December 2011 Employment Cost Index — 2012-01-31

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending December 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) also 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 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2011, the same as the increase a year earlier in December 2010. Wages and salaries increased 1.4 percent for the current 12-month period. In December 2010 the increase was 1.6 percent. Benefit costs increased 3.2 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2011. In December 2010, the increase was 2.9 percent. Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.2 percent over the year, compared to the 2.1 percent increase for the previous 12-month period. Wages and salaries increased 1.6 percent for the current 12-month period.