Table 8. BENEFITS (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for benefits only, civilian, state and local, and
Private industry workers, by Industry and occupational group

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for

Series “__3months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996

Sept. 1995 | June 1996 Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996

Civilian workers 135.2 | 138.9 137.7 Os 0s 06 22 1.8 18
133.6 135.1 136.1 1 3 7 25 22 19
135.6 | 137.4 | 138:1 4 6 5 24 17 18

136.6 | 1384 | 1995 4 5 8 29 18 24
134.1 136.1 136.2 4 7 1 1 1.9 16
135.7 | 1363 | 1362 1 4 ~ 14 4
Workers, by industry division
Goods-producing industries 1 136.2 | 1386 | 1388 2 7 a 1.0 20 19
‘Service-producing industries 2 134.8 | 1362 137.2 s 5 7 27 1.6 18
Manutacturing 1355 | 1985 | 1388 2 7 2 12 24 24
Nonmanufacturit 135.4 | 1987 | 1375 $s 5 6 24 15 16
1366 | 1400 | 1309 8 6 “ft 25 33 24
135.2 | 1365 | 137.4 3 5 7 20 13 1.6

2! manufacturing rata NOTE: The Indexes for these series are not stcty comparable to those for the
Includes transportation, communication, and public utlitles; wholesale and ‘aggregate, occupation, and industry series.
‘tade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.


Table 1. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: Employment Cost index for total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefit costs, by
industry and occupational group — Continued

Indexes (June
sores 1989-100) Percent changes for 3-months ended
Jun. 1996 | Sep. 1996 | Dec. 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 l Sop. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Mar. 1996 l June 1996] Sep. 1996
BENEFIT COSTS
Givilian workers... 1366 | 137.4 05 03 07 06 06 0.0 0.7 0.6
State and local goverment 135.6 | 135.6 4 6 14 4 5 7 6 0
Private industry workers 1369 | 137.8 5 A 6 6 6 7 7
White-collar occupations 138.2 | 1395 8 7 7 7 6 7 a
Blue-collar occupations 136.0 | 136.1 2 2 3 4 8 7 a
‘Service, occupations ... 1362 | -136.3 4 “A 5 2 3 5 a
Goods-produeing industries 1 1384 | 1389 4 0 2 4 1.0 9 4
Manufacturing 1384 | 139.0 5 0 2 4 1.0 1.0 4
Service-producing industries? | 136.0 | 1397.1 6 7 8 7 4 0 6 8
Nonmanufacturing industries...) 136.5 | 137.4 5 5 7 7 4 oa) 6 a
1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
2 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retall 'No identifiable seasonality was found for this series.


10

Table 5. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries only, civilian
and state and local government workers, by industry and occupational group

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995] June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
1261 | 1272 0.8 08 09 28 32 32
1262 | 1275 38 7 10 27 34 33
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations 1243 | 1273 | 1286 1.0 8 1.0 29 34 3s
125.0 127.8 129.4 1.0 6 13 29 32 35
126.1 | 1288 | 1902 1 8 14 27 33 33
123.8 127.0 129.0 | 8 6 16 3.0 34 42
124.3 127.4 128.4 7 6 1.0 28 3.0 33
qai1 | 1239 | 1245 7 2 5 28 3.0 28
zee | 1269 | 1262 8 8 10 28 25 28
122.1 125.1 126.1 & 1.0 8 26 3.0 3.3
123.5 126.5 127.7 5 a a 29 29 34
123.7 | 1265 | 1277 1.0 7 2 29 33 32
126.2 128.9 130.3 Wa 7 1 28 33 3.2
127.5 130.0 * 130.8 7 5 & 25 27 2.6
1268 | 1292 | 1300 - 8 5 6 23 25 25
1278 | 1201 | 1316 22 2 19 32 32 3.0
1232 | 1253 | 1266 7 3 10 28 25 28
123.1 | 1259 | 1270 1.0 7 2 28 33 32
1266 | 1281 | 130.1 16 2 16 a4 28 28
126.8 128.2 130.3, 18 2 16 3.2 29 28
te74 | 1286 | 131.1 19 2 19 31 29 29
126.0 128.0 129.3 1.4 2 1.0 3.6 3.0 26
124.4 126.1 127.7 12 2 13 29 26 27
124.8 127.0 127.9 8 3 a 25 26 25
1266 | 1286 | 130.1 4 4 12. 32 27 28
1276 | 1289 | 1312 20 2 18 a2 3.0 28
126.9 128.7 130.1 WW 4 Ww 3.0 25 25
127.9 129.9 131.1 1.0 5 x) 26 26 25
1276 | 1297 | 1309 . 5 2 27 27 26
127.7 128.8 131.3 22 2 1.9 33 34 28
1278 128.9 131.4 22 2 1.9 32 3.0 2.8
128.7 129.5, 132.0 23 2 1.9 34 29 26
‘Colleges and universities 125.0 127.1 129.8 7 2 24 29 3.4 3.8
Public administration 123.2 125.3 126.6 7 3 1.0 28 25 28

1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. ‘wade; finance, insurance, and real estate; service industries; and public administration.
2 Includes transportation, communication, and public utlities; wholesale and retall 3 'Formerty called hospitals and other services.


Table 3. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost index for total compensation, private industry
workers, by industry and occupational group

Indexes (June 1989-100) Percent changes for
Series : 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995| June 1996 | Sept. 1996
126.2 129.0 | 1298 0.6 0.6 26 29 29
1265 | 1292 | 1302 6 8 25 28 29
127.0 130.0 131.1 6 8 8 28 3.0 3.2
1278 | 1307 | 1320 & 6 1.0 27 29 3.3
129.3 1326 | 1333 7 8 5 24 33 34
“1262 | 1288 130.9 6 6 1.6 29 27 37
123.2 1269 | 1267 7 17 +2 34 37 28
128.1 130.8 132.0 6 5 3 29 27 3.0
Blue-collar occupations 125.1 1276 | 128.1 6 8 4 23 26 24
Precision production, craft, and repair ....| 125.4 127.7 | 1282 8 3 4 24 27 22
‘Machine operators, assemblers,
and inspectors .. 125.1 128.1 128.7 2 8 $s 1.8 2.6 29
Transportation and material moving .. 122.9 124.7 | 1249 4 6 2 22 19 16
Handlers, equipment cleaners,
helpers, and laborers ... 125.9 1293 | 130.0 5 6 s 26 32 3.3
Service occupations .. 1247 | 1265 127.4 6 6 7 24 20 22
Production and nonsupervisory .
‘occupations 1 1258 | 1286 | 1292 6 a 5 26 29 27
Goods-producing industries 2 .. 126.5 1293 | 130.1 5 a 6 24 27 28
Excluding sales occupations 126.1 129.0 1298 4 8 & 24 27 29
White-collar occupations 131.0 192.2 4 38 9 24 27 32
130.2 | 1315 4 6 1.0 25 28 34
1283 | 1289 5 9 $s 19 27 27
130.1 - 7 4 - 1.8 17 -
1253 | 1259 x) 8 5 1.4 27 23
130.4 | 131.3 3 2 7 28 34
1316 | 1328 5 8 9 28 32
130.5 131.8 6 8 1.0 31 35
Blue-collar occupations . 1295 | 1302 2 9 $ 28 34
Service occupations? .. 129.5 131.0 - 7 5 - 19 -
Durables 128.2 | 131.2 131.9 4 12 5 27 29
125.7 1289 | 130.0 2 5 rc) 28 34
Service-producing industries 4 1258 | 1286 129.5 z 8 7 29 3.0 29
Excluding sales occupations 126.6 1292 130.3 6 6 a) 27 27 29
White-collar occupations 1265 | 1296 | 1306 7 9 8 29 32 32
Excluding sales 1280 | 1309 1322 7 7 1.0 27 3.0 3.3
Biue-collar occupations 123.9 126.0 126.4 8 6 3 27 24 2.0
‘Service occupations .. 124.2 | 126.1 127.4 5 y 8 24 20 23
Transportation and public utilities 126.0 128.4 129.3 1.0 4 7 38 3.0 26
Transportation .. 124.7 127.7 128.2 14 6 4 42 38 28
Public utilities 1275 | 129.1 130.4 6 2 10 32 18 23
Communications 127.4 127.5 129.1 6 4 13 37 7 13
Electric, gas, and sanitary 127.7 131.1 132.0 6 8 7 27 32 34
Wholesale and retail trade .. 123.8 126.4 127.5 8 7 cc) 27 29 3.0
Excluding sales occupations 124.1 126.4 128.0 8 4 13 26 27 34

‘See footnotes at end of table.


Table 2. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, civilian ard state and
focal government workers, by Industry and occupational group

Indexes (June 1989=100) . Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
1266 | 1292 | 1902 08 07 08 27 29 28
1269 | 1294 | 1305 8 6 2 2.6 28 28
1274 | 1300 |- 1913 2 z 10 28 29 34
128.0 130.5 131.9 9 6 1 28 28 3.0
128.9 131.4 132.6 WA 6 3 25 Kal 29
managerial 126.7 129.1 131.4 8 5 15 34 27 35
‘Administrative support, including
clerical 128.1 130.8 132.0 & 5 a 28 27 3.0
125.2 127.7 128.3 & 8 5 23 26 25
126.7 | 128.7 | 1297 7 5 8 26 23 24
1265 | 1293 | 130.1 4 8 6 24 26 28
127.3 130.4 131.3 3 a 7 23 28 31
126.6 129.1 130.2 a 7 a 2.8 29 28
128.9 131.2 132.5 a & 1.0 25 27 28
131.1 133.4 134.1 7 7 5 26 25 23
1304 | 1329 | 1336 5 3 5 23 25 25
1298 | 1308 | 1332 19 2 18 3.0 27 26
127.4 129.6 130.7 1.0 3 & 3.0 28 26
1263 | 1288 | 1298 cr) a 8 27 29 28
State and local government workers .....| 1287 | 1302 | 131.9 14 2 13 30 26 25
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations... 1286 | 1299 | 1318 16 2 15 3.0 26 25
Professional specialty and technical 128.4 129.5 131.6 17 3 16 27 25 25
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 129.1 131.0 132.0 1.3 2 8 3.5 28 22
‘Administrative suppor, including
clarical .. 128.4 | 1304 | 1318 12 3 1 28 28 26
Blue-collar occupations: 127.2 129.5 130.3 7 4 & 24 25 24
‘Service occupations .. 130.1 132.3 133.6 1.0 3 1.0 33 27 27
taa2 | 1303 | 1924 17 2 16 29 25 25
1289 | 1308 | 1319 2 4 8 32 24 23
131.0 133.1 134.0 3 5 7 3.0 25 23
131.1 133.2 134.2 a 5 8B 3.2 25 24
129.0 | 1300 | 1323 17 2 18 28 25 26
129.4 130.3 132.6 1.8 2 18 28 25 25
129.8 130.5, 132.6 19 2 16 28 24 22
Colleges and universities 128.0 129.9 132.5 15 4 2.0 28 3.0 35
Public administration 127.4 129.6 130.7 1.0 3 8 3.0 28 26

1 Includes mining, construction, and mani .

wufacturing. finance, insurance, and real estate; service industries; and public administration.
2 includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail

‘ormerty called hospitals and other services.



Table 4. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, private industry

workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995| June 1996 Sept. 1996
Workers, by bargaining status .

126.8 129.7 130.1 08 og 03 24 3.1 26

125.7 128.0 128.3 7 a 2 24 26 21

129.0 129.2 6 a 2 1.8 25 2.0

1303 | 131.0 1.0 1.0 5 32 37 33

1208 | 1298 4 8 0 14]. 25 24

1294 | 1295 3 2 a 14 24 24

129.2 129.9 1.0 a 5 29 34 29

128.7 | 1297 6 38 8 27 28 29

1273 | 1278 5S 8 ‘4 23 27 27

1294 | 1304 4 9 8 23 28 32

1203 | 1292 8 8 7 28 28 29

1905 | 131.7 3 2 2 27 28 3s

129.3 130.3 2 a 8 22 3.0 37

1280 | 1289 6 8 7 25 28 29

1207 | 1306 6 7 27 24 25

1278 | 1288 7 6 8 28 28 29

130.7 131.3, 6 3 5 25 3.0 28

1273 | 1283 4 m1 8 24 32 a6

Workers, by area size

126.2 129.1 130.0 6 3 7 27 3.0 3.0

Other areas ... 161 | 1280 | 1287 6 6 5 24 22 24

} includes mining, construction, and manufacturing
2 ineudes transporation, communication, and puble utes: wholesale and retail
‘agp nance, insurance, and real estat; and service industries.
coverage is as follows: Memento jonnoctt,
sesso New Hampshire, Naw Jareey, New Yor, Pennsyvaria tard,
/ermont; South—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georg, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oiahoma, South

Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest—illinois, indiana,
fowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West—Alaska, Arizona, Califomia, Colorado, Hawali,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

NOTE: The indexes for these series are not strictly comparable to those for the
‘aggregate, occupation, and industry series.


United States
Department
of Labor

Washington, D.C. 20212

‘News

Bureau of Labor Statistics

9

Technical contact: Wayne Shelly 202/606-6199 USDL: 96-449

Media contact: Kathryn Hoyle 202/606-5902 TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN
THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL

Intemet: http://stats.bls.gov/ecthome.htm 8:30 A.M. (EST), TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1996

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX -- SEPTEMBER 1996

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) increased 0.8 percent before seasonal adjustment in the three months
that ended September 1996, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The ECI
measures changes in compensation costs, which include wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee
benefits. The September 1996 ECI level of 130.2 was 2.8 percent higher than the level in September 1995.

Quarterly changes, seasonally adjusted

On a seasonally adjusted basis, compensation costs for civilian workers (private industry plus state and
local governments) rose 0.6 percent during the June-September 1996 period. The March-June 1996 increase
was 0.8 percent. Wages and salaries increased 0.6 percent from June to September, following gains of 0.9 and
1.0 percent in the second and first quarters of 1996. Benefit costs also increased 0.6 percent in September, about
the same as in June; in March, there was no change in benefit costs.

Table A. Percent changes in Employment Cost Index for civilian workers

Unadjusted
Seasonally adjusted 3-months ended 12-months
Compensation Dec. | Mar. June Sept Dec. [ Mar. June Sept. ended
component 1994 | 1995 1995 1995 1995 | 1996 1996 1996 | Sept. 1996
Compensation costs ....| 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.6 2.8
Wages and salaries ....| 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 1.0 0.9 0.6 3.2
Benefit costs ............. 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.0 0.7 0.6 1.8

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 0.6 percent during the June-September 1996
period. Over the past two years, compensation increases ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 percent in private industry.
Wages and salaries increased 0.6 percent in September; in June, the increase was 0.9 percent. The benefits cost
increase of 0.7 percent in September was the same as in June; in March, benefit costs declined 0.1 percent. (See
table 1.)


12

Table 6. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries only, private
industry workers, by industry and occupational group — Continued

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
1239 | 1280 | 1285 1.0 15 0.4 42 43 a7
123.7 127.6 128.9 7 1.0 1.0 34 38 42
120.5 123.1 124.4 8 2 WA 21 29 32
119.0 121.7 122.6 3 & 7 21 26 3.0
118.6 121.2 123.1 a & 1.6 1.0 34 38
118.0 121.9 122.2 a 18 2 37 42 3.6
Excluding sales occupations 120.1 124.5 126.0 7 a 1.2 33 36 40
Banking, savings and loan, and other
credit agencies 120.4 124.2 126.8 6 12 24 33 3.8 5.3
Insurance 121.1 124.1 125.4 2 4 1.0 29 27 3.6
Excluding sales occupations 1257 | 1286 | 1293 4 5 5 28 27 29
125.3 128.7 129.7 7 a 8 25 3.5 35
tae | 1277 | 1285 6 8 6 34 39 40
127.5 130.1 130.8 6 & 5 , 26 27 26
1266 | 1291 | 1297 6 5 5 22 25 24
- = = 8 6 4 3.0 28 28
128.6 130.4 133.3 24 2 22 3.0 3.6 37
1290 | 1909 | 1334 25 2 19 36 40 34
121.9 125.1 125.9 8 1.0 6 27 35 33
1231 | 1266 | 1276 8 10 8 28 37 37
124.4 127.8 129.2 7 7 11 26 35 3.9
119.4 122.0 122.4 8 a 3 2.6 3.0 25
1206 | 1227 | 1230 7 s 10 28 24 27

Industy and occupational coverage as the Hourly goas-producing industries has been discontinued due to insufficient sampla size.
Eamings index, which was discontinued in January 1989. Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retall
@ mining, construction, and , ‘rade; finance, Insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
3 Publication of ‘data for service occupations in manufacturing and other ~ Data not available.



Table 6. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTE!

industry workers, by industry and occupational group

"

D): Employment Cost index for wages and salaries only, private

Percent changes for

Indexes (June 1989=100)
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
‘Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
125.6 1265 07 1.0 07 28 34 3.3
125.7 126.8 7 8 r) 27 32 34
127.0 128.0 7 1.0 8 28 35 36
127.6 129.0 7 7 1 27 34 38
128.8 129.6 7 8 6 25 35 3.4
126.8 128.9 2 7 Ww 28 35 45
124.4 123.9 1.0 2.0 -4 34 43 28
1273 128.5 6 6 re) 28 34 34
. 123.7 124.3 6 1.0 5 28. 3.0 29
Precision production crf and repair 121.0 123.7 124.2 cc) 1 4 27 32 26
Machine operators, assemblers,

‘and inspectors .. 1245 125.4 4 3 7 29 3.0 33
‘Transportation and material moving 120.6 121.0 6 5 3 29 24 24
Handlers, equipment cleaners,

helpers, and laborers .. 125.1 1258 2 7 6] 34 32 35

123.0 1241 7 7 a 27 25 27
124.9 125.6 7 1.0 6 28 32 a1
125.1 126.1 6 1.0 8 27 3.0 33
124.6 1257 6 9 2 27 3.4 34
1273 128.6 5 cc) 1.0 27 28 34
126.3 127.7 6 8 1 28 34 37
123.7 1245 7 1 6 27 32 34
126.6 - 7 2 - 22 22 -
119.6 120.4 1.0 1 7 19 34 34
126.5 127.7 5 cc) 9 29 a4
128.2 129.6 5 a 14 28 34
127.0 128.4 6 8 14 34 3.6
125.4 1263 x 1.0 7 34 34
1257 - 7 5 - 24 -
126.5 127.7 6 14 2 29 3.3
126.5 1276 3 6 a 29 35
‘Service:producing industries 4 122.6 1258 126.7 8 a z 29 35 3.3
Excluding sales occupations 126.5 1276 7 7 3 27 33 34
126.8 1278 7 1.0 8 28 37 37
128.1 129.5 7 7 1 26 35 38
123.5 1238 7 7 2 31 27 22
122.8 124.0 8 7 1.0 29 25 27
125.0 1259 7 3 z 34 25 24
1232 123.8 10 2 5 37 28 23
127.4 128.4 6 5 10 34 24 26
126.5 1282 6 3 13 3.6 16 23
Electric, gas, and sanitary services 125.2 127.7 1285 6 6 6 27 27 26
Wholesale and retail trad 121.6 124.8 125.8 8 7 8 28 35 35
Excluding sales occupal 121.9 124.9 1265 8 4 13 27 33 3.8

‘See footnotes at end of table.



Table 3, COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, private industry
workers, by industry and occupational group — Continued

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series . 3 months ended 12 months ended
‘Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
: Sept. 1995] June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
126.1 1293 | 129.9 1.0 14 05 46 36 3.0
Excluding sales occupations 1262 | 1287 | 1300 3 1.0 1.0 4.0 29 3.0
Retail trade 1226 | 1248 | 1262 7 2 1 1.8 25 29
General merchandise stores .. 1210 | 1236 | 1266 2 1.0 8 1.9 24 3.0
Food stores .. 1218 | 1244°| 1270 9 6 24 12 34 43
Finance, insurance, and real estate 1227 | 1263 | 1267 a 14 3 35 37 33
Excluding sales Occupations... 1254 | 1285 | 129.7 6 8 rc) 32 3.4 34
jit 1248 | 1282 | 1903 6 1.0 16 33 33 44
1249 | 1282 | 1293 2 5 cc) 28 29 35
1296 | 1327 | 1334 5 5 5 29 29 29
1289 | 1317 132.7 5 8 8 24 27 29
1257 | 1292 | 1302 3 2 38 27 a1 36
1313 | 1335 | 1342 8 7 5. 27 25 22
1303 | 1328 | 1334 5 5 5 2.0 24 24
- - - S 1.0 2 29 34 28
1332 | 13948 | 1375 22 3 20 39 as 32
1346 | 1362 | 1386 25 2 18 47 37 3.0
125.5 1282 | 1204 z 8 7 26 29
1265 | 1295 | 1305 7 8 8 28 32
128.0 | 1308 | 1321 7 6 1.0 26 32
1235 | 1256 | 1259 8 8 2 25 19
1242 | 1260 | 1270 6 6 8 24 23

1 This series has the same industry and
Eappings Index, which was discontinued in January 1989.
5 (eludes mining, construction, and manutacturing,

3 Publication of

‘coverage as the Hourty

Gata for service ‘occupations, In manuiacuing and other

‘900,4s-producing industries has been discontinued due to Insufficient sample size.
Includes transportation, communication, and public utlities; wholesale and retail
‘rade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
‘Data not available.


Table 1, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED: Employment Cost Index for total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefit costs, by
Industry and occupational group

Indexes (June
sores 1989-100) Percent changes for 3-months ended
Jun. 1996 } Sep. 1996 | Dec. 1994 l Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Mar. 1996 | June 1996 | Sep. 1996
COMPENSATION
1292 | 1300 07 07 os 06 07 08 08 0.6.
1308 | 131.4 6 8 1.0 5 7 6 7 5
2a8 | 1296 8 7 z 6 a 7 8 8
129.9 | 131.0 6 7 7 7 7 9 8 2
1275 | 1280 5 5 7 8 6 6 8 4
1263 | 127.4 ry 6 6 5 s 3 6 6
1294 | 1303 8 a & 6 8 4 9 7
1252 | 1255 ) 2 $ 7 7 6 8 2
1302 | 1313 6 8 6 8 8 5 rr) 8
wiz | 1319 7 6 7 4 8. 2 13 5
1287 | 1302 5 4 6 8 10 7 8 12
1285 | 1204 6 2 a 7 6 8 8 7
1284 | 1292 rc) 14 8 1.0 rc) 5 6 6
1290 | 1299 9 14 rc) 13 9 4 1.0 7
1245 | 125.9 2 7 2 7 4 15 “2 W
1263 | 1267 3 14 13 7 3 rs] 14 3
1318 | 1326 6 8 7 5 5 38 re) 6
1282 | 1289 5 7 8 6 38 38 5
WAGES AND SALARIES
Civilian workers 1262 | 127.0 07 07 07 07 07 1.0 0.9 06
State and local goverment 1288 | 1296 8 7 7 8 6 8 6
Private industry workers 1256 | 1264 8 8 z 7 z 14 9 6
i 1270 | 1279 7 7 8B 7 7 12 2 7
123.7 | 1243 4 8 2 6 5 2 10 5
yaa | 124.4 1 5S 8 6 : 7 7 8
125.1 | 126.1 & 7 8 6 7 8 1.0 8
1196 | 1201 4 3 cs 6 rc) 9 8 ‘4
1265 | 127.7 7 2 8 ‘5 6 2 9 9
1265 | 127.7 8 2 8 6 8 6 cm) 2
1263 | 127.7 4 7 7 6 9 1.0 4 ut
Service-producing industries? | 1258 | 126.5 6 8 7 7 7 12 8 6
‘Transportation and public
1249 | 1259 8 14 z 8 8 5 3 8
1277 | 1286 7 12 190 13 1 8 190 7
t2z9 | 1240 3 9 3 7 5 20 +2 2
Finance, insurance, and real
estate 2 yaie | 1222 4 z 17 2 3 12 18 2
Services ... 1289 | 129.7 7 7 6 8 6 12 14 6
Nonmanutacturing industries ...) 125.1 | 125.7 5 7 8 7 7 WW 2 5

‘See footnotes at end of table.


15

Table 9. AEROSPACE (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for workers in aerospace manufacturing, by
Industry and occupation

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series : ‘3 months ended 12 months ended
‘Sept. 1995 June 1996 | Sept. 1996
: Sept. 1995] June 1996 | Sept 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
COMPENSATION
Aircraft manutacturing (SIC 3721) . 131.5 198.2 138.2 0.4 0.9 0.0 22 55 51
‘White-collar occupations 1278 | 1339 133.8 $s 1 oA 20 53 47
Blue-collar occupations 136.3 | 146.1 144.4 a 6 2 23 5.9 5.9
WAGES AND SALARIES
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) .. 127.4 | 1303 | 1306 07 10 0.2 27 3.0 25
White-collar occupations 122.7 | 1259 | 1261 cc) 15 2 24 35 28
Blue-collar occupations 134.1 136.4 | 137.0 4 2 4 3.0 24 22
BENEFIT COSTS
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 1405 | 1554 | 1548 02 08 04 13 10.2
White-collar occupations 1399 | 1529 152.1 “2 6 +5 14 87
Blue-collar occupations 1406 | 1584 | 158.4 -2 1 0 12 127

NOTE: SIC refers to the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification System code as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Buxiget.


7

For the series based on bargaining status, region, or area size, universe employment counts are not
available. Thus, the employment weights are reallocated within these series each quarter based on the current
ECI sample. The indexes for these series, consequently, are not strictly comparable to those for the aggregate,
industry, and occupation series. A fuller explanation of the calculation of index numbers appears in an article,
"Estimation procedures for the Employment Cost Index," in the May 1982 issue of the Monthly Labor Review.

Beginning with the March 1990 ECI release, indexes were rebased to June 1989=100. A description of
the rebasing is included in the article "Employment Cost Index Rebased to June 1989," in the April 1990 issue of

the Monthly Labor Review.

Beginning with the December 1990 ECI release, seasonally adjusted data are available for selected ECI
series. Seasonal adjustment removes the effects of events that follow a more or less regular pattern each year.
These adjustments make nonseasonal patterns easier to spot. ECI series are seasonally adjusted using either
direct or composite seasonally adjusted estimates. Industry and occupational series, such as construction and
service occupations, are adjusted directly. More aggregate series, such as civilian or private industry workers,
use composite estimates. The composite estimates could be obtained by aggregating either the industry or the
occupational components, and the results may differ depending on which method is used. The aggregate
seasonally adjusted ECI series are estimated by aggregating the component seasonally adjusted industry series, so
they are not necessarily a weighted average of the component occupation series.

The costs per hour worked of compensation components, based on March 1996 data from the ECI, are
published in a separate news release titled "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation - March 1996." A
description of the cost levels is provided in the article "Analyzing employers’ costs for wages, salaries, and
benefits" in the October 1987 issue of the Monthly Labor Review. The cost levels, which are published annually,
are calculated with current employment weights, rather than the fixed 1990 weights used in computing the ECI.
Therefore, year-to-year changes in the cost levels will usually differ from those in the ECI.

More detailed information on the ECI is available in several sources. These include an annual bulletin,
Employment Cost Indexes and Levels, 1975-95, (Bulletin 2466); a chapter in the BLS Handbook of Methods
(Bulletin 2414), "The Employment Cost Index;" and several articles published in the Monthly Labor Review.
The annual bulletin is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402, or Bureau of Labor Statistics, Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago,
Illinois 60690. Reprints of the articles plus other descriptive pieces and a complete historical listing are available
upon request. ECT historical data are also available on data diskettes.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice
phone: 202-606-7828, Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) phone: 202-606-5897, TDD Message
Referral Phone Number: 1-800-326-2577.


Wages & salaries Benefits

0 Nassiasdsstaabessdasaiumdeantaaleardssatandeastas
80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94

Chart B. Changes in benefits, seasonally
adjusted and not seasonally adjusted, private

tbicad

88

90 92 94

Chart C. Changes in benefits
_ by industry sector, private industry

Goods-producing Service-producing

J

82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96.

Union

Nonunion

88 90 92 94

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation Levels and Trends



2

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 0.5 percent in the June-September
period. Wages and salaries increased 0.6 percent; in June, the increase was 0.8 percent. Benefit costs were
unchanged from June to September compared to the 0.6 percent increase for the March-June period.

Over-the-year changes, unadjusted

Compensation costs for civilian workers (not seasonally adjusted) increased 2.8 percent for the year
ended September 1996, about the same as the increase during the 12-month period that ended September 1995.
(See table 2.) Compensation costs in private industry increased 2.9 percent; and state and local government rose
2.5 percent for the year that ended September 1996. (See table 3.)

For private industry, wages and salaries increased 3.3 percent for the 12-month period ended September
1996 compared with 2.8 percent for the September 1994-1995 period. (See table 6.) Benefit costs for private
industry workers increased 1.8 percent, compared with 1.7 percent for the September 1994-1995 period. (See
table 8.)

In private industry, over-the-year Compensation cost increases were 3.2 percent for white-collar workers,
2.4 percent for blue-collar workers, and 2.2 percent for service occupations. Among occupational groups,
increases ranged from 1.6 percent for transportation and material moving occupations to 3.7 percent for
executive, administrative, and managerial occupations. .

For the year ended September 1996, compensation cost gains in private industry were similar for goods-
producing and service-producing industries. For the year ended September 1995, however, compensation costs
increased more in service-producing than in goods-producing industries.

Over-the-year compensation cost increases in private industry were 2.9 percent for nonunion workers
and 2.6 percent for union workers. The pattern was similar for workers in goods-producing industries where
compensation costs increased 3.2 percent for nonunion workers and 2.0 percent for union workers. In service-
producing industries, the opposite was true with compensation cost increases of 2.9 percent for nonunion
workers and 3.3 percent for union workers. (See table 4.)

The ECI for December 1996 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, January 28, 1997, at 8:30 A.M. (EST).

BLS Data Now Available on the World Wide Web

ECI data, as well as other data produced by BLS, are now available on the World Wide Web. To access ECI
data use the address: http://stats.bis.gov/ecthome.htm. To access the BLS Home Page use:
http://stats.bls.gov. There is no charge from BLS for using this service; however, there may be a charge from
your Internet service provider. To access data using GOPHER or Anonymous FTP, use the Internet address:
stats.bls.gov. .

For technical assistance in using the BLS Internet site, send e-mail to: labstat.helpdesk@bls.gov. For ECI data
Tequests, send e-mail to: ocltinfo@bls.gov.



13

Table 7. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries only, private
industry workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size

Indexes (June 1989=100) . Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996 | Sept. 1995 | June 1996 | Sept. 1996
Workers, by bargaining status

Union... 1215 | 1242 | 1248 07 1 os 24 3.0 27

Blue-collar occupations 120.0 122.0 | 1228 8 9 7 23 24 23

‘Goods-producing industries 1 .... 120.2 1225 || 1232 8 1.0 6 23 27 25

Service-producing industries 2 1232 | 1262 | 1268 7 11 5 26 32 29

213 | 1239 | 1245 7 8 5 24 28 26

121.0 | 1235 | 1242 7 a 8 23 27 26

1216 | 1243 | 1249 8 1.2 5 25 34 27

122.6 125.9 | 1269 7 3 8 29 34 35

121.4 1247 | 1252 6 cc) 4 34 33 34

1229 | 1261 1273 6 1.0 1.0 28 32 3.6

122.4 125.7 | 1266 7 cc) 7 29 35 a4

1243 | 1275 | 1288 4 1.0 1.0 32 3.0 36

123.1 1267 | 1278 4 1.0 a 3.4 33 3.8

121.9 1252 | 1261 7 8 7 27 35 34

123.1 126.0 127.0 8 a 8 26 32 32

121.8 | 125.1 126.0 38 8 7 28 36 34

1230 | 1262 | 1269 7 3 6 29 33 32

121.4 1248 | 1258 4 12 8 28 32 36

Workers, by area size

Metropolitan areas 1224 | 1258 | 1267 7 1.0 7 28 a5 35

Other areas .. 122.1 1242 | 1250 7 6 6 3.0 24 24
1 includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. ‘Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest—ilinois, Indiana,
Z ‘cludes transportation, communication, and pubic utes; wholesale and retal _lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Miscou, Nobronte Neo Dakota, Ohio, South
: finance, insurance, and real estate; and service Industries. Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West—Alaska, ‘Arizona, Califomia, Colorado, Hawail,

The ‘regional coverage is as follows: Northeast Connecticut, Maine, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Maxico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
‘Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, , Rhode island, . -
and Vermont; South—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbla, Florda, NOTE: The indexes for these series are not sivitly comparable to those for the
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryfand, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South aggregate, occupation, and industry series.



16
EXPLANATORY NOTES

The Employment Cost Index (ECD) is a measure of the change in the cost of labor, free from the influence
of employment shifts among occupations and industries. The compensation series includes changes in wages and
salaries and employer costs for employee benefits. The wage and salary series and the benefit cost series provide
the change for the two components of compensation.

Wages and salaries are defined as the hourly straight-time wage rate or, for workers not paid on an hourly
basis, straight-time earnings divided by the corresponding hours. Straight-time wage and salary rates are total
earnings before payroll deductions, excluding premium pay for overtime and for work on weekends and holidays,
shift differentials, and nonproduction bonuses such as lump-sum payments provided in lieu of wage increases.
Production bonuses, incentive earnings, commission payments, and cost-of-living adjustments are included in
straight-time wage and salary rates.

Benefits covered by the ECI are: Paid leave (vacations, holidays, sick leave, and other leave);
supplemental pay (premium pay for overtime, shift differentials, and nonproduction bonuses such as lump-sum
payments provided in lieu of wage increases); insurance benefits (life, health, sickness and accident, and long-
term disability); retirement and savings benefits (defined benefit and defined contribution); legally required
benefits (social security, Federal and State unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, and other legally
required benefits such as State temporary disability); and other benefits (severance pay and supplemental
unemployment plans).

The ECI provides data for the civilian economy, which includes the total private economy and the public
sector--excluding farms, households, and the Federal government. The private industry series and the State and
local government series provide data for the two sectors separately.

Each quarter, straight-time average hourly wage and salary rates and benefit cost data (cents-per-hour-
worked) are collected from a probability sample of nearly 20,000 occupations within about 4,700 sample
establishments in private industry and nearly 4,500 occupations within about 900 sample establishments in State
and local governments. Data are collected for the pay period including the 12th day of the survey months of
March, June, September, and December. .

The sample establishments are classified in industry categories based on the 1987 Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC), as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Within an establishment, specific job categories are selected to represent broader occupational definitions.
From June 1986 through December 1994, the jobs were classified according to definitions used in the 1980
Census. Prior to June 1986, they were classified according to the 1970 Census. Differences between the two
classification systems are slight, as indicated in the article "Introducing new weights for the Employment Cost
Index," in the June 1985 issue of the Monthly Labor Review. Beginning with March 1995, the jobs are classified
according to the 1990 Census, which differs little from the 1980 Census.

Fixed employment weights are used each quarter to calculate the most aggregate indexes--civilian,
private, and State and local governments. These fixed weights are also used to derive all of the industry and
occupation series indexes. Beginning in March 1995, 1990 employment counts primarily from the Bureau's
Occupational Employment Survey were used. A description of the reweighting is included in an article
"Introducing 1990 Weights for the Employment Cost Index," that was published in the June 1995 issue of
Compensation and Working Conditions and that is available upon request. From June 1986 through December
1994, employment counts from the 1980 Census were used as weights. Prior to June 1986, employment counts
from the 1970 Census were used.