Employee-benefit plans, 1975

Despite the national decline in the number of employed workers in 1975, the number of workers covered lnder most types of employee-benefit plans increased slightly. Contributions and benefit payments underwent the greatest change. Total contributions increased 17 percent and benefit payments rose 14 percent. In part this change can be attributed to inflation, but it also reflects real growth in contributions and payments for most types of plans, particularly those for retirement and health care benefits. Review of the private pension plans shows that an increasing number were terminated in 1975, but the reason has not been determined; contributions to these retirement plans showed one of the largest annual increases ever.