An engaged Alaskan democracy

How is The State Dealing With the Shortfall in Pension Systems?

UAA ISER Publications

A new paper by Cliff Groh, in collaboration with ISER faculty, looks at how the state government has dealt so far with a very big problem: the state’s two largest retirement systems for public employees don’t have enough money to cover future costs of pensions and benefits for state and local employees when they retire. Since discovering the shortfall in 2003, the state has made special contributions of nearly $7 billion to the retirement systems.

But analysts believe it will take billions more dollars in the coming years to balance the funds. That poses a major challenge for the state, in this time of big budget deficits, as well as for local governments, which also need to help pay for the unfunded liability.

To learn more about what the state has done—and might do—to deal with the pension shortfall, download the full paper, History and Options Regarding the Unfunded Liabilities of Alaska’s Public Employees’ and Teachers’ Retirement Systems, or the summary.

If you have questions, get in touch with Cliff Groh at cliff.groh@gmail.com.