Women employed in senior living appear to be far less prepared for retirement than their male counterparts, a new report suggests.
According to 19 Facts About Women’s Retirement Outlook, a report by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, the median household retirement savings for women is just $23,000.
Among men, the number is more than three times as much: $76,000. Moreover, nearly a third of the 3,000 women in the study indicated they have saved less than $10,000 for retirement — in many instances, the amount is nothing at all.
The authors note that women face many obstacles to saving and investing than their male co-workers may not. Hurdles include a persistent wage gap between the sexes. That women often leave the workforce for children and other caregiving needs also dampens earnings.
Just 12% of women indicated they are “very confident” in their ability to retire comfortably, compared with 23% of men. One possible reason is that almost two-thirds of the women respondents (65%) indicated that paying down debt is a priority, whereas less than half (49%) cited saving for retirement as a priority.
“Employers, industry players and policymakers can play important roles by implementing solutions that address obstacles and make it easier for women to plan and save,” said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute and TCRS.
