American workers are less confident about being able to afford a comfortable retirement as health-care costs and economic issues have caused concern, according to the Retirement Confidence Survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

The percentage of workers who are very confident about having enough money for a comfortable retirement fell to 18 percent, down from 27 percent in 2007. It was the biggest one-year drop in the annual survey’s 18-year history. Retiree’s confidence in having a financially secure retirement fell to 29 percent from 41 percent a year ago.

Health-care costs have become a huge concern for retirees, the report showed, with more than half (54 percent) of those who left the work force earlier than planned saying they did so because of health problems or disability. Nearly half of retirees (44 percent) say they have spent more than expected on health-care expenses and more than half (54 percent) are more concerned about their financial future now than right after they retired.

The report also found that workers are becoming less confident that they will have enough money to take care of basic expenses in retirement, are increasingly concerned about having enough money for medical expenses, and more don’t believe they will have access to employment-based health insurance in retirement.

See the full report online at www.ebri.org/surveys/rcs/2008.