Friday, July 31, 2015

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX - JUNE 2015: Wages Continue to Rise



Compensation costs for civilian workers was little changed at 0.2 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending June 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) was also little changed at 0.2 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) was little changed at 0.1 percent. (See chart 1 and tables 1, 2, and 3.)


Civilian Workers

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2015, unchanged from the 12-month period ending June 2014. Wages and salaries increased 2.1 percent for the current 12-month period. In June 2014 the change was 1.8 percent. Benefit costs increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2015. In June 2014 the increase was 2.5 percent. (See chart 2 and tables 4, 8, and 12.)

Private Industry Workers

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 1.9 percent over the year, about unchanged from the previous year when the increase was 2.0 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.2 percent for the current 12-month period. The increase for the period ending June 2014 was 1.9 percent. The increase in the cost of benefits was 1.4 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2015. This was lower than a year earlier when the increase was 2.4 percent. (See charts 3 and 4 and tables 5, 9, and 12.) Employer costs for health benefits increased 2.8 percent over the year. In June 2014 the increase was 2.7 percent. (For further information, see www.bls.gov/web/eci/echealth.pdf.)

Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the
12-month period ending June 2015 ranged from 1.7 percent for natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations to 2.5 percent for production, transportation, and material moving occupations. (See table 5.)

Among industry supersectors, compensation cost changes for private industry workers for the current 12-month period ranged from -1.6 percent for information to 2.5 percent for manufacturing. (See table 5.)

State and Local Government Workers

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 2.2 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2015. In June 2014 the increase was 2.0 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.9 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2015, higher than a year earlier when the increase was 1.3 percent. Benefit costs increased 2.7 percent in June 2015. In June 2014 the increase was 3.2 percent. (See chart 5 and tables 7, 11, and 12.)

The Employment Cost Index for September 2015 is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 30, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).

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.

BLS news releases, including the ECI, are available through an e-mail subscription service at:
www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm.

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Table A.  Major series of the Employment Cost Index
(Percent change)

Category                     3-month,                               12-month,
                       seasonally adjusted                   not seasonally adjusted
                         Mar.       June            June      Sept.     Dec.     Mar.     June
                         2015       2015            2014      2014      2014     2015     2015
_____________________________________________________________________________
   CIVILIAN WORKERS[1]

Compensation[2]          0.7        0.2             2.0       2.2       2.2      2.6      2.0
Wages and salaries       0.7        0.2             1.8       2.1       2.1      2.6      2.1
Benefits                 0.6        0.1             2.5       2.4       2.6      2.7      1.8

   PRIVATE INDUSTRY

Compensation[2]          0.7        0.0             2.0       2.3       2.3      2.8      1.9
Wages and salaries       0.7        0.2             1.9       2.3       2.2      2.8      2.2
Benefits                 0.6       -0.2             2.4       2.3       2.5      2.6      1.4

   STATE AND LOCAL
     GOVERNMENT

Compensation[2]          0.5        0.6             2.0       2.1       2.0      2.1      2.2
Wages and salaries       0.4        0.6             1.3       1.6       1.6      1.8      1.9
Benefits                 0.5        0.8             3.2       3.0       2.9      2.8      2.7
_____________________________________________________________________________
[1] Includes private industry and State and local government.
[2] Includes wages and salaries and benefits.

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