Employment Cost Index --March 1995 — 1995-04-25

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) increased 0.8 percent before seasonal adjustment in the 3 months ended in March 1995, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The March 1995 ECI level of 124.8 (June 1989=100) was 2.9 percent higher than in March 1994. 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 0.6 percent in the December 1994-March 1995 period, compared with 0.7 percent in the September-December 1994 period. (See table A below.) ECI wages and salaries rose 0.8 percent in the December 1994-March 1995 period, up from the 0.6 percent increase for the September- December 1994 period, but in line with gains of the past two years. Benefit costs rose 0.2 percent, down from 0.7 percent in September- December 1994 and the lowest quarterly increase since March 1987. Seasonally adjusted Unadjusted Compensation 3-months ended 12-months component June Sep. Dec.