September 2011 Employment Cost Index — 2011-10-28

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.3 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) were virtually unchanged at 0.1 percent. Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2011. A year earlier—in September 2010—the increase was 1.9 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.6�percent for the current 12-month period. In September 2010 the increase was 1.5 percent. Benefit costs increased 3.2 percent. In September 2010, the increase was 2.8 percent. Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.1 percent over the year, compared to the 2.0 percent increase for the previous 12-month period. The wage and salary series increased 1.7 percent for the current 12-month period. The increase for the 12-month period ending September 2010 was 1.6 percent.