Retirement and Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

The following table presents the pension benefit costs:



	Three Months Ended March 31
	2019			2018
	(thousands)
Service cost	$	161		$	205
Interest cost	1,816			4,011
Expected return on plan assets	(1,474		)	(4,588		)
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss	(43		)	821
Net periodic benefit expense	$	460		$	449

Service cost is recorded in the same income statement line items as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered, and the other components of net periodic benefit expense are recorded in "Pension expense (excluding service costs)" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

During the three months ended March 31, 2019, we contributed $0.5 million in cash to the pension plans. For the remainder of 2019, we expect to make approximately $1.4 million in cash contributions to the pension plans.