• U.S. Employment Costs Up 2% for Year – September 2012

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Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2012. 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) increased 0.8 percent. Civilian Workers: Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.0 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2012. In September 2011 the increase was also 2.0 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.7 percent for the current 12-month period, essentially unchanged from a year ago when wages and salaries increased 1.6 percent. Benefit costs increased 2.6 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2012 down from the September 2011 increase, which was 3.2 percent. Private Industry Workers: Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.0 percent over the year. In September 2011 the increase was 2.1 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.8 percent for the current 12-month period. The increase for the 12-month period ending September 2011 was 1.7 percent. The increase in the cost of benefits was 2.3 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2012, down from the September 2011 increase of 3.3 percent. Employer costs for health benefits increased 3.0 percent over the year. In September 2011 the 12-month increase was 3.4 percent. State and Local Government Workers: Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2012. In September 2011 the increase was 1.5 percent. Since June 1982 12-month increases have ranged from 1.3 percent to 9.6 percent. Wages and salaries increased 1.1 percent for the 12-month period ending September 2012, essentially unchanged from a year earlier when the increase was 1.0 percent. Since June 1982, 12-month increases have ranged from 1.0 percent to 8.5 percent. Benefit costs increased 3.2 percent in September 2012. In September 2011 the increase was 2.5 percent. Since June 1990, 12-month increases have ranged from 1.2 percent to 8.3 percent. Source: USDOL-BLS

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