Seventy percent of workers in private industry had access to employer-sponsored medical care plans, and 53 percent participated in medical care plans in March 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Sixty percent of workers had access to retirement benefits, with 50 percent participating in at least one type of retirement plan.

Most employees covered by medical care plans were in plans requiring employee contributions for both single coverage and family coverage. Employee contributions to medical care premiums averaged $273.03 per month for family coverage; for single coverage, employee contributions averaged $68.96 per month.

Employer premiums for medical care plans averaged $575.77 a month per participant for family coverage, for single coverage employer contributions averaged $252.22 a month. Employer contributions were higher for those employees who were not required to contribute than for those who were.

Twenty-one percent of employees participated in defined benefit retirement plans, and 42 percent in defined contribution plans. (Some employees participate in both types.)

Paid leave was the most commonly provided employee benefit in the private sector: paid holidays and vacations were available to 77 percent of employees. Paid jury duty leave was also common, available to 69 percent of workers. Forty-eight percent of the workers had paid military leave benefits.