Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2023

Benefit Plans

We have various pension and other defined benefit and defined contribution plans, in which substantially all employees may participate. We also have nonqualified supplemental executive and Board of Directors retirement plans.

Components of net periodic benefit costs for the three months ended November 30, 2023 and 2022, are as follows:


	Three Months Ended November 30,
	Qualified Pension Benefits				Nonqualified Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2023		2022		2023		2022		2023		2022
Components of net periodic benefit costs:	(Dollars in thousands)
Service cost	$	9,348	$	9,645	$	492	$	460	$	163	$	168
Interest cost	8,982		7,647		261		185		286		259
Expected return on assets	(11,965)		(10,782)		—		—		—		—
Prior service cost (credit) amortization	45		37		(29)		(29)		(111)		(111)
Actuarial loss (gain) amortization	449		468		95		61		(404)		(404)

Net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	$	6,859	$	7,015	$	819	$	677	$	(66)	$	(88)

Employer Contributions

Contributions depend primarily on market returns on the pension plan assets and minimum funding level requirements. No contributions were made to the pension plans during the three months ended November 30, 2023, and we do not anticipate being required to make contributions to our pension plans in fiscal 2024, although we may voluntarily elect to do so.