Retirement engagement strongest at the top

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Manufacturing workers are more actively engaged in retirement planning—but junior employees lag

“I actively review and adjust my retirement plan and contributions.”Percentage who agree

32%

50%

67%

58%

51%

31%

Other industriesManufacturingOverall average

CxOUpper managementMiddle managementJuniorManufacturing workers, by seniority

Source: Economist Enterprise 2025 Benefits 2.0 survey

Half of all manufacturing workers actively review and adjust their retirement plan, compared with only 32% in other industries, according to the latest Benefits 2.0 survey, conducted by Economist Enterprise and supported by Nuveen. Engagement rises with seniority—reaching 67% among executives—but falls to just 31% among junior workers, most of whom neglect to revisit their initial selections.

With a large share of the manufacturing workforce approaching retirement, this suggests many workers are actively preparing for this transition, while younger employees may need more support to meaningfully engage with retirement planning.

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Nuveen and Economist Enterprise, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries are not affiliated with or in any way related to each other. The research was independently developed by Economist Enterprise and is sponsored by Nuveen, LLC.

This material is for informational and educational purposes only as of the date of production/writing and may change without notice at any time based on numerous factors, such as market, economic or other conditions, legal and regulatory developments, additional risks and uncertainties and may not come to pass. All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. There is no representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information, and it should not be relied on as such.

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