September 2015 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 0.6 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending in September 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.6 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.5 percent. (See chart 1 and tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)

Civilian Workers

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending in September 2015. In September 2014, compensation costs increased 2.2 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.1 percent for the current 12-month period, unchanged from the 12-month period ending in September 2014. Benefit costs increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in September 2015. In September 2014, the increase was 2.4 percent. (See chart 2 and tables A, 4, 8, and 12.)

Private Industry Workers

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 1.9 percent over the year, slowing from the previous year’s increase of 2.3 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.1 percent for the current 12- month period. The increase for the 12-month period ending in September 2014 was 2.3 percent. The increase in the cost of benefits was 1.4 percent for the 12-month period ending in September 2015, lower than a year earlier when the increase was 2.3 percent. (See charts 3 and 4 and tables A, 5, 9, and 12.)

Employer costs for health benefits increased 3.0 percent over the year. In September 2014, the increase was 2.6 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 in September 2015 ranged from 1.5 percent for natural resources, construction, and maintenance to 2.3 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 -1.1 percent for information to 2.4 percent for trade, transportation, and utilities. (See table 5.)

State and Local Government Workers

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 2.3 percent for the 12-month period ending in September 2015. In September 2014, the increase was 2.1 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in September 2015, and a year earlier the increase was 1.6 percent. Benefit costs increased 3.0 percent in September 2015, unchanged from the 12-month period ending in September 2014. (See chart 5 and tables A, 7, 11, and 12.)

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Category 3-month, 12-month, seasonally adjusted not seasonally adjusted June Sept. Sept. Dec. Mar. June Sept. 2015 2015 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015

CIVILIAN WORKERS[1]

PRIVATE INDUSTRY

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

[1] Includes private industry and State and local government. [2] Includes wages and salaries and benefits.