Employer costs for health benefits in private industry increased 3.0 percent from December 2012 to December 2013. In the prior year, the increase was 2.1 percent. The 12‑month increases in employer costs for health insurance for private industry workers ranged from 2.1 to 3.0 percent in 2012 and 2013. That compares with increases that ranged from 3.4 to 11.4 percent from 2001 to 2011.
The increase in employer costs for all benefits was 1.9 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2013, essentially unchanged from the December 2012 increase of 2.0 percent. While changes in total benefit costs are not as volatile as health benefits costs, increases and decreases tend to follow the same pattern.
Wages and salaries increased 2.1 percent for the year ending in December 2013. In December 2012 the increase was 1.7 percent.
Overall compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.0 percent from December 2012 to December 2013. In the prior year the increase was 1.8 percent.
These data are from the Employment Cost Trends program. To learn more, see "Employment Cost Index — December 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑14‑0128. Information about trends in employer costs for health insurance are published in Employment Cost Index Health Benefits.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employer health benefits costs rise 3.0 percent in year ending December 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140205.htm (visited April 25, 2024).
United States Department of Labor
