"From 2016 to 2019, the National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI) fell slightly from 50 percent to 49 percent. This improvement reflected gains in stock and, particularly, house prices, which were partly offset by lower interest rates and Social Security replacement rates. In 2020, the economy was hit by COVID and the ensuing recession. Higher unemployment in 2020, offset somewhat by the continued rise in stock and house prices, increased the NRRI to 51 percent. In any case, half of today's workers remain unprepared for retirement, underscoring the need for universal access to employer-based savings plans."