What the experts say

Employers open their wallets; No recovery necessary; Banking on the grim reaper

Employers open their wallets

The 401(k) match is back, said Chavon Sutton in CNNmoney.com. Consulting firm Hewitt Associates estimates that among companies that have scaled back employee-retirement plans, 80 percent expect to restore matching programs in 2010. That’s good news for employees, who suffered a double whammy in 2008 when employers “slashed” matching programs at the same time that 401(k) balances were in a free-fall. “When companies start to restore the match, it gives employees more confidence,” said Brigitte Madrian, a public-policy professor at Harvard University. The resurgence of the match may also suggest that some companies will be ready to start hiring again—which would be good news for all of us.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us