16
EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Employment Cost Index (ECT) 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,
and sickness and accident); retirement and savings benefits (pension and other retirement plans and
savings and thrift plans); legally required benefits (social security, railroad retirement and
supplemental retirement, railroad unemployment insurance, 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 22,000 occupations
within over 4,200 sample establishments in private industry and nearly 6,000 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,"

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


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

Indexes (June
Percent changes for 3-months ended
Series 1989=100)
Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | Sep. 1993 | Dec. 1993 | Mar. 1994 | June 1994 | Sep. 1994 | Dec. 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
BENEFIT COSTS
Civilian workers... 133.4 134.4 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 07 0.2 0.7
State and local goverment ....... 131.4 133.0 3 a) 8 12 4 4 6 1.4
Private industry workers ... 134.0 134.7 9 Ww a 1.0 1.0 8 A 5
White-collar occupations 134.7 135.8 9 V1 1.4 Ww Ww 9 5 8
Blue-collar occupations 133.0 133.4 9 V1 5 8 2 5 +2 3
Service occupations ... 134.7 135.6 a) 1.0 6 4 8&8 6 72 7
Goods-producing industries 1 135.4 135.5 9 1.0 8 1.0 a 8 +3 a
Manufacturing .... 134.7 134.9 Ww 1.0 2 11 a) 1.0 74 a
Service-producing industries 2 132.8 134.1 1.0 1.2 1.0 a) 1.2 6 & 1.0
Nonmanufacturing industries ....] 133.5 134.6 1.0 Ani 1.3 9 Wt 5 5 8

1 includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.

2 ‘Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail

finance, insurance, and real estate; and service Industries.

Je;
ie: No identifiable seasonality was found for this series.


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
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995

June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
Wholesale trade ..... 118.3 120.9 122.7 18 0.8 15 28 4.0 3.7
Excluding sales occupations 118.8 122.2 122.9 8 17 6 29 3.7 3.5
Retail trade ..... 117.0 118.7 119.6 1.6 & 8 28 3.0 2.2
General merchandise stores . 116.4 117.9 118.6 24 3 6 2.6 3.4 19
Food stores....... 117.8 117.8 117.6 7 4 2 24 7 2
Finance, insurance, and rea! estate 113.2 115.0 117.0 4 7 WwW 3.6 14 3.4
Excluding sales occupations .. 116.0 119.3 120.2 4 16 8 26 33 3.6

Banking, savings and loan, and

credit agencies 115.0 119.2 119.7 3 26 4 1.9 3.9 44
INSUrANCE esses 116.8 119.8 120.8 7 1.0 8 35 3.3 3.4
Excluding sales occupations 121.4 123.8 125.2 7 9 14 3.2 27 3.1
Services .... 121.3 123.9 124.4 4 7 4 34 26 26
Business services 119.4 122.4 122.9 5 14 7 42 28 29
Health services 123.5 126.2 126.7 3 & 4 23 25 2.6
Hospitals .... 123.3 125.4 125.9 4 5 4 28 24 24
Nursing homes .. - - - & 11 8 3.9 33 3.4
Educational services 122.2 125.6 125.9 8 4 2 44 3.6 3.0
Colleges and universities 122.2 125.5 125.9 2 5 3 3.8 29 3.0
Nonmanufacturing industries 117.7 120.0 120.9 8 8 8 34 27 27
White-collar occupations . 118.9 121.4 122.1 8 7 8 3.2 27 27
Excluding sales 120.2 122.9 123.5 7 x) 5 34 29 27
Blue-collar occupations 115.4 117.5 118.5 8 x) 9 29 29 3.0
Service occupations .. 116.7 119.2 119.8 3 5 5 2.3 25 27

1 This series has the same industry and occupational coverage as the Hourly Includes transportation, communication, and public utlties; wholesale and retail

Eampings Index, which was discontinued in January 1989. trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service Industries.

Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. ~ Data not available,


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
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
dune 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
Private industry workers. .......... 122.0 124.5 125.4 0.8 08 07 3.4 29 2.8
Excluding sales ... 122.3 125.0 125.7 7 9 6 3.2 3.0 28
White-collar occupations 122.5 125.3 126.2 8 1.0 7 3.6 3.1 3.0
Excluding sales ... 123.3 126.3 127.0 7 1.0 6 3.4 3.2 3.0
Professional specialty and technical .. 125.3 127.7 128.4 6 7 5 3.3 25 25
121.3 124.9 125.4 8 13 4 35 3.8 3.4
Sales .. essen 118.8 120.2 122.4 14 5 1.8 44 26 3.0
Administrative support, including clerical 123.5 126.5 127.3 8 Wd. 6 3.6 3.3 34
Blue-collar occupations 121.2 123.5 124.4 7 7 7 3.0 27 26
Precision production, craft, 121.2 123.4 124.4 8 7 8 34 27 2.6
Machine operators, assemblers,
and inspectors .. 122.2 124.2 124.8 7 6 5 27 24 24
Transportation and material moving .. 119.1 121.8 122.4 5 1.0 5 3.4 28 28
Handiers, equipment cleaners,
helpers, and laborers ... 121.4 124.1 125.3 1.0 1.0 1.0 32 32 3.2
Service occupations .. 121.0 123.4 124.0 3 4 5 25 23 25
Production and nonsupervisory
occupations * ... 121.6 124.1 125.0 7 8 7 34 28 28
Goods-producing industries 2 123.0 125.3 125.9 1.0 8 5 3.3 29 24
Excluding sales occupations 122.5 124.9 125.6 a) 7 6 3.1 29 25
White-collar occupations 124.3 127.2 127.6 V1 1.0 3 3.9 34 27
Excluding sales .. 123.2 126.2 126.7 11 1.0 4 35 35 28
Blue-collar occupations 122.2 124.1 124.9 a 6 6 29 25 22
Service occupations 123.8 127.3 127.9 2 8 5 27 34 3.3
Construction ... 120.2 120.1 122.0 1.3 2 7 3.6 24 15
Manufacturing ........ 123.5 126.2 126.9 8 eS) 6 3.2 3.0 28
White-collar occupations .. 123.9 127.4 128.0 1.0 Ww 5 35 3.8 3.3
Excluding sales 122.5 126.1 126.6 1.0 1.0 A 3.1 40 3.3
Blue-collar occupations 123.2 125.3 126.0 7 & 6 3.0 2.5 2.3
Service occupations 124.1 128.0 128.6 2 8 5 2.8 3.4 3.6
Durables 123.8 127.0 127.7 7 1.0 6 32 3.3 3.2
Nondura! 122.8 124.7 125.4 3 7 & 32 25 24
Service-producing industries 3 121.2 123.9 124.9 7 a 8 3.3 29 3.4
Excluding sales occupations 122.1 125.0 125.8 6 1.0 & 3.2 3.0 3.0
White-collar occupations. oe 121.9 124.6 125.6 7 1.0 8 35 3.0 3.0
Excluding sales .. 123.4 126.4 127.1 6 1.0 6 34 3.0 3.0
Blue-collar occupations .. 119.1 122.1 123.1 6 1.2 8 3.1 3.1 3.4
Service occupations ... 120.7 123.0 123.6 4 4 5 25 23 24
119.8 124.0 124.7 5 1.6 6 3.3 40 41
117.7 122.3 123.0 5 17 6 3.2 44 45
122.6 126.1 126.8 7 1.4 6 3.6 3.6 3.4
122.1 126.3 126.6 3 1.9 2 3.9 44 3.7
123.2 125.9 127.0 4 a 9 3.2 26 34
Wholesale and retail trade 119.4 121.7 122.8 15 a x) 3.0 3.5 28
Excluding sales occupations .. 119.8 122.4 123.1 1.0 1.2 & 34 3.2 28

See footnotes at end of table.


Table 2. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED): Employment Cost Index for total compensation, 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
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
122.1 124.8 125.6 0.7 0.8 0.6 3.2 29 29
122.4 125.2 125.9 7 8 6 31 3.0 29
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations 122.6 125.5 126.3 7 5) 6 34 3.0 3.0
Excluding sales ... | 123.2 126.3 126.9 7 1.0 5 3.3 32 3.0
Professional specialty and technical...) 124.2 127.0 127.5 4 6 4 3.0 27 27
Executive, administrative, and
managerial . 121.6 125.2 125.7 8 13 4 3.5 38 3.4
Administrative support, including
clerical 123.5 126.5 127.3 7 1.0 & 3.5 3.2 34
Blue-collar occup: . 121.3 123.6 124.5 7 7 7 3.0 27 2.6
Service occupations .... 122.4 125.0 125.8 4 & 6 29 28 3.0
Workers, by industry division
Goods-producing ' . 123.0 125.3 126.0 9 7 6 3.3 28 24
Manufacturing .... 123.5 126.2 126.9 8 9 6 3.2 3.0 28
Service-producing 2 snsceneccne 121.7 124.6 125.5 & 8 7 3.4 3.0 34
. 124.2 127.2 127.8 3 6 5 3.0 27 29
-| 126.6 129.4 130.2 A 7 6 28 26 28
| 126.4 128.8 129.7 4 3 7 3.1 23 26
.| 123.6 126.9 127.4 3 4 4 28 3.0 34
Public administration 122.2 125.4 126.1 6 1.0 6 3.6 3.2 32
Nonmanufacturing ... 121.7 124.4 125.2 7 8 6 3.2 29 29
State and local government workers ......) 123.1 126.4 126.9 4 6 4 29 34 341
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations .... ~| 122.9 126.2 126.6 2 6 3 28 29 3.0
Professional specialty and technical...) 122.7 126.0 126.3 2 4 2 25 29 29
Executive, administrative, and
managerial .. 123.4 126.9 127.4 5 13 A 3.5 3.3 3.2
Administrative support, including
clerical .... 123.3 126.3 126.9 5 6 5 34 29 29
Blue-collar occupations... 122.7 125.4 126.3 3 6 7 3.4 25 29
Service occupations 123.9 127.6 128.8 6 8 9 3.5 3.7 4.0
Workers, by industry division
Services .. 123.4 126.7 127.1 2 5 3 27 29 3.0
Excluding schools 3 123.3 126.4 127.7 4 6 1.0 28 29 3.6
Health services .. 125.2 128.4 129.8 8 5 ww 3.7 3.4 3.7
Hospitals ... 124.5 128.4 129.9 6 5 12 3.4 3.8 43
Educational services 123.1 126.5 126.8 2 4 2 25 29 3.0
Schools 123.4 126.8 127.1 2 4 2 26 29 3.0
Elemer ry 123.8 127.1 127.4 a 5 2 25 27 29
Colleges and universities 122.0 126.0 126.1 4 4 a 3.0 37 3.4
Public administration ...... 122.2 125.4 126.1 6 1.0 6 3.6 3.2 3.2
1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. trage; finance, insurance, and real estate; service industries; and public administration.

Includes traneporation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail Formerly called hospitals and other services.


Table 4. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADuuSTI ED): 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
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
dune 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
Workers, by bargaining status
123.0 125.1 125.8 0.9 07 06 3.3 26 23
122.4 124.0 124.8 1.0 5 6 3.4 23 2.0
Goods-producing industries 1 1 123.8 125.2 125.9 Ww 4 6 3.2 22 17
Service-producing industries 2 121.8 124.8 125.6 7 1.0 6 35 34 a4
124.8 126.3 126.6 1.0 4 2 34 22 14
124.6 126.1 126.4 a 4 2 3.0 24 14
121.5 124.0 125.0 8 8 8 3.5 2.9 29
121.7 124.3 125.2 8 9 7 3.4 3.0 29
. 120.4 123.0 123.9 7 B) 7 3.0 2.8 29
Goods-producing industries 1 .. 122.6 125.2 125.9 a 8 6 3.4 3.0 27
Service-producing industries 2 1214 123.8 124.8 7 & 8 3.3 29 34
Manufacturing ....... 122.9 126.1 126.9 7 1.0 & 3.3 34 3.3
Blue-collar occupations 121.9 124.5, 125.5 & 8 8 3.0 27 3.0
Nonmanufacturing ..... 121.1 123.6 124.5 7 B) 7 3.3 28 28
Workers, by region 3
Northeast 122.8 125.6 126.6 1.0 1.0 8 3.1 3.3 3.4
South .. 120.8 123.7 124.3 7 1.0 5 3.2 34 29
Midwest 123.6 125.8 126.9 7 6 9 3.6 24 27
West ... 120.5 122.6 123.4 a 7 7 35 27 24
Workers, by area size
Metropolitan areas 121.9 124.5 125.4 8 3 7 3.2 3.0 29
Other areas 122.5 124.8 125.3 1.0 Ww 4 4.0 29 23

4 includes mining, construction, and ‘manufacturing,

Includes transportation, communication, and

Public utilities; wholesale and retail

rage: finance, insurance, and real estate; and ‘service industries.

The regional coverage is as’ follows:

Northeast—Connecticut, Maine,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsyivania, Rhode Island,
and Vermont; South—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North ‘Carolina, Oklahoma, South

Carolina, Tennessea, Texas,
fowa, Kansas, Michigan, Min

Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest—itlinois, indiana,
inesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South

Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West—Alaska, Arizona, Califomia, Colorado, Hawaii,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and ‘Wyoming.

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


United States
News == ©
of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

Technical, historical contact: USDL: 95-277
Wayne Shelly 202/606-6199
TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN
Media contact: THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Kathryn Hoyle 202/606-5902 8:30 A.M. (EDT), TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1995

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX --JUNE 1995

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) increased 0.6 percent before seasonal adjustment in the 3 months
ended in June 1995, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The June 1995
ECI level of 125.6 (June 1989=100) was 2.9 percent higher than in June 1994. The ECI measures changes in
compensation costs, including wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee benefits.

arterly changes, seasonally adjusted

On a seasonally adjusted basis, ECI compensation costs rose 0.7 percent in the March-June 1995 period,
about the same as the 0.6 percent gain in the December 1994-March 1995 period. (See table A below.) ECI
wages and salaries also rose 0.7 percent in the March-June 1995 period, about the same as the 0.8 percent
increase for the December 1994-March 1995 period. Benefit costs rose 0.7 percent, up from 0.2 percent in
December 1994-March 1995, but in line with increases over the past several years.

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

Unadjusted
Compensation Seasonally adjusted 3-months ended 12-months
component Sep. Dec. | Mar. June Sep. Dec. | Mar. June ended
19931993 | 1994 1994 1994 1994 | 1995 1995 June 1995
Compensation costs... | 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.8 08 0.7 0.6 0.7 29
Wages and salaries ... 0.8 0.7 0.7 08 0.8 0.6 0.8 0.7 3.0
Benefit costs. : 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.2 0.7 27

QOver-the-year changes, uhadjusted

Compensation costs for civilian workers (not seasonally adjusted) increased 2.9 percent for the year
ended in June 1995, the same as for the year ended in March 1995. This stability in the rate of compensation
cost gain in the two time periods was found for both state and local governments and private industry.

For private industry workers, compensation costs rose 2.8 percent for the year ended in June 1995,
about the same as the gain for the year ended in March. Wage and salary increases for the year ended in June
1995 were the same as for the year ended in March (2.9 percent). A moderation in benefit cost gains (2.6


14

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 3 months ended 12 months ended
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995,
June 1984 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
131.0 133.8 134.5, 07 1.0 05 3.8 28 27
State and local goverment workers . 128.5 131.1 132.2 5 5 & 3.2 25 29
Private industry workers ......... 131.7 134.5, 135.1 8 WW 4 3.9 29 26
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations 131.6 135.2 136.0 8 1.4 6 45 3.6 3.3
Blue-collar occupations 131.5 133.3 133.6 8 6 2 3.3 24 1.6
‘Service occupations ... 133.1 135.0 135.6 2 2 A 29 1.6 19
Workers, by industry division
* Goods-producing industries 1 133.9 135.9 135.9 3a 8 0 3.8 24 15
‘Service-producing industries 2 129.7 133.2 134.1 & 13 7 41 3.3 34
133.0 135.4 135.2" 8 8 A 3.4 26 17
130.8 133.9 134.7 7 12 A) 42 34 3.0
Workers, by bargaining status
Union workers ..... 132.9 134.8 135.5, 8 8 5 34 22 2.0
Nonunion workers 131.1 134.2 134.8 8 Ww 4 41 3.2 28
2 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. NOTE: The indexes for these series are not strictly comparable to those for the

Includes transportation, communication, and public utilties; wholesale and retall aggregate, occupation, and industry series,
trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.


Table 7, WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED):

industry workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size

Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries only, private

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 } June 1995
Workers, by bargaining status
Union ... 117.6 119.8 120.6 0.9 06 07 3.2 28 26
Blue-collar occupations 116.2 118.2 119.1 1.0 5 8 3.0 27 25
Goods-producing industries 1 116.7 118.4 119.3 WwW 4 8 3.3 26 22
Service-producing industries 2 118.7 121.6 122.3 6 8 6 34 3.1 3.0
Manufacturing ... 117.8 119.8 120.5 1.0 5 6 3.4 27 23
Blue-collar occupations . 117.6 119.5 120.2 1.0 5 6 3.3 27 22
Nonmanutfacturing .......... 117.3 119.8 120.6 8 7 7 3.0 29 28
Nonunion ..... 118.3 120.8 121.8 8 8 8 3.0 29 3.0
Blue-collar occupations: 116.7 119.5 120.7 7 1.0 1.0 27 34 34
Goods-producing industries 1 118.6 121.3 122.2 9 8 7 3.0 3.4 3.0
Service-producing industries 2 118.1 120.5 121.5 8 8 8 3.4 28 29
Manufacturing . 119.5 122.7 123.8 8 1.0 9 29 3.5 3.6
Blue-collar occupations 118.1 121.2 122.6 5 1.0 1.2 25 34 3.8
Nonmanufacturing ....... 117.8 120.0 121.0 8 8 8 34 27 27
Workers, by region 3
118.8 121.3 122.1 8 a) 7 27 3.0 28
117.4 120.0 120.8 7 8 7 27 29 29
118.3 120.9 122.2 7 7 At 3.2 29 33
117.9 119.9 120.9 41 8 8 3.7 28 25
Workers, by area size
Metropolitan areas 118.1 120.6 121.6 8 8 8 3.0 29 3.0
Other areas 118.1 120.5 121.3 9 13 7 3.2 3.0 27

1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.
2 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail
trade: finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.

‘The regional coverage is as follows: Northeast—Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
and Vermont; South—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South

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

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


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
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995,
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
Wholesale trade ... 119.7 123.2 124.8 15 1.4 1.3 28 45 43
120.3 124.4 125.1 8 2.0 6 3.0 43 40
119.2 120.9 121.8 1.4 7 a 3.4 29 22
118.0 120.1 120.7 2.3 7 5 29 42 23
120.6 120.8 120.7 8 7 ot 29 1.0 A
Finance, insurance, and real estate 117.7 120.2 121.8 0 WwW 13 41 24 3.5
Excluding sales occupations .... 120.3 123.7 124.6 5 1.6 7 3.4 33 3.6
Banking, savings and loan, and other

credit agencies 119.4 123.5 124.1 6 25 5 29 4.0 3.9
Insurance ... 120.5 123.5, 124.6 5 1.0 9 38 3.0 3.4
Excluding sales occupation: 125.0 127.6 129.0 5 9 Ww 3.6 26 3.2
Services .. 124.9 127.5 128.2 4 7 5 3.3 25 26
Business services 122.1 124.5 125.3 7 1.2 & 4.0 26 2.6
Health services 127.1 129.7 130.3 3 8 5 25 24 25
Hospitals .. 127.1 128.9 129.7 3 2 6 3.0 17. 2.0
Nursing homes - - - & Wd 7 3.9 3.4 3.0
Educational services .... 125.4 128.8 130.3 7 3 12 4.0 35 3.9
‘Colleges and universities ... 126.0 129.3 131.3 2 4 15 3.7 29 42
Nonmanufacturing industries 121.2 123.7 124.6 7 e:) a 3.4 28 28
White-collar occupations 122.1 124.7 125.6 8 1.0 7 3.6 3.0 29
Excluding sales .... 123.6 126.4 127.4 7 1.0 6 3.5 29 28
Blue-collar occupations 119.1 121.5 122.5 8 8 & 3.0 28 29
Service occupations ... 120.7 123.0 123.5 4 5 4 25 23 23

1. This series has the same industry and occupational coverage as the Hourly 3 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail

Earpings Index, which was discontinued in January 1989. trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.

Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. ~ 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
series 1989=100) Percent changes for 3-months ended
Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | Sep. 1993 | Dec. 1993 | Mar. 1994 | June 1994 | Sep. 1994 | Dec. 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
COMPENSATION

Civilian workers ...... 124.6 125.5 08 0.8 0.7 08 08 0.7 0.6 07
State and focal government........ 126.3 127.5 5 a7 a 8 & 6 a7 1.0
Private industry workers .. 124.3 125.2 8 8 8 8 8 7 6 7

White-collar cceupations: E 126.2 39 3 8 a 7 7 7 8
124.3 x) 8 5 7 9 6 4 7
124.1 7 6 8 5 7 9 2 6
125.8 8 8 7 1.0 8 6 5 6
121.8 7 2 1.6 11 1.0 A a 5
126.9 8 8 6 a 9 7 5 7
127.7 8 a) 5 a Ww 7 6 7
125.2 8 7 7 ) 6 6 3 6
124.8 9 38 7 7 8 7 7 8
124.7 7 a) Va 5 13 9 1 7
124.5 5 a) 3 WW 1.2 5 1.6 x)
121.5 6 9 7 a 1 a 7 2
121.8 23 6 Ww 0 7 3 Ww 1.3
128.4 a 8 8 7 & 7 5 9
‘Nonmanufacturing industries ...| 123.6 124.6 9 8 8 8 8 5 8&8
WAGES AND SALARIES.

Civilian workers ........ someones! 121.3 122.2 0.8 07 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.8 0.7
State and local government ........) 124.4 125.3 5 7 8 7 7 8 1.0 7
Private industry workers .. 120.6 121.5 9 7 8 a 7 6 7 7

White-collar occupations 121.7 122.7 1.0 3 6 8 7 7 7 &

Blue-collar occupations 119.0 120.1 8 6 a7 8 9 4 8 a

Service occupations .. 119.4 120.1 5 4 39 5 & 1.0 5 6

Goods-producing industries 1.3 120.4 121.4 7 7 7 a) 8 6 7 8

Construction... 115.0 115.5 6 3 1.0 1.0 7 5 a A

121.9 122.9 7 39 6 8 8 7 a) 8

121.9 122.9 7 WW 5 8 9 8 a 8

121.9 122.7 6 7 4 a) 9 5 7 7

Service-producing industries 2 120.8 121.6 1.0 8 6 7 8 5 a) 7
Transportation and public

121.2 122.0 6 & 8 7 14 8 13 7

121.3 122.3 3 1.0 a 1.2 cl) 7 1.3 8

119.1 119.3 6 3 3 1.0 9 3 B) 2

115.0 117.0 27 5 7 +4 5 4 7 AZ

123.8 124.6 8 7 9 a7 5 7 7 6

Nonmanufacturing industries ...) 120.0 120.9 1.0 7 6 8&8 8 5 7 8

See footnotes at end of table.


17

1980 Census were used as weights. Prior to June 1986, employment counts from the 1970 Census
were used.

For the series based on bargaining status, region, or area size, employment data are not
available from the Census. 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 1995 data from
the ECI, are published in a separate news release titled "Employer Costs for Employee
Compensation - March 1995." 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 in mid-June, are calculated with current
employment weights, rather than the fixed 1980 Census 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, 1975-94, (Bulletin 2447); 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.


3

Employment Cost Index

Chart A. Changes in wages and salaries and
benefit costs, private industry

[ Wages & salaries Benefits
! _ ~
i

12-month percent change

4 }
Po
w- i*

Chart B. Changes in compensation, seasonally
adjusted and not seasonally adjusted,
private industry

Seasonally adjusted Not seasonally adjusted
_ _ |

3-month percent change
3.5

87 89 91 93 95

83 87

Chart C. Changes in wages and salaries, for all
workers and health services workers, private industry

| All workers Health services

12-month percent change

Jocebiotborsiviit

| Chart D. Changes in compensation for all workers

and health services workers, private industry
All workers Health services

12-month percent change

95

teu
81 83 85 87 89 91 93

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Employment Cost Trends, July 1995, 202/606-6199



2

percent, down from 2.9 percent ) reflected a continuing slowdown in the rate of increase in health, workers’
compensation, and state unemployment insurance costs. The 2.6 percent increase was the lowest since this
series began in 1980.

For the year ended in June 1995, compensation cost increases in private industry were higher for service-
producing industries than for goods-producing industries (3.1 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively). Among
the service-producing industries, the gains ranged from 0.1 percent in food stores to 4.5 percent in
transportation. In the goods-producing industries, the gains ranged from 1.5 percent in construction to 3.2
percent in durable goods manufacturing. (See table 3.)

Compensation cost increases in private industry were higher for white-collar occupations (3.0 percent)
than for blue-collar (2.6 percent) or service occupations (2.5 percent). White-collar gains ranged from 2.5
percent for professional, specialty, and technical occupations to 3.4 percent for executive, administrative, and
managerial occupations. Blue-collar gains ranged from 2.1 percent for machine operators, assemblers, and
inspectors to 3.2 percent for handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers.

Compensation cost gains over the year ended in June 1995 were higher for nonunion workers (2.9
percent) than for union workers (2.3 percent). Goods- and service-producing industries showed different
patterns, however. For goods-producing industries, compensation costs rose 2.7 for nonunion workers and 1.7
percent for union workers. Corresponding figures for service-producing industries were both 3.1 percent.

BLS Data Now Available on the INTERNET

LABSTAT, the Bureau of Labor Statistics public database, provides current and historical data for
many surveys as well as numerous news releases. LABSTAT on the Internet is composed of individual
databases (in flat file format) corresponding to each of the surveys. Internet users should use
Anonymous FTP to access BLS data: stats.bls.gov. Non-Interet users should use the limited dial-in
service through a Bulletin Board Service to access BLS data; phone number (202)606-7060.

The Employment Cost Index and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation are identified by the
two-character survey name EC.

For each news release published by the BLS, the two most current issues are stored in the
pub/news.release directory.

If you have questions or comments regarding the LABSTAT system on the Internet, address e-mail to
labstat.helpdesk@bls.gov.

ECI data for September 1995 will be released on Tuesday, October 31, 1995, at 8:30 A.M. (EDT).


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
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995
June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | June 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995

COMPENSATION
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 127.1 130.6 131.0 0.7 Ww 0.3 24 35 31
White-collar occupations ..... 123.8 126.7 127.2 9 ww 4 24 3.3 27
Blue-collar occupations ... 131.5 135.7 136.1 5 11 3 18 3.7 3.5

WAGES AND SALARIES

Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 123.3 125.7 126.5 0.7 07 0.6 3.8 27 26
White-collar occupations 119.1 121.0 121.6 8 7 5 3.4 25 21
Blue-collar occupations 129.4 132.7 133.6 5 8 7 43 3.1 3.2

|ENEFIT COSTS
135.3 141.0 140.8 07 1.9 0.1 12 49 41
134.7 140.1 140.2 9 2.0 A 5 49 44
135.6 141.6 140.9 4 Ww 5 24 49 39

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