Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Jun. 26, 2020

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

The following table presents the components of net periodic benefit cost recognized in earnings during the three and nine month periods ended June 26, 2020 and June 28, 2019 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	June 26, 2020		June 28, 2019		June 26, 2020		June 28, 2019
Component:
Service cost	$	1,464	$	1,212	$	4,394	$	5,545
Interest cost	13,030		17,088		39,092		52,916
Expected return on plan assets	(27,666)		(26,291)		(82,996)		(79,709)
Amortization of previously unrecognized items	3,109		3,182		9,329		9,353
Plan Amendment and settlement loss (gain)	—		—		2,651		(34,621)
Total net periodic pension cost recognized	$	(10,063)	$	(4,809)	$	(27,530)	$	(46,516)

The service cost component of net periodic pension expense is presented in the same line item as other compensation costs (direct cost of contracts and selling, general and administrative expenses) and the other components of net periodic pension expense are presented in miscellaneous income (expense), net on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. In the first fiscal quarter of 2019, the Company elected to discontinue the CH2M Hill Retiree Medical Plan and the OMI Retiree Medical Plan, effective December 31, 2018. Lump sum payments were made to certain participants in the first fiscal quarter of 2019, resulting in a partial plan settlement and related settlement gain of $2.2 million. In the second fiscal quarter of 2019, lump sum payments were made to remaining plan participants and the plans were fully settled, resulting in an additional $32.4 million in settlement gains. In the first fiscal quarter of 2020, the Company incurred a settlement loss on one of its U.S. defined benefit plans of approximately $2.7 million.

On January 1, 2019, the CH2M Hill Pension Plan and the CH2M Hill IDC Pension Plan merged into the Company's Sverdrup Pension Plan. The newly combined plan is called the Jacobs Consolidated Pension Plan.

The following table presents certain information regarding the Company’s cash contributions to our pension plans for fiscal 2020 (in thousands):

Cash contributions made during the first nine months of fiscal 2020	$	19,694
Cash contributions projected for the remainder of fiscal 2020	7,135
Total	$	26,829