"[N]umerous studies have shown that ESOP companies tend to be more profitable, more likely to weather economic downturns and more likely to retain and grow their workforce.... ESOP companies perform better in the post-ESOP period than their pre-ESOP performance would have predicted.... ESOP companies are more likely to offer a second defined contribution plan than non-ESOP companies are to offer any defined contribution plan at all ... [O]n average ESOP companies contributed 75 percent more to their ESOPs than other companies contributed to their primary 401(k) or profit sharing plan.... ESOP and broad-based equity plan companies are also less likely to lay off employees."  MORE >>