"Some DB plan sponsors may benefit by as much as 10% by adopting industry-specific mortality assumptions instead of the new Society of Actuaries (SOA) mortality tables... The following three [industry groupings] have higher mortality rates than the overall new SOA life expectancy assumptions: Consumer goods and food and drink -- 9.5% higher mortality rates; Auto, transportation and industrial goods -- 7% higher mortality rates; Basic materials, paper and packaging -- 4.5% higher mortality rates. Industries with lower mortality experience than the SOA assumptions ... include Healthcare and Hospitals (4.75% lower mortality rates), as well as Banking, Finance and Insurance (3.25% lower mortality rates). Companies in the Chemicals, Oil & Gas and Utilities Industries showed similar mortality rates to the SOA tables."

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