November 01, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Employment costs in private industry, September 2004

Compensation costs for the private sector rose 0.9 percent from June to September 2004 (seasonally adjusted), after advancing 1.0 percent in the prior quarter. September gains were led by durable manufacturing industries and wholesale trade.

3-month percent changes in Employment Cost Index, private industry workers, seasonally adjusted, December 2002-September 2004
[Chart data—TXT]

Private sector benefit costs rose 1.0 percent for the September quarter, moderating from the 1.7-percent gain in the previous quarter.

Wages and salaries for private industry workers rose 0.9 percent for the September quarter, following a more modest 0.6-percent gain during the prior period.

These data are from the BLS Compensation Cost Trends program. Compensation costs (also known as employment costs) include wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee benefits. Data are subject to revision. Learn more in "Employment Cost Index—September 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-2236.