The report concluded, “The results show that spending more than 50 percent of one’s career as a state-local worker is associated with 11 percent to 18 percent more wealth at age 65.” The data for the report was produced by a long-term nationally representative study that tracked more than 12,650 people in 7.600 households since 1992, asking the participants questions about financial standing, spending habits, retirement, pensions, and employers.

The Boston College analysis determined that the dominant difference in wealth at retirement turned out to be private sector employees now rely on their self-directed 401(K) defined contribution accounts and Social Security payments, whereas public employees rely on defined benefit pension payments.

At the 2006 conclusion of the study, 78 percent of state and local government employee households in the sample received a defined benefit pension as compared to 59 percent of private sector households. This high proportion of private sector workers with defined benefit pensions shrank dramatically during the study that began in 1992.