NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) vs NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) (B) and NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 77% and 74% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 71/100 (B) compared to NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 68/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 2.6 percentage points (76.8% vs 74.2%). NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) covers 370,000 participants.
| Metric | NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) | NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 71/100 (B)* | 68/100 (B) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 76.8%* | 74.2% |
| Total Assets | $77.2B | $92.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $100.5B* | $124.0B |
| Unfunded Liability | $23.3B* | $32.0B |
| Participants | 370,000 | 225,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.6%* | 5.4% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | New York City | New York City |
NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 71/100 (B) compared to NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 68/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 2.6 percentage points (76.8% vs 74.2%). NYC Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) covers 370,000 participants.