State and Local Pension Plans

28 Pages Posted: 1 Jul 2000 Last revised: 29 May 2022

See all articles by Olivia S. Mitchell

Olivia S. Mitchell

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School; University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, Pension Research Council; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Roderick Carr

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School

Date Written: September 1995

Abstract

This paper examines the role and function of pension plans covering state and local government employees in the United States. Covering about 16 million employees (including teachers, fire fighters, police, members of the judiciary, and many other state and local employees), these plans manage a substantial stock of financial assets -- close to $1 trillion -- and receive annual contributions from employees and government revenues totaling about $56 billion. Using data gathered from a variety of different sources, some of which have only recently become available, we describe the benefits, financing, and management of these plans, and identify some of the prominent challenges facing these pension plans in the next decade.

Suggested Citation

Mitchell, Olivia S. and Carr, Roderick, State and Local Pension Plans (September 1995). NBER Working Paper No. w5271, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=225335

Olivia S. Mitchell (Contact Author)

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, Pension Research Council ( email )

3302 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall
3620 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6302
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Roderick Carr

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School

3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

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