Employment Cost Index – December, 2014 - Wages and salaries increase 0.5 percent, and benefits increase 0.6 percent for the three month period ending December, 2014.

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX - DECEMBER 2014

 

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.6 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending December 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.5 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.6 percent.

Civilian Workers

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.2 percent for the 12-month period ending

December 2014. In December 2013, the increase in compensation costs was 2.0 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.1 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2014, compared with a 1.9-percent increase in December 2013. Benefit costs increased 2.6 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2014, compared with a 2.2-percent increase for the 12-month period ending December 2013. (See tables A, 4, 8, and 12.)

Private Industry Workers

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.3 percent over the year. In December 2013 the increase was 2.0 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.2 percent for the current 12-month period ending December 2014, about the same as the December 2013 increase of 2.1 percent. The cost of benefits rose 2.5 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2014, which was higher than December 2013, when the increase was 1.9 percent. Employer costs for health benefits increased 2.4 percent over the year. The 12-month percent change for December 2013 was an increase of 3.0 percent. (See tables A, 5, 9, and 12.)

Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the

12-month period ending December 2014 ranged from 1.8 percent for service occupations to 2.6 percent for natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations.

Among industry supersectors, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the current 12-month period ranged from 0.6 percent for other services, except public administration to 5.6 percent for information.

State and Local Government Workers

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2014, compared with a 1.9-percent increase for December 2013. Wages and salaries increased 1.6 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2014, which was higher than the 1.1-percent increase in December 2013. Benefit costs increased 2.9 percent in December 2014. In December 2013, the increase was 3.3 percent. (See tables A, 7, 11, and 12.)

The Employment Cost Index for March 2015 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, April 30, 2015, at 8:30 a.m.(EDT).

New Seasonal Factors

New seasonal factors for 2015, along with revised seasonally adjusted indexes for the past five years will be available online Tuesday, April 28, 2015.

BLS news releases, including the ECI, are available through an e-mail subscription service at:

www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm.

• 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
• Table 13. COMPENSATION AND WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, and wages and salaries, for private industry workers, by area
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics