Labor's capital: putting pension wealth to work for workers

• Published in: Dollars & Sense no. 261; pp. 28 - 30
• Main Author: Scharf, Adria
• Format: Newsletter Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Somerville Economic Affairs Bureau 01.09.2005
• Subjects: American federation of labor and Congress of industrial organizations; Company business management; Compensation and benefits; Economic aspects; Government employees; Industrial pensions; Investments; Management; Pension funds; Pension funds and funding; Retirement; Workers; United States

Pension fund assets are the largest single source of investment capital in the country. Of the roughly $15.5 trillion in stock equity in the U.S. economy, $3.1 trillion, or 20.1%, is directly held by employee pension plans. Pensions own $8.5 trillion in total assets. These vast sums were generated b...