Employment Cost Index -- December 1994 — 1995-01-31

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) increased 0.4 percent before seasonal adjustment in the 3 months ended in December 1994, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The December 1994 ECI level of 123.8 (June 1989=100) was 3.0 percent higher than in December 1993. The ECI measures changes in compensation costs, including wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee benefits. On a seasonally adjusted basis, ECI compensation costs rose 0.7 percent in the September-December 1994 period, compared with 0.8 percent in the June-September 1994 period. (See table A below.) ECI wages and salaries rose 0.6 percent in the September-December 1994 period, down from the 0.8 percent increase for the June-September 1994 period. Benefit costs rose 0.7 percent, down from 0.9 percent in June-September 1994 and the lowest quarterly increase since March 1987. Seasonally adjusted Unadjusted Compensation 3-months ended 12-months component Mar. June Sep. Dec. Mar. June Sep. Dec.