Voters Say Workers Should be Able to Save for Retirement from Their Paychecks

This survey of registered voters ages 25-plus reveals universal agreement on the importance of being able to save for retirement while working and widespread support for legislation to make it easier for all workers to save for retirement from their paychecks. 

Importance of Being Able to Save for Retirement While Working

Virtually all voters  (99.7%) say that it is important for people to be able to save money for retirement while they are working.  

Roughly two in three (65%) employed voters say that they are currently participating in a workplace retirement savings plan offered by their employer. These voters almost universally (96%) say that having a workplace retirement savings plan is important in helping them save for retirement.

Support for Legislation to Facilitate More Workplace Retirement Saving

Nine in ten (92%) voters agree that elected officials should support legislation that makes it easier for all workers to save for retirement from their paycheck.

Nine in ten (91%) voters also support establishing a program to help workers save for retirement at work if their employer does not currently offer them a way to save.  Voters say that each of the following would be important features of such a program:

• Portability, so that workers can take their accounts with them when changing jobs (99% very/somewhat important)
  
  
• Available to all employees who do not have a way to save for retirement at work, including those who work for small businesses (98% very/somewhat important)
  
  
• Payroll deduction, so that contributions are automatically deducted from each paycheck and deposited into a retirement account set up in each worker’s name (96% very/somewhat important)
  
  
• Voluntary, so that participants are not required to make any contributions (90% very/somewhat important)

Anxiety about Retirement Savings 

More than six in ten (63%) voters ages 25-plus are anxious about having enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years.

Only three in ten (29%) voters ages 25–44 believe that they will be able to save enough money for retirement.  Among voters ages 45-plus who are not yet retired, eight in 10 (81%) wish they had more money saved for their retirement years.

Methodology

This AARP survey of registered voters ages 25-plus was conducted by SSRS from September 22 through September 29, 2021, via the probability-based SSRS Opinion Panel, with 944 respondents completing the survey online and 66 completing the survey by phone.

For more information, contact S. Kathi Brown of AARP Research at skbrown@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact AARP’s External Relations department at media@aarp.org.