July 05, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Health benefits 5.6 percent of total compensation

In March 2001, private industry health benefit costs averaged $1.16 per hour or 5.6 percent of total compensation. 

[Chart data—TXT]

In goods-producing industries, health benefit costs were $1.68 per hour (6.9 percent of total compensation) compared with $1.01 (5.1 percent of total compensation) for service-producing industries. 

Employer costs for health benefits ranged from $1.34 per hour and 6.9 percent of total compensation for blue-collar occupations to 49 cents and 4.7 percent for service occupations. In white-collar occupations, employer costs for health benefits averaged $1.29 (5.1 percent). 

The compensation data in this report are produced by the Employment Cost Trends program. Compensation costs (also known as employment costs) include wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee benefits. Find out more about compensation levels in "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation," news release USDL 01-194.