May 07, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Benefit, wage costs for State and local government workers in first quarter of 2003

Benefit costs for State and local government workers increased 1.5 percent during the December 2002 to March 2003 quarter, compared to a 1.7-percent gain in the September-December 2002 quarter.

3-month percent changes in Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries and benefit costs for State and local government, seasonally adjusted, June 2001-March 2003
[Chart data—TXT]

Wages and salaries advanced 0.7 percent during the December-March period, identical to the gain in the previous quarter.

In State and local government, the March 2003 over-the-year increase in wages and salaries was 3.1 percent, compared to a gain of 3.4 percent for March 2002. Benefit costs jumped 6.6 percent for March 2003, significantly higher than the March 2002 gain of 5.0 percent.

These data are from the BLS Compensation Cost Trends program. The 3-month changes in this article are seasonally adjusted, while the 12-months changes are not seasonally adjusted. Data are subject to revision. Learn more in "Employment Cost Index—March 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-200.

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