2026年2月5日 / 美国东部时间下午5:09 / CBS新闻
美国国家退休安全研究所（National Institute on Retirement Security）的一份新报告显示，普通美国劳动者的退休储蓄不足1000美元，这凸显了数百万人在老年可能面临的经济压力。
该数据考虑了拥有401(k)和其他退休计划储蓄的劳动者，同时也包括约5600万无法获得雇主赞助退休计划的美国劳动者。这个无党派智库引用美国人口普查局《收入和项目参与调查》的数据发现，21至64岁所有受雇成年人的退休储蓄中位数为955美元。
报告指出，对于有退休储蓄的劳动者，其中位数余额为40,000美元，这与美国人认为舒适退休所需的约150万美元相去甚远。雪上加霜的是，社会保障的资金缺口如果得不到国会解决，从2034年开始福利可能会减少约20%。
“尽管近年来退休储蓄体系有了一些显著改善，但许多劳动者仍然被排除在这个体系之外，前方仍有重大挑战，”报告指出。
这一发现正值特朗普政府推出所谓的”特朗普账户”，旨在帮助数百万儿童积累一笔钱，用于最终买房、支付教育费用或创业。财政部长斯科特·贝森特表示，这些账户也可用于退休储蓄。
美国国家退休安全研究所（NIRS）是一个非营利组织，其成员包括金融服务公司、员工福利计划、行业协会和其他退休服务提供商。该组织表示，虽然特朗普账户可能惠及未来的劳动者，但当前的退休体系实际上排除了数百万无法获得401(k)和类似计划的美国人。
“关键是，如果美国人没有通过雇主为退休储蓄，那么他们可能根本没有储蓄，”报告说。
微薄的退休储蓄也可能有助于解释美国老年人贫困率的上升。人口普查数据显示，2024年生活在贫困中的老年人比例从一年前的14%攀升至15%，是所有年龄段中最高的。
少数劳动者达到退休基准
该分析还按年龄组考察了储蓄情况，发现许多年长劳动者距离他们的储蓄目标并不比年轻劳动者更近，而年轻劳动者有更多时间追赶。
富达投资（Fidelity）的经验法则是，人们到30岁时应积累相当于年收入1倍的退休储蓄，35岁时翻倍，之后逐年增加。到60岁时，普通劳动者应储备相当于年收入8倍的资金，以应对黄金岁月。
NIRS发现，55至64岁的劳动者在401(k)或类似计划中仅积累了目标退休储蓄的19%。
社会保障需要紧急修复
鉴于数百万美国人微薄的退休储蓄，社会保障仍然是维持老年人经济稳定和摆脱贫困的越来越重要的来源。
专家指出，许多劳动者也误解了社会保障在退休中的作用，要么高估要么低估其重要性。保险公司安联2025年的一项调查发现，五分之一的美国人认为社会保障将提供他们退休所需的全部收入，而实际上它仅提供典型老年人年收入的约一半，NIRS指出。
报告称，由于数百万老年人依靠社会保障获得超过一半的年收入，解决该计划的资金缺口以避免破产是一个紧迫问题。
立法者可以通过提高工资税率、提高退休年龄或取消目前对工薪税的收入上限（2026年设定为184,500美元）来解决该计划的资金缺口。超过该门槛的收入无需缴纳社会保障税。
NIRS表示，如果不采取措施，福利将减少20%，”这将对老年人和其他受益人产生重大影响”。
编辑：Alain Sherter
主题：
- 社会保障
The typical U.S. worker has $955 saved for retirement, report finds
February 5, 2026 / 5:09 PM EST / CBS News
The average American worker has less than $1,000 saved for retirement, underscoring the financial strain millions could face in old age, according to a new report from the National Institute on Retirement Security.
That figure factors in workers with 401(k) and other retirement plan savings, while also including the roughly 56 million U.S. workers who lack access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Median savings for all employed adults between the ages of 21 and 64 amounted to $955, the nonpartisan think tank found, tapping data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation.
For workers who do have retirement savings, the median balance stands at $40,000, the group found — a far cry from the roughly $1.5 million that Americans say they need to retire comfortably. Adding to the financial pinch is Social Security’s funding shortfall, which if not addressed by Congress could result in a roughly 20% cut to benefits starting in 2034.
“While there have been some noticeable improvements in the retirement savings system in recent years, many workers are still left out of that system, and major challenges lie ahead,” the report noted.
The findings come as the Trump administration is rolling out so-called Trump Accounts, aimed at helping millions of children build a nest egg to eventually buy a home, fund their education or start a business. The accounts could also be used to help save for retirement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
While Trump Accounts could benefit future workers, the current retirement system effectively excludes millions of Americans who lack access to 401(k)s and similar plans, according to the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS), a nonprofit group whose members include financial services firms, employee benefit plans, trade associations and other retirement service providers.
“The bottom line is that if Americans are not saving for retirement through their employer, then they are probably not saving at all,” the report said.
The paltry level of retirement savings may also help explain rising poverty among older Americans. The share of seniors living in poverty climbed to 15% in 2024, up from 14% a year earlier and the highest rate among all age groups, Census data shows.
Few workers reach retirement benchmarks
The analysis, which also examined savings by age group, found that many older workers are no closer to their savings targets than younger workers, who have more time to catch up.
The rule of thumb is that people should have retirement savings worth one year of their annual income by age 30, then double that by age 35, and rising from there, according to Fidelity. By 60, the typical worker should have eight times their annual income socked away for their golden years.
Workers ages 55 to 64 had accumulated only 19% of their targeted retirement savings in 401(k)s or similar plans, NIRS found.
Urgent fix needed for Social Security
Given the meager retirement savings of millions of Americans, Social Security remains an increasingly important source for keeping seniors financially stable and out of poverty.
Many workers also misunderstand Social Security’s role in retirement, either overestimating or underestimating its importance, experts note. A 2025 survey by life insurer Allianz found that 1 in 5 Americans believe Social Security will provide all the income they need in retirement, when in fact it provides roughly half of the typical senior’s annual income, according to NIRS.
Given that millions of seniors rely on Social Security for more than half of their annual income, shoring up the program to avoid insolvency is a pressing issue, the report said.
Lawmakers could address the program’s funding gap by raising the payroll tax rate, increasing the retirement age or lifting the current cap on earnings subject to the payroll tax, which in 2026 is set at $184,500. Income above that threshold is not subject to Social Security taxes.
Without a fix, the resulting 20% reduction in benefits “would have a significant impact on the lives of seniors and other beneficiaries,” NIRS said.
Edited by Alain Sherter
In:
- Social Security