Compensation costs up 0.3% June-September, and up 2.0% over the year ending September

Wages and salaries for civilian workers rose 0.3% while benefit costs were virtually unchanged at
0.1%, seasonally adjusted, from June to September 2011. Over the year, compensation rose 2.0%, wages
and salaries 1.6%, and benefits 3.2%.

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX - SEPTEMBER 2011

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the
3-month period ending September 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and
salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.3 percent, and benefits
(which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) were virtually unchanged at 0.1 percent.

Civilian Workers

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending
September 2011. A year earlier—in September 2010—the increase was 1.9 percent. Wages and
salaries increased 1.6 percent for the current 12-month period. In September 2010 the increase was
1.5 percent. Benefit costs increased 3.2 percent. In September 2010, the increase was 2.8 percent.

Private Industry Workers

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.1 percent over the year, compared to
the 2.0 percent increase for the previous 12-month period. The wage and salary series increased 1.7
percent for the current 12-month period. The increase for the 12-month period ending September 2010
was 1.6 percent. The increase in the cost of benefits was 3.3 percent for the 12-month period ending
September 2011, compared to the September 2010 increase of 2.8 percent. Employer costs for health
benefits increased 3.4 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2011, lower than the September
2010 increase of 4.8 percent.

Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the
12-month period ending September 2011 ranged from 1.5 percent for service occupations to 2.4 percent
for sales and office occupations.

Among industry supersectors, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the
current 12-month period ranged from 1.0 percent for construction to 3.3 percent for financial
activities. Over the last 10 years, estimates for financial activities have ranged from 0.0 percent
in March 2009 to 7.4 percent in December 2003.

State and Local Government Workers

Compensation costs for State and local government workers increased 1.5 percent for the 12-month
period ending September 2011. In September 2010, the increase for the 12-month period was 1.8 percent.
Values for this series—which began in June 1982—have ranged from the current period’s 1.5
percent to 9.6 percent in June 1982. Wages and salaries increased 1.0 percent for the 12-month period
ending September 2011. A year earlier the increase was 1.2 percent. Prior values for this series,
which also began in June 1982, ranged from the current period’s 1.0 percent to 8.5 percent in June
1982. Benefit costs increased 2.5 percent; in September 2010 the increase was 2.8 percent. Prior
values for this series, which began in June 1990, ranged from 1.2 percent in December 1997 to 8.3
percent in June 1990.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Employment Cost Index for December 2011 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 31,
2012, at 8:30 a.m. (EST).

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Some Employment Cost Index estimates from June 2009 through September 2010 were corrected on
January 18, 2011. (In some of the seasonally adjusted series, corrections were made to estimates
back to June 2005.) For further information, see: www.bls.gov/bls/eci_corrections_111910.htm

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Category 3-month, 12-month,
seasonally adjusted not seasonally adjusted
June Sep. Sep. Dec. Mar. June Sep.
2011 2011 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011

CIVILIAN
WORKERS[1]

Compensation[2] 0.7 0.3 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.0
Wages and salaries 0.4 0.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
Benefits 1.3 0.1 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.6 3.2

PRIVATE INDUSTRY

Compensation[2] 0.8 0.4 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.1
Wages and salaries 0.5 0.4 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.7
Benefits 1.6 0.1 2.8 2.9 3.0 4.0 3.3

STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT

Compensation[2] 0.4 0.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.5
Wages and salaries 0.4 -0.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.0
Benefits 0.5 0.3 2.8 2.9 3.3 3.0 2.5

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

The PDF version of the news release Table of Contents Last Modified Date: October 28, 2011

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Compensation costs up 0.3% June-September, and up 2.0% over the year ending September

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