Economic News Release

April 30, 2019
United States Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment Cost Index Summary

NEWS RELEASE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL USDL-19-0728

8:30 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Technical information: (202) 691-6199 • ncsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/ect

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • pressoffice@bls.gov

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX – March 2019

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.7 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month

period ending in March 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and

salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.7 percent and benefit

costs (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) also increased 0.7 percent from March 2018.

(See tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)

Civilian Workers

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in

March 2019 compared with a compensation costs increase of 2.7 percent in March 2018. Wages and

salaries increased 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in March 2019 and increased 2.7

percent for the 12-month period ending in March 2018. Benefit costs increased 2.6 percent for the

12-month period ending in March 2019. In March 2018, the increase was also 2.6 percent.

(See tables A, 4, 8, and 12.)

Private Industry Workers

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.8 percent over the year, the same

increase as in March 2018. Wages and salaries increased 3.0 percent for the 12-month period

ending in March 2019 and increased 2.9 percent in March 2018. The cost of benefits rose 2.4

percent for the 12-month period ending in March 2019 and increased 2.5 percent in March 2018.

(See tables A, 5, 9, and 12.)

Employer costs for health benefits increased 1.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in March 2019.

(For further information, see www.bls.gov/web/eci/echealth.pdf.)

Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the 12-

month period ending in March 2019 ranged from 2.3 percent for management, professional, and

related occupations to 3.4 percent for service occupations.(See table 5.)

Among industry supersectors, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the 12-month period

ending in March 2019 ranged from 2.2 percent for manufacturing to 4.8 percent for information. (See table 5.)

State and Local Government Workers

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 3.0 percent for the 12-month period ending

in March 2019. In March 2018, the increase was 2.2 percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.5 percent for the

12-month period ending in March 2019, compared with 1.8 percent a year ago. Benefit costs increased 3.6 percent

for the 12-month period ending in March 2019. The prior year increase was 3.0 percent.(See tables A, 7, 11, and 12.)

The Employment Cost Index for June 2019 is scheduled for release on July 31, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request— 
Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

BLS news releases, including the Employment Cost Index, are available through an email subscription service 
at www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm.

Videos and information graphics explaining the Employment Cost Index and how it is used are available 
at www.bls.gov/eci/videos.htm. 

Highlights of recent National Compensation Survey data are available in The Economics Daily at 
www.bls.gov/opub/ted/national-compensation-survey.htm.

An overview of available BLS compensation measures and an interactive guide on choosing among them, are 
available at the BLS Commissioner’s Corner on “Making it Easier to Find Data on Pay and Benefits” at 
blogs.bls.gov/blog/2018/10/24/making-it-easier-to-find-data-on-pay-and-benefits.

Detailed information on seasonal factors for the 2019 reference year and the revisions of historical 
seasonally adjusted data for the most recent 5 years can be found at www.bls.gov/ncs/ect/ectsfact.htm.