Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until USDL-10-0100
8:30 a.m. (EST) Friday, January 29, 2010
Technical information:
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EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX - DECEMBER 2009
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.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Employment Cost Index for March 2010 is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 30, 2010, 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.
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.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table A. Major series of the Employment Cost Index
(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
CIVILIAN WORKERS(1)
Compensation(2) 0.4 0.5 2.6 2.1 1.8 1.5 1.5
Wages and salaries 0.4 0.5 2.7 2.2 1.8 1.5 1.5
Benefits 0.4 0.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.5
PRIVATE INDUSTRY
Compensation(2) 0.5 0.4 2.4 1.9 1.5 1.2 1.2
Wages and salaries 0.5 0.5 2.6 2.0 1.6 1.4 1.4
Benefits 0.3 0.4 2.0 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.0
STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
Compensation(2) 0.0 0.5 3.0 3.1 3.2 2.4 2.4
Wages and salaries -0.1 0.4 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.1 2.0
Benefits 0.3 0.9 2.9 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.2
1 Includes private industry and state and local government.
2 Includes wages and salaries and benefits.
