July 02, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Average compensation $22.15 per hour

In March 2001, employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers in the United States averaged $22.15 per hour worked.

[Chart data—TXT]

Wages and salaries, which averaged $16.07, accounted for approximately 73 percent of these costs, while benefits, which averaged $6.08, accounted for the remaining 27 percent.

Legally required benefits such as Social Security and unemployment insurance were $1.73 per hour on average, representing the largest non-wage employer cost. Employer costs for paid leave benefits were $1.51 per hour, insurance benefits $1.46 per hour, and retirement and savings benefits 78 cents per hour.

These data are a product of the BLS Employment Cost Trends program. Additional information is available from "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, March 2001," news release USDL 01-194. Civilian workers include private industry and State and local government workers.