February 03, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Wages and benefit costs for State and local government workers at end of 2002

Benefit costs for State and local government workers increased 1.6 percent during the December 2002 quarter, compared with a 3.0-percent gain in the September quarter.

[Chart data—TXT]

Wages and salaries advanced 0.8 percent during the September-December period, following a 0.9-percent increase the previous quarter.

For the year ended in December 2002, benefit costs for State and local government workers moved up 6.2 percent compared with the December 2001 gain of 5.5 percent. The 12-month gain in wages and salaries was 3.2 percent, compared with a gain of 3.6 percent for December 2001. 

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. Learn more in "Employment Cost Index—December 2002" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-32.