March 2012 Employment Cost Index — 2012-04-27

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending March 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.5 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) also increased 0.5 percent. Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 1.9 percent for the 12-month period ending March 2012, essentially unchanged from the 2.0 percent increase a year earlier in March 2011. Wages and salaries increased 1.7 percent for the current 12-month period. In March 2011 the increase was 1.6 percent. Benefit costs increased 2.7 percent for the 12-month period ending March 2012. In March 2011, the increase was 3.0 percent. Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.1 percent over the year, essentially unchanged from the 2.0 percent increase for the previous 12-month period. Wages and salaries increased 1.9 percent for the current 12-month period.