Employer Costs for Pay and Benefits Accelerate

The amount employers paid out in compensation for civilian workers increased 0.6 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending in June 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.5 percent and benefit costs (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.9 percent.

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2018 compared with a compensation costs increase of 2.4 percent in June 2017.

Wages and salaries increased 2.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2018 and increased 2.3 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2017. Benefit costs increased 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2018. In June 2017, the increase was 2.5 percent.

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.9 percent over the year, a larger increase than the 2.4 percent increase in June 2017.

Wages and salaries increased 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2018 and increased 2.4 percent in June 2017.

The cost of benefits rose 2.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2018 and increased 2.2 percent in June 2017.

Employer costs for health benefits increased 1.6 percent for the 12-month period ending in June 2018.