December 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 December 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 0.7 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 December 2015. In December 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 December 2014. Benefit costs increased 1.7 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2015. In December 2014, the increase was 2.6 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 December 2014 increase of 2.3 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.1 percent for the current 12- month period. In December 2014, the increase was 2.2 percent. The increase in the cost of benefits was 1.3 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2015, lower than December 2014 when the increase was 2.5 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 December 2014, the increase was 2.4 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 December 2015 ranged from 1.4 percent for natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations to 2.6 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 -1.4 percent for information to +2.6 percent for other services, except public administration. (See table 5.)

State and Local Government Workers

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 2.5 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2015. In December 2014, the increase was 2.0 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2015, and in December 2014 the increase was 1.6 percent. Benefit costs increased 3.5 percent in December 2015, higher than in December 2014 when the increase was 2.9 percent. (See chart 5 and tables A, 7, 11, and 12.)

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

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