Top earners are saving more for retirement. Everyone else is saving less.

Core Insights - A new report highlights a concerning trend in retirement savings, indicating that fewer workers are saving, with only top earners increasing their contributions year over year [1][2] Summary by Sections Retirement Savings Trends - The analysis, titled "The Retirement Divide," utilizes over 1 million anonymized records from 2021 to 2024, providing a comprehensive view of retirement security in America [2] - The share of full-time workers participating in retirement savings plans decreased from 79.4% in 2021 to 78.7% in 2024 [3] - Average contributions to retirement accounts increased from $8,370 in 2021 to $9,488 in 2024, with the average savings rate rising from 8.8% to 9.3% [3] Impact on Different Income Groups - Most gains in retirement savings participation were observed among top earners, while lower-income groups saw declines [4][6] - Participation in retirement plans for workers earning between $15,000 and $50,000 dropped from 58% in 2022 to 52.9% in 2024 [6] - For those earning between $50,000 and $150,000, participation rates also fell, while only employees earning over $150,000 experienced an increase [6] Savings Rate and Contributions - The average retirement savings rate declined from 2022 to 2024 for all income groups except the highest earners [7] - For workers earning $15,000 to $50,000, the savings rate decreased from 4.9% to 4.6% of income, significantly lower than that of top earners [7] - Average annual contributions for those earning $15,000 to $50,000 fell from $1,918 in 2022 to $1,815 in 2024, while contributions for those earning $50,000 to $100,000 decreased from $6,814 to $6,630 [7]