WP 2011-3 Pension Reform’s Stake in Employers

Employers are the heart of the American pension system and yet they are not well understood by policy makers despite the great influence of Congress on pension design through both regulation and favorable tax treatment of retirement accounts. Employer contributions to employee pensions have remained stagnant and, in some cases, even declined. We conclude that the cause is a flawed system and one that is subsidized by Congress, making employers "race to the bottom."