NEW YORK - June 22, 2009 - A quarter of U.S. employers have eliminated or plan to cut matching contributions to employee 401(k) retirement plans to save money amid the economy’s downturn, according to research released on Monday.

A quarter of U.S. employers also have instituted or are planning limited enrollment rather than open the savings plans to all employees, according to the study conducted for Charles Schwab Corp. by CFO Research Services.

Although the study showed that since September, 23 percent of companies have eliminated 401(k) matching contributions, or are planning to do so in the near future, most see the move as temporary, said Steve Anderson, who heads Retirement Plan Services at Charles Schwab, a financial services provider.