YOUNG people were today warned they faced a poor retirement unless they started saving for a pension soon.
A TUC report says only a quarter of working men and a third of working women aged between 18 and 24 had a pension.
The union organisation has now launched a pensions advice leaflet aimed at helping young people understand their savings choices.
It explains the different pension schemes available and stresses the importance of saving early in a career.
To afford a decent retirement, most people need to pay at least 11% of earnings into a pension if they start saving at 25.
But this rises to 14% if they put off saving until they are 30 and 18% if they delay until they are 35, said the TUC.
Most young people are not saving enough, although research showed that four out of 10 people aged 18 to 24 who have a job or are seeking work believe they will enjoy a better standard of life in retirement than they have now, said the report.
A TUC spokeswoman said: "Young people struggling with debts and housing costs are faced with tough choices. Many put off saving or think they will be able to get by without their own pension.
"But if pensions saving is left too long, reality will bite hard for young people when they hit retirement.
"The simplest way to increase saving among young people so that they will enjoy a decent retirement is to ensure they have access to a decent work pension, with some compulsory employer and employee contribution."
