Driven by higher investment from both employees and employers, state pension systems have largely stabilized as of 2020. Since 2007, states across the country have more than doubled annual pension contributions, often cutting funding for other programs to do so.
According to 2021 estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Louisiana state government employs some 86,300 people, or 4.6% of the total private and public sector workforce in the state.
It is important to note that 2020 is the most recent year for which comprehensive state level data is available and that the recent market downturn has all but erased much of the financial gains states have made in recent years. Still, while markets are always susceptible to turmoil, improved policies have gone a long way to improving pension funding in much of the country.
All state pension data in this story was compiled by the Pew Charitable Trusts using comprehensive annual financial reports from each state.
Rank | State | Pension funding ratio (%) | Total pension liabilities ($B) | Total pension assets ($B) | State gov. employment as share of workforce (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | Wisconsin | 105.3 | 118.7 | 125.0 | 3.2 |
49 | South Dakota | 100.0 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 4.0 |
48 | Tennessee | 98.1 | 42.7 | 41.9 | 3.0 |
47 | Utah | 96.6 | 40.4 | 39.0 | 5.0 |
46 | Washington | 95.1 | 110.6 | 105.1 | 4.2 |
45 | Nebraska | 91.8 | 17.0 | 15.6 | 4.2 |
44 | Idaho | 89.1 | 20.1 | 17.9 | 3.7 |
43 | North Carolina | 86.7 | 119.0 | 103.2 | 4.4 |
42 | New York | 86.2 | 229.9 | 198.1 | 2.7 |
41 | Delaware | 85.2 | 12.7 | 10.8 | 7.2 |
40 | Iowa | 82.9 | 42.1 | 34.9 | 4.3 |
39 | Maine | 82.5 | 18.4 | 15.1 | 3.9 |
38 | Ohio | 81.7 | 213.3 | 174.2 | 3.1 |
37 | West Virginia | 80.8 | 19.6 | 15.9 | 6.7 |
36 | Minnesota | 80.7 | 88.3 | 71.2 | 3.4 |
35 | Wyoming | 78.6 | 12.3 | 9.6 | 5.1 |
34 | Georgia | 77.3 | 126.8 | 97.9 | 3.4 |
33 | Nevada | 77.0 | 60.7 | 46.7 | 2.9 |
32 | Oregon | 75.8 | 90.1 | 68.3 | 2.3 |
31 | Missouri | 75.4 | 79.5 | 59.9 | 3.5 |
30 | Arkansas | 75.3 | 36.8 | 27.7 | 6.0 |
29 | Florida | 74.5 | 217.5 | 161.9 | 2.7 |
28 | Virginia | 74.4 | 106.7 | 79.4 | 3.9 |
27 | Oklahoma | 73.5 | 45.1 | 33.2 | 4.9 |
26 | California | 71.8 | 689.9 | 495.5 | 3.2 |
25 | Maryland | 69.9 | 78.6 | 54.9 | 4.2 |
24 | Colorado | 69.5 | 83.9 | 58.3 | 4.5 |
23 | Indiana | 69.0 | 45.0 | 31.1 | 3.6 |
22 | Texas | 67.5 | 288.7 | 194.9 | 3.3 |
21 | Alabama | 67.4 | 58.5 | 39.4 | 5.9 |
20 | Montana | 67.3 | 17.5 | 11.8 | 5.6 |
19 | Kansas | 66.3 | 31.1 | 20.6 | 3.6 |
18 | Alaska | 65.6 | 23.1 | 15.1 | 7.3 |
17 | Louisiana | 63.2 | 55.9 | 35.4 | 4.6 |
16 | Arizona | 61.9 | 80.2 | 49.6 | 3.0 |
15 | Michigan | 60.4 | 108.2 | 65.4 | 4.1 |
14 | Mississippi | 59.1 | 47.8 | 28.2 | 5.0 |
13 | New Hampshire | 58.8 | 15.6 | 9.2 | 3.4 |
12 | Pennsylvania | 58.5 | 160.0 | 93.6 | 2.5 |
11 | Vermont | 58.4 | 8.0 | 4.7 | 5.9 |
10 | Massachusetts | 55.9 | 103.6 | 57.9 | 3.4 |
9 | North Dakota | 55.4 | 10.8 | 6.0 | 5.3 |
8 | Rhode Island | 54.2 | 12.1 | 6.6 | 4.0 |
7 | Hawaii | 53.2 | 32.7 | 17.4 | 11.5 |
6 | South Carolina | 51.7 | 60.4 | 31.3 | 5.0 |
5 | New Mexico | 50.0 | 55.8 | 27.9 | 6.6 |
4 | Kentucky | 44.6 | 54.8 | 24.4 | 4.7 |
3 | Connecticut | 42.6 | 74.6 | 31.8 | 4.3 |
2 | New Jersey | 38.4 | 208.2 | 79.9 | 3.4 |
1 | Illinois | 37.5 | 246.2 | 92.3 | 2.5 |