Over $210 billion is distributed annually from state and local retirement trust funds to beneficiaries. Public pension are financed through a combination of contributions from public employers (an average of 26 percent of all public pension revenue from 1982 to 2011), employees (an average of 13 percent), and investment returns (an average of 61 percent). Retirement programs, however, represent a relatively small percentage of total government spending according to NASRA’s evaluation of U.S. Census Bureau data.
Michigan’s retention rates are actually higher than they used to be. Fifteen years ago, even fewer Michigan teachers stayed in the classroom than they do today.
A new paper looks at pension changes adopted by states during the recent recession and finds that new teachers face significant penalties based solely on the day they were hired.
Few states have adopted pure defined contribution plans, but there has been a recent increase in the number of non-traditional retirement plans, including hybrid plans that give employees more flexibility while reducing state financial burdens.
