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Compensation costs in private industry up 2.4 percent from September 2019 to September 2020

November 05, 2020

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.4 percent from September 2019 to September 2020. This compares with an increase of 2.7 percent for the year ended September 2019. Compensation costs in leisure and hospitality increased 4.1 percent for the year ended September 2020.

12-month percent change in Employment Cost Index for total compensation, private industry workers by industry, bargaining status, and census region and area, September 2020
Category Percent change

Industry

Leisure and hospitality

4.1%

Transportation and warehousing

3.1

Other services, except public administration

2.8

Retail trade

2.7

Information

2.7

Construction

2.4

Wholesale trade

2.4

Manufacturing

2.3

Utilities

2.3

Financial activities

2.3

Professional and business services

2.2

Health care and social assistance

2.2

Educational services

1.7

Bargaining status

Union

3.0

Nonunion

2.4

Census region and area

Northeast

2.2

Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT

3.4

Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD

2.5

New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA

1.9

South

2.3

Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA

3.6

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK

3.1

Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA

2.5

Houston-The Woodlands, TX

2.2

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL

1.5

Midwest

2.4

Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI

2.7

Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI

2.4

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI

1.6

West

2.8

San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

3.5

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

3.3

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA

2.7

Seattle-Tacoma, WA

2.6

In September 2020, other industries with an over-the-year increase in compensation costs greater than that for all private workers were transportation and warehousing (3.1 percent), other services except public administration (2.8 percent), and retail trade and information (2.7 percent each).

Compensation cost increases for the year ending in September 2020 ranged from 2.2 percent in the Northeast region to 2.8 percent in the West region. Within the South region, compensation costs for workers in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA increased 3.6 percent, while increasing 1.5 percent in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, Florida.

These data are from the Employment Cost Trends program. They are not seasonally adjusted and not adjusted for changes in consumer prices. To learn more, see “Employment Cost Index — September 2020.” We have historical data on compensation cost changes adjusted for changes in consumer prices. We also have more charts on the Employment Cost Index. Compensation cost includes wages and salaries and benefits. Private industry workers exclude employees of state and local government.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Compensation costs in private industry up 2.4 percent from September 2019 to September 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/compensation-costs-in-private-industry-up-2-point-4-percent-from-september-2019-to-september-2020.htm (visited May 13, 2024).

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