Employers keep quiet about pensions

Aug 18 2005 by Nic Paton Print This Article

Only one in 15 advertisements for jobs in Britain make any mention of a company pension scheme, a new study has suggested.

Of 1,132 job advertisements surveyed by the TUC, just 69 (6.1 per cent) mentioned a pension, a drop of 0.5 per cent from 2004, said the union body.

Of the small number that did mention a pension, just 29 referred to a final salary scheme, it added.

The figures reveal a fall on levels reported last year, which were themselves pretty low.

In its 2004 survey of 1,519 adverts placed, the TUC found just 101 (6.6 per cent) made any mention of pensions, and of these only half listed the type of pension scheme as a final salary one, and just 13 referred to the level of employer contribution.

This poor response from employers comes despite strong encouragement from the Department for Work and Pensions for employers to mention pensions in their job adverts.

The DWP has itself recently arranged for all adverts through Jobcentre Plus to include pension information as part of their "Informed Choice" programme for job seekers.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Employers who offer workplace pension schemes should be boasting about it.

"Those who don't are missing a golden opportunity to attract and retain key workers who are seeking a pension in their benefits package," he added.

"If all job adverts gave clear information on their pension schemes prospective employees would take the advertisement more seriously."

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