July 15, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Cost of health benefits in private industry, March 2002

In March 2002, private industry health benefit costs averaged $1.29 per hour or 5.9 percent of total compensation. Employer costs for health benefits varied by characteristics such as industry, occupation, and bargaining status.

[Chart data—TXT]

In goods-producing industries, health benefit costs were higher, $1.84 per hour (7.2 percent of total compensation), than in service-producing industries, $1.13 per hour (5.5 percent of total compensation).

Employer costs for health benefits ranged from $1.48 per hour and 7.3 percent of total compensation for blue-collar occupations to 56 cents and 5.1 percent of total compensation for service occupations. Among white-collar occupations, employer costs for health benefits averaged $1.42 (5.4 percent).

Employer costs for health benefits were higher for union workers, averaging $2.57 per hour (8.7 percent), than for nonunion workers, averaging $1.13 (5.4 percent).

These data are a product of the BLS Employment Cost Trends program. Additional information is available from "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, March 2002," news release USDL 02-346.

Note: The publication schedule for the "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation" news release will change this year. Future publications will be issued on a quarterly basis, with data collected for the pay period including the 12^th day of the survey months of March, June, September, and December.Publications will be issued approximately three months after the month of reference.Data will be available on a quarterly basis beginning with June 2002 data.