Clive-based benefits research firm David P. Lind Benchmark (DPLB) has developed a new index tool designed to enable Iowa employers to determine the competitiveness of their benefits packages relative to other companies in the state.

The Lindex score distills the results of the firm’s annual Iowa Employer Benefits Study for each participating firm into a single number on a scale of 0 to 100. Lower scores reflect fewer benefits offered at a higher cost to employees, while higher scores indicate more benefits being offered at a more competitive cost.

Based on the 2012 benefits study, the aggregate Lindex score for the more than 1,200 employers in the state that participated is 73. The firm is now developing a Web-based application that will allow employers to determine their individual Lindex scores and evaluate how benefit plan changes could affect their scores, DPLB President David Lind said in a press release.

To view the composite Lindex scores by industry and employer size, click here.