Employment Cost Index-June 2002 — 2002-07-25

The Employment Cost Index for total compensation increased 4.0 percent for the year ended June 2002, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The Employment Cost Index (ECI), a component of the National Compensation Survey, measures changes in compensation costs, which include wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee benefits, for nonfarm private and State and local government workers. On a seasonally adjusted basis, both compensation costs and wages and salaries for civilian workers (nonfarm private industry and State and local government) was 1.0 percent from March to June 2002, following a gain of 0.8 percent in December 2001-March 2002. Benefit costs rose 1.3 percent during the June quarter, following a 1.0 percent gain in the March quarter. Table A. 3-month percent changes in Employment Cost Index, seasonally adjusted Sep. Dec. Mar. June Sep. Dec. Mar.