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Chapter 8.
National Compensation Measures
The Office of Compensation and Working Conditions of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) produces a diverse set of employee compensation measures using data from the National Compensation Survey (NCS). The office also compiles statistics on work stoppages.
National Compensation Survey
The NCS collection of occupational wage data can be traced to the late 19th century, and benefits data can be traced to the mid-20th century. The NCS provides data on employer expenditures for wages, salaries, and benefits, as well as details of employer-provided benefits. Data are shown by sector of the economy (private industry, and State and local government), occupational groups, selected worker characteristics (such as full time and part time, and union and nonunion), and establishment characteristics (such as number of employees and geographic area).
Wage data
Wage data are published for the Nation, regions, and selected areas. These data are presented as hourly, weekly, and annual earnings and associated hours worked. Earnings are shown for detailed occupations as well as by work level (discussed later in this chapter), permitting wage comparisons across occupational groups. The wage data are computed using current weights to reflect the composition of today’s labor force.
Employment Cost Index (ECI)
The ECI provides data on changes in labor costs and is a principal Federal economic indicator. (Principal Federal economic indicators are the major statistical series that describe the current condition of the economy. For more detail, see OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 3 at www.bea.gov/about/pdf/federalregister09251985.pdf.) The ECI shows quarterly and annual changes in employers’ compensation costs, including both wages and salaries and benefits. Both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data are presented. The ECI uses fixed weights to control for employment shifts among occupations and among industries.
Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC) series
The ECEC series shows employer costs per hour worked for wages and salaries and individual benefits. Cost data are presented both in dollar amounts and as percentages of compensation. The ECEC uses current weights to reflect the composition of today’s labor force.
NCS benefits measures
NCS benefits measures cover the incidence and detailed provisions of selected employee benefit plans. Data are presented as the percentage of employees who have access to, or participate in, a broad selection of prevailing benefits. Provision data are available for benefits, such as leave (paid vacations and holidays), disability insurance (short-term and long-term), and life insurance. NCS provides more extensive provision data for two major benefit areas: (1) Health insurance and (2) retirement (both defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans).
Next: Description of the Survey
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Bureau of Labor Statistics
