Value of pension plans in Canada increase by 2.5% in 1stQ of 2010

This marks four consecutive quarters of growth in pension fund assets

Ottawa (9 September 2010) – The market value of employer-sponsored pension funds amounted to $943.4 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2010, up $23.0 billion (+2.5%) from the fourth quarter of 2009, according to Statistics Canada lastest quarterly suvey of trusteed pension plans.

This was the fourth consecutive quarter of growth in pension fund assets, as they rebounded from significant losses in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009.

The first-quarter value of assets was up 17.6% from the low of $801.9 billion reported in the first quarter of 2009. However, it was still 2.8% below the high of $970.8 billion reached in the second quarter of 2008.

At the end of March, stocks and equity funds accounted for 33.7% of total pension fund assets. Bonds accounted for 35.4%, consistent with the values reported in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Pension fund revenues dropped 20.2% to $24.5 billion in the first quarter. The decline in revenue was largely the result of reduced employer contributions, following large special payments in the third and fourth quarters of 2009.

Expenditures declined to $12.4 billion. Net income fell from $16.0 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009 to $12.2 billion in the first quarter, the first decline in a year.
Just over 6.0 million Canadian workers are members of employer pension plans. Of this group, 4.9 million workers are members of trusteed plans. The remaining 1.1 million members with employer pension plans are managed principally by insurance company contracts.

 NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE