Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until USDL-09-0874
8:30 A.M. (EDT) FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009
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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
