combination with the ECI sample compensation is in some form of benefit.
  • State Minimum Wages: an Overview

    State Minimum Wages: an Overview

    State Minimum Wages: An Overview Updated December 22, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R43792 State Minimum Wages: An Overview Summary The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), enacted in 1938, is the federal law that establishes the general minimum wage that must be paid to all covered workers. While the FLSA mandates broad minimum wage coverage, states have the option of establishing minimum wage rates that are different from those set in it. Under the provisions of the FLSA, an individual is generally covered by the higher of the state or federal minimum wage. Based on current rates and scheduled increases occurring at some point in 2021, minimum wage rates are above the federal rate of $7.25 per hour in 30 states and the District of Columbia, ranging from $1.50 to $7.75 above the federal rate. Another 13 states have minimum wage rates equal to the federal rate. The remaining 7 states have minimum wage rates below the federal rate or do not have a state minimum wage requirement. In the states with no minimum wage requirements or wages lower than the federal minimum wage, only individuals who are not covered by the FLSA are subject to those lower rates. In any given year, the exact number of states with a minimum wage rate above the federal rate may vary, depending on the interaction between the federal rate and the mechanisms in place to adjust the state minimum wage. Adjusting minimum wage rates is typically done in one of tw o ways: (1) legislatively scheduled rate increases that may include one or several increments; (2) a measure of inflation to index the value of the minimum wage to the general change in prices.
  • 4. What Are the Effects of Education on Health? – 171

    4. What Are the Effects of Education on Health? – 171

    4. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON HEALTH? – 171 4. What are the effects of education on health? By Leon Feinstein, Ricardo Sabates, Tashweka M. Anderson, ∗ Annik Sorhaindo and Cathie Hammond ∗ Leon Feinstein, Ricardo Sabates, Tashweka Anderson, Annik Sorhaindo and Cathie Hammond, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, United Kingdom. We would like to thank David Hay, Wim Groot, Henriette Massen van den Brink and Laura Salganik for the useful comments on the paper and to all participants at the Social Outcome of Learning Project Symposium organised by the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), in Copenhagen on 23rd and 24th March 2006. We would like to thank the OECD/CERI, for their financial support of this project. A great many judicious and helpful suggestions to improve this report have been put forward by Tom Schuller and Richard Desjardins. We are particularly grateful for the general funding of the WBL Centre through the Department for Education and Skills whose support has been a vital component of this research endeavour. We would also like to thank research staff at the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning for their useful comments on this report. Other useful suggestions were received from participants at the roundtable event organised by the Wider Benefits of Learning and the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, University College London, on 6th December 2005. All remaining errors are our own. MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON HEALTH AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: PROCEEDINGS OF THE COPENHAGEN SYMPOSIUM – © OECD 2006 172 – 4.1.
  • Unemployment Insurance: a Guide to Collecting Benefits in the State of Connecticut

    Unemployment Insurance: a Guide to Collecting Benefits in the State of Connecticut

    Unemployment Insurance: A Guide to Collecting Benefits in the State of Connecticut DISPONIBLE EN ESPAÑOL Visite su oficina local del Departamento de Trabajo o visite Su oficina local del Departamento de Trabajo You are responsible for understanding your rights and responsibilities outlined in this booklet. Please be sure to read it in its entirety. ¡IMPORTANTE! Usted es responsable de comprender sus derechos y responsabilidades que se describen en este folleto. ¡Asegúrese de leerlo todo! . Visit our Unemployment Website: www.FileCTUI.com 1 | P a g e Table of Contents General Information to the Unemployment Insurance Claimant ........................................................................................... 4 What Is Unemployment Insurance? ................................................................................................................................... 4 Who is Protected by Unemployment Insurance? ............................................................................................................... 4 Your Legal Right to File a Claim ........................................................................................................................................... 4 How Do I Apply for Unemployment Insurance Benefits? ....................................................................................................... 5 Filing an Initial (New) Claim ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Reopening
  • Worker Benefits—And Their Costs— Vary Widely Across U.S. Industries Many Factors Influence What Is Offered and What Employers Spend

    Worker Benefits—And Their Costs— Vary Widely Across U.S. Industries Many Factors Influence What Is Offered and What Employers Spend

    A brief from July 2016 Photo credit Worker Benefits—and Their Costs— Vary Widely Across U.S. Industries Many factors influence what is offered and what employers spend Overview The financial well-being of American families is fundamentally driven by the labor market and the relationships workers have with their employers. In 2013, the most recent year for which data are available, 83 percent of tax filers reported income from an employer.1 However, the contribution employers make to household financial security goes beyond wages and salaries to include benefits, including paid leave, retirement plans, health insurance, and nonhealth insurance such as disability, that are designed to help workers manage and prepare for financial challenges. Along with pay and working conditions, the availability of benefits contributes to the quality and desirability of jobs and for many years has been an important thread in the fabric of the employment relationship.2 Benefits, of course, come at a cost that is typically shared by workers and employers and although each addition or improvement to the package offered raises those costs, many employers choose to provide them in an effort to align with norms in their industry, be competitive in recruiting and retaining high-quality employees, and demonstrate their commitment to worker well-being.3 Employers remain central to the nation’s system of private and social insurance.4 Most people who have health insurance and retirement savings plans get them through their workplaces.5 Researchers have long tracked the evolution of the relationship between employer and employee,6 and recent analyses suggest that benefits are a key indicator for shifting workplace relations.7 But the data on the type of benefits provided today and the price businesses pay for them are not widely accessible.