December 2018 Employment Cost Index — 2019-01-31

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.7 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending in December 2018, 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 benefit costs (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.7 percent from September 2018. (See tables A, 1, 2, and 3.) Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2018 compared with a compensation costs increase of 2.6 percent in December 2017. Wages and salaries increased 3.1 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2018 and increased 2.5 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2017. Benefit costs increased 2.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2018. In December 2017, the increase was 2.5 percent.