December 2009 Employment Cost Index

Historical release narrative reproduced from the official public-domain source. Statistical tables, standard technical appendices, administrative material and attendance rosters are omitted; formatting is adapted for reading. Figures retain the release's historical context and may have been revised. Consult the linked source for the complete document.

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending December 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Both components of compensation--wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation) and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation)-- increased the same amount, 0.5 percent.

Civilian Worker Data

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 1.5 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2009. This was smaller than the 2.6 percent increase for the 12-month period ending in December 2008. Wages and salaries also increased 1.5 percent for the current 12-month period, slowing from a 2.7 percent increase for the 12-month period ending in December 2008. Benefit costs rose 1.5 percent, compared with a 2.2 percent increase for the 12-month period ending December 2008.

Private Industry Worker Data

Compensation costs increased 1.2 percent, the same as last quarter’s 12-month percent increase. These are the smallest percent changes published since the series began in 1979. The wage and salary series increased 1.4 percent for the current 12-month period, the same as the September 2009 12-month percent increase. These are also the smallest published percent changes since the series began in 1975. The cost of benefits increased 1.0 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2009. This is the smallest published percent change since the series began in 1979. In September 2009, benefits increased 1.1 percent. Employer costs for health benefits increased 4.4 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2009. In December 2008, the 12-month percent change was 3.5 percent.

Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the 12-month period ending December 2009 ranged from 0.7 percent for management, professional, and related occupations to 1.9 percent for production, transportation, and material moving occupations.

Among industries, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the current 12-month period ranged from 0.7 percent for construction and professional and business services to 2.0 percent for education and health services.

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.

New seasonal factors for 2010, along with revised seasonally adjusted indexes for the past five years will be available Wednesday, April 28, 2010.

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

(Percent change)

Category 3-month, seasonally adjusted 12-month, not seasonally adjusted Sep. 2009 Dec. 2009 Dec. 2008 Mar. 2009 Jun. 2009 Sep. 2009 Dec. 2009