Employment Cost Index news release text
Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until USDL-09-0874 8:30 A.M. (EDT) FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009 Technical information: (202) 691-6199 NCSinfo@bls.gov http://www.bls.gov/ect Media contact: (202) 691-5902 PressOffice@bls.gov EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX - JUNE 2009 Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending June 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries--which make up about 70 percent of compensation--also increased 0.4 percent for the 3-month period ending June 2009. Benefit costs--which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation--increased 0.3 percent. Civilian Worker Data Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2009. This was smaller than the 3.1 percent increase for the 12-month period ending in June 2008. Wages and salaries increased 1.8 percent for the current 12-month period, slowing from a 3.2 percent increase for the 12-month period ending in June 2008. Benefit costs rose 1.8 percent, down from a 2.9 percent increase for the 12-month period ending June 2008. Private Industry Worker Data Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 1.5 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2009. This is the smallest percent change published for this series since it began in 1980. The deceleration of cost increases was evident in both wages and salaries as well as benefits, registering the smallest increases published in the series history. The wage and salary series, which began in 1975, increased 1.6 percent for the current 12-month period. The cost of benefits, which has been measured since 1980, increased 1.3 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2009. Employer costs for health benefits increased 4.4 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2009. In June 2008, the 12-month percent change was 4.2 percent. Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the 12-month period ending June 2009 ranged from 0.7 percent for sales and office workers to 2.0 percent for both production, transportation, and material moving occupations and service occupations. Among industries, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the current 12-month period ranged from 0.6 percent for financial activities to 2.5 percent for the leisure and hospitality industry. The Employment Cost Index for September 2009 is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 30, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Beginning with the September 2009 news release, estimates for metropolitan areas, currently published online, will be incorporated into this release. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request--Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. For detailed information on the Employment Cost Index, see Chapter 8. National Compensation Measures of the BLS Handbook of Methods at: www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch8.pdf. BLS news releases, including the ECI, are available through an e-mail subscription service at: www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table A. Major series of the Employment Cost Index 3-month, 12-month, seasonally adjusted not seasonally adjusted Category Mar. June June Sep. Dec. Mar. June 2009 2009 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 CIVILIAN WORKERS Compensation 0.3 0.4 3.1 2.9 2.6 2.1 1.8 Wages and salaries 0.3 0.4 3.2 3.1 2.7 2.2 1.8 Benefits 0.5 0.3 2.9 2.6 2.2 2.0 1.8 PRIVATE INDUSTRY Compensation 0.2 0.2 3.0 2.8 2.4 1.9 1.5 Wages and salaries 0.2 0.2 3.1 2.9 2.6 2.0 1.6 Benefits 0.2 0.2 2.6 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.3 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Compensation 0.8 1.0 3.5 3.4 3.0 3.1 3.2 Wages and salaries 0.7 1.0 3.4 3.5 3.1 3.0 3.0 Benefits 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.3 2.9 3.4 3.6
- Employment Cost Index technical note
- Table 1. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: Employment Cost Index for total compensation, by ownership, occupational group, and industry
- Table 2. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries, by ownership, occupational group, and industry
- Table 3. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: Employment Cost Index for benefits, by ownership, occupational group, and industry
- Table 4. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, for civilian workers, by occupational group and industry
- Table 5. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, for private industry workers, by occupational group and industry
- Table 6. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, for private industry workers, by bargaining status, census region, census divisions, and area
- Table 7. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, for State and local government workers, by occupational group and industry
- Table 8. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries, for civilian workers, by occupational group and industry
- Table 9. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries, for private industry workers, by occupational group and industry
- Table 10. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries, for private industry workers, by bargaining status, region, and area
- Table 11. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries, for State and local government workers, by occupational group and industry
- Table 12. BENEFITS (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for benefits, by ownership, occupational group, industry, and bargaining status
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Last Modified Date: July 31, 2009