June 2012 Employment Cost Index — 2012-07-31

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending June 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.4 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.6 percent. Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 1.7 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2012. In June 2011 the increase was 2.2 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.7 percent for the current 12-month period, essentially unchanged from a year ago when wages and salaries increased 1.6 percent. Benefit costs increased 2.1 percent for the 12-month period ending June 2012 down from the June 2011 increase, which was 3.6 percent. Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 1.8 percent over the year. In June 2011 the increase was 2.3 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.8 percent for the current 12-month period.