June 30, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Average compensation $21.16 per hour

In March 2000, employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers in the United States averaged $21.16 per hour worked.

[Chart data—TXT]

Wages and salaries, which averaged $15.36, accounted for approximately 73 percent of these costs, while benefits, which averaged $5.80, accounted for the remaining 27 percent.

Legally required benefits were $1.67 per hour on average, representing the largest non-wage employer cost. Employer costs for paid leave benefits were $1.42 per hour, insurance benefits $1.36 per hour, and retirement and savings benefits 77 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 2000," news release USDL 00-186. Civilian workers include private industry and State and local government workers.