Table 16. SPECIAL INDUSTRIES: Employer costs for employee compensation, and costs'as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Benefit costs
5 Totat ‘Wages
series compen- | and Retirement] Legally
Supple- A Other
‘sation | salaries i and | required or,
Total | Paid leave | mental pay| Insurance | Sima, | Saheis. | benefits
- Cost per hour worked
‘Transportation equipment manufacturing (SIC 37)... $31.37 |‘ $18.07 | $13.29 $2.60 $1.58 $3.67 $2.14 $2.87 $0.43
‘White-collar occupations 9294 | 2202 | 10.92 3.03 78 3.08 1.36 259 08
Professional specialty and technical 3427 | zeta] 1114 3.18 64 3.10 1.40 275 ‘97
Executive, administrative, managerial sac4 | 2780] 12:14 3.85 63 3.41 129 291 05
Blue-coltar occupations .. 30.70} 1640] 1430 2.42 1.93 3.92 247 2.99 $8
Service occupations 30.61 16.22 14,39 2.30 177 4.24 2,56 272 79
Aireraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) .... 306s | 2028] 10.8 272 89 2.83 1.98 2.53 03
White-coltar occupations size | 2152 | 10.26 2.98 a 278 1,82 2.48 04
Blue-collas occupations 2a06 | 1847 | 1059 232 157 2.88 419 2.60 ‘02
Public utilities (SIC’s 48, 49) 2681] 17.97 ass 247 79 2.99 28 1.96 4
‘White-collar occupations 26.55 18.23 833 2.47 72 2.35 (85 1.89 05
Blue-collar occupations 27.12 | 18.00 943 255 93 2.53 ‘28 242 02
Communications (SIC 48) .. saa | 1728 8.10 236 85 2.34 68 1.83 05
\White-collar occupations 2503 | 1720 7.83 225 84 226 65 178 .05
Blue-coliar occupations 27.27 18.13 814 273 84 2.68 7 1.99 03
Electric, gas, and sanitary services (SIC 49) 2a.1s | 18.99 9.20 2.65 70 2.46 421 2.45 03
White-cottar occupations 29st | 20.49 9.43 297 4? 2.54 1.28 2tt 05
Blue-collar occupations 27.00 | 17.88 912. 2.40 82 2.40 116 222 | (2)
Percent of total compensation
‘Transportation equipment manufacturing (SIC 37) 57.6% | 424%] 83%] 50%] 1.7%] 88% | 9.1% | 14%
‘White-collar occupations 66.8 33.2 92 24 93 41 78 2
Professional specialty ani 100.0 675 325 93 19 90 4A 80 2
Executive, administrative, managerial 100.0 696 30.4 97 16 85 32 73 a
Blue-collar occupations 100.0 53.4 46.6 79 63 128 a0 97 13
Setvice occupations 100.0 53.0 47.0 78 58 138 84 | .89 26
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) ..... 66.2 338 89 29 92 48 82 a
White-collar occupations 677 22.3 o4 15 88 48 78 a
Biue-cotlar occupations 63.6 96.4 80 54 99 at 90 a
Public utilities (SiC’s 48, 49) .. 100.0 67.8 92.2 93 ao | 90 34 74 a
‘White-collar occupations 68.6 314 93 27 as 32 74 2
Blue-collar occupations 66.3 337 94 34 93 36 738 a
Communications (SIC 48) 68.1 319 93 a4 92 27 72 2
White-collar occupations 68.7 31g 90 33 20 26 7A 2
Blue-collar occupations 66.5 335 10.0 34 98 28 73 1
Electric, gas, and sanitary services (SIC 49) .... 100.0 67.4 926 94 25 87 43 76 a
White-collar occupations 685 315 99 16 85 43 7A 2
Blue-collar occupations 100.0 66.2 33.8 89 34 a9 43 a2 (?)

1 includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.

2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.

NOTE: SIC refers to the 1987 Standard industrial Classification System code as

defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.



14
Table 10. PRIVATE INDUSTRY BY- OCCUPATIONAL AND INDUSTRY CATEGORIES: Employer costs per hour worked for employee
compensation, and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995
Benefit costs
Total | Wages
Series compen- | and su Retirement] Legally | ine,
" ; ipple- he - r
sation} salaries | toiat | Paid leave | mental pay] Insurance savings | tobemng | benefits!
Cost per hour worked
All workers in private industry .. i225 { $405 | 109 |*=g047 | sits | sose | siss $0.03
|
Occupational group :
White-collar occupations. 2050 | 1498 5.53 4.45 52 1.29 81 1.62 03
Professional specialty and technical 28.19 | 2065 754 210 63 187 co] 217 05
“Professional .. 2995 | 22.04 731 222 68 171 96 2.27 08
Technical 23.76 17.15 6.60 4.78 50 1.57 79 1.92 04
Executive, administrative, managerial 32.43 | 23.36 9.06 267 col 173 1.12 237 06
Sales occupations .. 1363 | 1047 3.16 63 34 71 28 122 | (2)
Adenin istrative support including clerical 1464 | 1047 417 1.02 30 122 42 120 02
Biue-cottar occupations 1669 | 11.28 B42 4 60 1.94 60 1.90 04
Precision production, 2170 | 14.72 698 128 72 1.67 82 2.44 08
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 15.22 9.93 5.29 37 70 4.43 53 1.58 07
‘Transportation and material moving je97 | 1142 555 38 86 131 65 214° | (2)
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 11.62 818 3.44 48 36 83 35 wat | (2)
Service occupations 8.39 6.35 2.04 36 43 45 a as | (2)
Industry group
2075 | 1397 678 137 78 1.66 82 2.08
2103 | 14.42 661 86 ‘87 141 8 290 | ~(?)
2047 | 1372 674 154 ‘80 172 75 1.86
2229 | 14.64 7.65 1.68 95 2.00 88 2.03 13
1799 | 1248 851 1.33 59 133 ‘60 1.62 03
roducing industries* 1ses | 11.67 420 1.00 37 98 A 143 | (2)
‘Transportation and public uiilties 2324 | . 15.91 733 176 ‘59 188 88 222 02
Wholesale trade 1860 | 1354 5.08 1:16 49 123 52 165 | (2)
Retail tade 992 7.30 2.02 35 15 40 m4 401 | (2)
Finance, insurance, and re 2tss | 15.15 6.24 154 30 145 7% 156 04
Services 1692 | 12.63 439 442 32 1.03 43 147 | (2)
Percent of total compensation
All workers in private industry 71.6% | 28.4% 64% | 28%] 6.7% 3.0%] 93%] 02%
Occupational group
‘White-collar occupations 100.0 73.0 27.0 74 25 63 3.0 73 2
Professional specialty and technical .. 100.0 73.3 28.7 74 22 59 32 77 2
Professional 100.0 736 26.4 74 23 57 a2 76 2
Technical 100.0 722 27.8 75 24 66 33 a1 2
Executive, administrative, managerial 100.0 72.0 28.0 82 34 53 34 73 2 |
Sales occupations 100.0 76.8 23.2 48 25 52 19 9.0 (?)
‘Administrative support i 15 28.5 70 20 83 29 82 4
Blue-collar occupations .. 100.0 67.6 324 56 36 80 36 114 2
Precision production, craft, and repair 100.0 67.8 322 59 33 77 38 12 3
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 100.0 652 348 64 46 94 as 104 5
‘Transportation and materiat moving 100.0 673 32.7 52 33 77 38 126 (?)
Handlers, equipment cleanars, helpers, 100.0 704 29.6 42 34 72 30 124 (?)
Service occupations 100.0 187 24.3 42 15 54 13 118 (?)
Industry group
i 673 927 68 a7 80 40 10.0 4
686 31.4 34 32 67 48 138 @)
67.0 33.0 75 39 a4 37 a1 4
65.7 34.3 78 43 9.0 39 94 6
63.4 30.6 74 33 7A 33 9.0 2
735 26.5 63 23 26 9.0" (2)
68s 315 76 25 37 96 4
72.8 27.2 62 26 28 89 (?)
783 a7 37 16 12 10.9 (?)
Finance, insurance, and real estate . 708 29.2 72 42 35 73 2
Senices 741 25.9 66 19 25 87 ()
2 Inclucies severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits. 4 includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and
2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less. ‘etail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries. :
3 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.



Table 1. CIVILIAN WORKERS BY BROAD OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES: Employer costs per hour worked for | . . |
employee compensation and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Compensation Civilian workers White-collar Blue-collar Service
‘component — —
aa Gost | Percent | Cost | Percent’ { Cost | Percent | “Cost | Percent
|
Total compensation ... 100.0% | $21.67 | 100.0% | $1692 | 100.0% | $9.98 | 100.0%
‘Wages and salaries . 14 1594 | 729 1199 | 67.8 rat | a2.
Total benefits 526 | 206 sea | 274 553 | 927 var. | 278.
Paid leave 122 66 1.54 70 1.00 5.9 57 57>
Vacations 55 3.0 66 3.0 52 341 26 26
Holidays: Al 23 52 24 35 24 18 18 i
Sick leave “19 10 27 12 09 6 10 1.0
Other leave .. 06 A 09 4 04 2 ‘03 3°
‘Supplemental pay A2 23 A2 1.9 59 35 16 16°
7 3 09 A 39 23 09 J
05 3 4 2 07 A 04 A
20 Vat 29 13 13 7 04 A
1.29 70 1.46 67 1.38 8.1 66 6o 1
08 2 ‘06 3 04 3 02 2 i
1.21 66 1.35 62 1.29 76 63 63 |
04 2 05 2 04 : «) ce
Retirement and savings ... an” 39 88 39 85 38 36 36
Legally required benefits? 1.59 87 1.63 1.87 V4 1.01 10.4
1.08 5B 125 98 58 59 60
03 a 03 03 2 03 3
41 6 At 13 & 09 g
‘Workers’ compensation 38 21 24 70 44 30 30
Other benefits’ ..... 03 2 03 A 04 2 (") C).
1 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less. benefits in addition to those shown.
2 Includes railroad retirement and supplemental retirement, 3 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment

railroad unemployment insurance, and. other legally required _ benefits.



21
EXPLANATORY NOTES

Employer costs for employee compensation is a measure of the average cost per employee
hour worked to employers for wages and salaries and benefits. :

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, nonproduction bonuses, and 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 are: Paid leave—paid vacations, holidays, sick leave, and other leave; -
supplemental pay--premium pay for overtime and work on weekends and holidays, shift ~
differentials, nonproduction bonuses, and lump-sum payments provided in lieu of wage increases,
insurance benefits--life, health, and sickness and accident insurance; retirement and savings, |
benefits—pension and other retirement plans and savings and thrift plans; legally required benéfits-
-social security, railroad retirement and supplemental retirement, railroad unemployment -
insurance, Federal and state unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, and other benefits
required by law, such as state temporary disability insurance; and other benefits--severance pay
and supplemental unemployment plans. , .

The Survey

Employer costs for employee compensation cover all occupations in private industry,” 7.
excluding farms and households, and state and local governments. _ These cost levels are published
once a year with the payroll period including March 12th as the reference period. “

The cost levels are based on compensation cost data collected for. the Bureau of Labor... .. ..
Statistics Employment Cost Index (ECD), released quarterly. Cost data were collected from, the:
ECI's March 1995 sample which consisted of about 22,000 occupations within-4,200.sample,
establishments in private industry and 6,000 occupations within 900 establishments in state and
local governments, The sample establishments are classified in industry categories based on the
1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system, as defined by the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget. Within an establishment, specific job categories are selected to
represent broader major occupational groups such as professional specialty and technical
occupations. : :

The cost levels are calculated with current employment weights each year. In contrast, the
ECI, which measures the change in employer costs for employee compensation, is calculated with
fixed 1990 employment counts to prevent employment shifts among occupations and industries
from influencing the changes. Therefore, year-to-year changes in the cost levels will differ from
those in the ECI.

The March 1995 compensation cost levels were calculated with the March 1995 employment
counts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics program benchmarked
to the 1994 universe of all private nonfarm establishments. For private industry, in most cases,
the employment counts used were total employment estimates for 2-digit major industry groups
(such as primary metal manufacturing or food stores) as defined by the SIC system. (For the
aerospace industries, employment estimates for 4-digit industries such as aircraft manufacturing
were used.) For state and local governments, the employment counts used ranged from those for

*



23

Appendix. Employer costs per hour worked for components of compensation, and relative standard errors, uy major industry and occupation categories,
March 1995

Benefit costs |
Industry or Occupation Total Wages i
Category Compen- | and ‘Supple- Retirement ey, Other i
sation | salaries Total {Paid Leave} mental pay Insurance | savings | benefits benefits?
Civilian workers
Cost per hour worked siese | $is12] $526 | $122 | so42] $1.29 | $0.71 $1.59 | $0.03
Relative Error... 8% M% 1.0% 1d% 3.2% 1.2% 1.8% B% 81%
‘State and local govemment workers .
Cost per hour worked $24.86 | $17.31 $756 | $1.95 $22 | $203} $1.78 $1.55 $.02
Relative Error 11% 1.2% 12% 17% 48% 1.8% 2.2% 1.7% 9.7%
Private industry workers :
Cost per hour worked .. sizto | $1225 | $485 | $1.09 $47 | $1.15 $52 | $1.59 $.03
Relative Error 1.0% 4.0% 1.3% 1.8% 3.4% 1.4% 2.5% 9% 9.5%
Goods-producing industries
‘Cost per hour worked .. g2075 | $1397 | $678 | $1.97 $78 | $1.66 $82 | $2.08 $.07
Relative Error 1.8% 1.7% 2.2% 2.4% 5.3% 2.6% 3.9% 2.0% | 11.8%
Service-producing industries
‘Cost per hour worked .. gisaa | $1167 | $420 | $1.00 $37 $.98 $41 giaa | (3)
Relative Error... 11% 1.1% 1.4% 22% 87% 14% 3.4% % | (3)
Manutacturing
Cost per hour worked $2047 | $1372 | $674 | $1.54 $80 | $1.72 $75 | $1.86 $.09
Relative Error .... 21% 21% 2.5% 25% 6.0% 2.8% 3.9% 24% | 12.6%
Nonmanutacturing
Cost per hour worked .. $1629 | $1189 | $4.39 $.98 $39 | $1.02 $48 | $1.53 $.02
Relative Error... 1.1% 1.4% 1.4% 2.8% 3.9% 1.5% 32% 1.0% | 15.6%
White-collar occupations
Cost per hour worked .. $498 | $5.53 | $1.45 $52] $1.29 $61 $1.62 $.03
Relative MOF asemnne 1.3% 1.6% 2.1% 5.2% 1.7% 3.8% 11% | 14.4%
Blve-collar occupations
Cost per hour worked .. $ieeo | $1128 | $5.42 $94 $60 | $1.94 $.60 | $1.90 $.04
1.4% 12% 1.9% 27% 2.8% 2.3% 3.9% 1.8% BA%
gaa9 | $635 | $2.04 $38 $.13 $45 $.11 $99 | (3)
12% 1.1% 2.4% 8.5% 7.0% 47% 6.8% 18% | (3)
1 ‘The relative error is the standard error expressed as a percent of the cost. We 2 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.
can be 95-percent confident that the interval around the cost estimate bounded by % Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or tess.

‘two times plus and two times minus the standard error contains the ‘true’ cost.



18

Table 14. PRIVATE INDUSTRY BY ESTABLISHMENT EMPLOYMENT SIZE: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, and

costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995.

Benefit costs
industry and occupational group; Total | Wages
‘and employment size compen: | and - Supple- Relive men eau Omer
sation | salaries | Total | Paid leave |mentat pay| Insurance | Aina, | berets | Benelis
~ Cost per hour worked |
All workers in private industry $1225 | $405 | $109 | $so47 | $1.15 | sos2 | $iso | $003
10.81 3.77 a7 35 82 33 1.48 @)
13.58 5.85 1.39 58 1.45 69 1.69 05
11.62 468 1.01 31 1.14 48 1.53 02
15.72 FAB 1.81 66 1.80 al 1.87 08
Goods-producing industries 2 20.75 | 13.97 678 1.87 78 1.66 82 2.08 07
4-99 workers... 17.94 | 12.56 5:38 ‘B2 56 4.15 60 | 2.24 02
100 workers or more 22.26 | ~ 14.72 754 1.67 89 1.94 94 1.99 10
100-499 workers 19.06 | 12.79 627 123 BI 1.61 69 4.89 03
500 workers or more .. 25.37 | 16.60 877 210 7 226 1.18 2.09 a7
‘Service-producing industries 4 1s.e8 | 11.67 420 1.00 37 98 A 143 | (2)
10.42 aa 76 ‘31 75 a 1a2 | (2)
13.06 5.08 126 44 1.23 ‘7 1.55 02
14.12 401 92 38 34 38 1.98 02
18.28 6.31 1.66 s 157 78 175 03
14.98 5.53 148 52 1.29 st 1.62 03
18.24 442 1.09 43 1.01 42 1.47 ()
16.51 6.49 177 69 1.54 78 1.76 05
14.90 526 1.92 56 1.22 55 1.58 03
18.45 758 2.16 62 1.82 9 1.92 08
11.28 5.42 94 60 1.34 60 1.20 04
10.59 4.37 4 A2 96 40 1.93 (?)
14.87 6.32 1.19 76 1.66 7 1.87 07
10.71 520 a 62 1.36 57 1.73 02
13.40 7.80 157 94 2.08 1.03 2.06 14
Percent of total compensation
All workers in private industry. 100.0% | 71.6% | 284%] 6.4% 2.8% 67% 30%] 93%] 0.2%
1-99 workers .. 100.0 74.1 25.9 53 24 57 23 10.2 (7)
100 workers or more 100.0 693 30.1 72 3.0 75 35 87 3
100-499 workers 100.0 3 28.7 62 34 70 29 94 4
500 workers or more . 100.0 688 312 79 29 79 40 a2 3
Goods-producing industries 3 100.0 673 92.7 66 37 80 40 10.0 4:
4-99 . 100.0 70.0 90.0 45 a4 64 ag 125 A
100.0 66.1 33.9 75 40 a7 42 80 5
100.0 67.1 329 64 43 BS 3.6 99 2
500 workers or more 100.0 654 34.6 a3 3B 89 46 82 7
Service-producing industries 4 100.0 735 265 63 23 62 26 9.0 (2)
7-99 workers, 100.0 753 24.7 55 22 54 20 95 (7)
100 workers or mare 100.0 720 28.0 70 24 68 31 86 4
100-489 workers 100.0 73.5 26.5 61 25 62 25 at a
100.0 708 292 Ww 23 73 36 at 4
100.0 73.0 27.0 7A 25 63 3.0 79 2
100.0 75.0 25.0 62 24 57 24 83 (?)
100.0 718 28.2 77 26 67 34 76 2
100.0 734 26.9 68 28 63 28 a1 2
400.0 70.9 294 83 24 70 38 74 2
100.0 67.6 92.4 56 36 8.0 36 14 2
100.0 708 29.2 43 28 64 27 129 @)
100 workers or more 100.0 65.3 347 65 42 94 42 103 A
100-499 workers, 673 327 57 39 a5 a6 10.9 a
500 workers or more 632 36.8 74 44 97 49 97 7

1 Includes seveiance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.
2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.
3 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.

* includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and
retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.



10

* Table 6. PRIVATE INDUSTRY BY BROAD OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES: Employer costs per hour worked for
employee compensation, and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995 _~

All workers in .
Compensation private industry White-collar Blue-coliar Service
component
Cost Percent Cost Percent Cost Percent Cost Percent
Total compensation .. $17.10 {| 100.0% | $2050 | 100.0% | $16.69 | 100.0%} $8.39 | 100.0%
Wages and salaries... 1225 | 716 1498 | 730 1128 | 676 635 | 757
Total benefits ... 4.85 28.4 5.53 27.0 $42 : 32.4 2.04 24.3
1.09 64 1.45 TA 94 56 36 42
54 31 69 34 50 3.0 A7 2.0
37 22 Ag 24 33 20 Bal 13
14 8 20 1.0 07 A 06 7
05 3 06 3 03 2 02 2
‘Supplemental pay AT 28 62 25 60 3.6 13 15
Premium pay .. 19 a1 Bal 5 40 24 06 7
Nonproduction bonuses: 23 13 6 17 13 B&B 03 A
if 05 3 05 3 07 A 03 A
WIS 67 129 63 1.34 8.0 45 54
04 3 06 a 04 3 C) ©)
1.06 62 1.18 a7 1.25 75 A3 5.1
‘Sickness and accident insurance 04 3 06 3 OS 3 (ap) ()
Retirament and savings .. 52 3.0 st 3.0 60 36 a 13
1.59 93 1.62 74 1.90 4 89 118
1.02 6.0 122 6.0 98 59 57 67
.03 2 03 2 03 2 04 4
State unemployment insurance 12 7 12 8 14 & 10 Bl
Workers’ compensation ... 39 23 24 12 72 43 28 34
Other benefits? ... 03 2 03 2 04 2 ) an)

+ Gost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.

2 includes railroad retirement and supplemental retirement,
railroad unemployment insurance, and other legally required

benefits in adiion to those shown.

3 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment

benefits.



Table 3. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY BROAD OCCUPATIONAL AND INDUSTRY CATEGORIES: Employer costs per hour
worked for employee compensation, and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995.

Ail workers in State and it " . ‘ y

Compensation local governments ‘White-collar occupations ‘Service occupations Service industries
component

Cost Percent Cost Percent Cost Percent Cost Percent

‘Total compensation .. . $24.86 100.0% $27.60 100.0% $18.39 100.0% $25.92 100.0%
‘Wages and salaries 17.31 69.6 19.69 713 W777 64.0 18.60 Pane
‘Total benefits .... 7.56 30.4 791 28.7 6.62 36.0 7.32 28.3
1.95 . 79 2.03 74 1.70. 93 1.78 63
68 27 J 23 72° 39 51 2.0
63 25° 66 24 54 29 59 23
rs) 2.0 55 2.0 4 18 52 2.0
16 6 18 7 ww 6 AT 6
22 3 14 5 40 22 15 &
WW 4 04 2 22 12 05 2
05 2 03 a 10 5 04 2
06 3 06 2 08 5 06 2
2.03 82 2.14 7.8 1.72 94 2.04 73
05 2 05 2 04 2 05 2
1.95 7. 2.05 74 1.66 8.0 1.95 75
‘Sickness and accident insurance 04 1 04 a 03 2 03 a
Retirement and savings 1.78 7A 1.90 “69 1.57 86 177 68
‘Legally required ‘benefits’ .. 1.55 63 1.67 60 1.19 65 1.57 6.0
‘Social Security ... 119 48 1.36 49 76 44 129 5.0
Federal unemployment () () @) (?) () @) @) ()
State unemployment 04 2 05 2 04 2 2
‘Workers’ compensation 31 12 26 2 38 24 23 2
Other benefits? ... 02 1 23 a 03 A 02 a

7 Inctudes railroad retirement and supplemental . retirement,
unemployment insurance, and other legally required benefits in addition to

those shown. _

road

2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.

3 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.



Table 2. CIVILIAN WORKERS: Employer costs per hour worked for: ‘employee compensation, and costs.as a percent of total compensation, by

occupational and industry group, March

Benefit costs
“Totat | Wages
Series compen: | and Retirement) Leoaly | ome,
sation | salaries i require 4
Total | Paid teave Hosurance | cvings | benefits
Cost per hour worked
$1312 | $526 { $122 | soa2 | $129 | $071 | $t59 | $003
15.94 5.93 a2 1.46 as] 1.63 03
21.42 7.65 33 1.87 1.98 2.04 04
22.36 781 38 120 1.45 2.08 04
20.94 7.67 1.10 147 7 2.28 02
23.06 7.20 06 1.95 179 197 02
16.97 6.90 47 1.68 98 1.83 04
23.14 9.20 er 1.83 1.32 2.30 05
10.51 436 26 1.31 50 1.17 02
11.89 553 59 4.38 85 1.87 04
721 277 57 16 66 + 36 1.01 (7)
14.88 515 79 1.51 02
13.90 569 56 1.55 (?)
14.83 631 62 1.60 02
18.51 648 1.46 1.63 02
18.27 6.30 143 157 02
20.43 7.68 1.83 1.82 @)
71.4% | 28.6% 6.6% 2.3% 7.0% 39% | 87% | 02%
72.9 24 79 19 67 ag 75 a
73.7 26.3 67 14 64. 47 7.0 a
4A 259 65 13 63 4a 69 a
726 274 73 39 53 26 82 1
762 23.8 47 2 64 53 65 4
714 |° 289 80 20 70 49 27 2
715 285. a6 29 58 44 7A 2
Administrative support including cierical 70.7 29.3 74 17 38 34 79 a
Biue-collar occupations ..... 673 92.7 69 35 a4 38 14 2
Service occupations ... 100.0 722 27.8 57 16 66 36 10.4 (?)
Incite group .
73.6 264 65 13 67 41 72 a
718 28.0 at 28 72 29 79 (?)
702 29.8 as 3.0 77 29 78 a
744 25.9 60 3 72 58 65 a1
744 25.6 55 2 7 58 64 4
727 27.3 73 4 66 65 65 (7)

} Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.

2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.



Table 15. PRIVATE INDUSTRY HEALTH SERVICES BY OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES: Employer costs per hour worked for employee
compensation, and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Benefit costs
Total Wages Cegaty
Series compen- | and Supple: Retirement A other
sation | salaries | tors | Paid leave | mental pay| Insurance savings ee benefits!
Cost per hour worked
Health services .. $13.17 $4.82 $127 $0.47 $1.13 $0.43 $1.51 (?)
Professional specialty and technical occupations (24.89 18.45 6.44 1.78 74 1.33 54 2.03 ¢ 2)
Professional occupations 28.27 20.96 7.34 2.13 88 144 60 2.24 $.02
Nurses 27.41 19.98 7.43 2.04 1.09 1.46 58 2.25 02
Technical INS. 19.73 14.63 5.10 1.24 <) 1.46 45 171 ( 2)
Administrative support including clerical occupations 14.17 10.00 4.17 1.01 35 1.20 50 1.10 (?)
‘Service occupations 11.06 8.03 3.04 68 28 a7 19 14t { 2 )
Hospitals 21.06 14.93 6.12 1.70 68 1.61 AB 1.63 02
Professionai specialty and technical occupations 25.58 18.33 7.25 2.05 8 1.63 57 1.99 02
Professional occupations 27.90 2017 774 221 1.40 1.62 61 2.18 02
Nurses .. 28.35 20.40 795 2.18 1.28 1.63 6 2.23 02 |
Technical 19.40 13.46 5.94 1.63 £8 1.68 a4 149 02
Administrative suppor it 14.91 10.33 4.58 1.18 30 1.55 39 4.13 ¢ 2)
‘Service occupations 13.24 8.93 431 39 40 156 29 4.06 (7)
Nursing Homes 11.30 8.33 2.96 69 23 58 12 1.34 (?)
Professional specialty and technical occupations 17.61 13.41 4.50 111 42 87 20 210 ( 2 )
Professional occupations 19.59 14.87 4.73 1.27 36 69 20 221 (?)
Technical occupations 15.95 11.65 4.30 98 AT 64 20 2.01 (?)
‘Service occupations 9.19 6.70 249 52 20 54 0s 114 ¢ 2 )
Percent of total compensation’
Health services .. 100.0% 73.2% 26.8% 71% 26% 6.3% 24% 84% @ )
Professional specialty and technical occupations ... 100.0 744 25.9 72 3.0 53 22 B2 ¢ 2)
Professional occupations 100.0 744 25.9 76 31 51 24 79 1%
Nurses 100.0 72.9 27.1 74 40 53 24 82 4
Technical 100.0 744 259 63 27 59 23 87 (7)
Administrative support in 100.0 70.6 29.4 7A 25 a5 35 78 e )
‘Service occupations 100.0 725 275 62 25 69 18 10.0 (?)
Hospitals -. 100.0 70.9 29.1 B14 32 V7 23 WwW 1
Professional specialty and technical occupations 100.0 TT 28,3 80 38 64 22 78 a
Professional occupations 400.0 72.3 277 79 39 58 22 78 4
Nurses .. 100.0 72.0 28.0 cea 45 57 24 79 1
Technical occupation: 100.0 69.4 306 B4 35 87 23 7 1
Administrative support including clerical occupations 100.0 63.3 307 73 2.0 10.4 26 76 ( 2 )
‘Service occupations ... 100.0 675 32.5 75 30 11.8 22 8.0 (7)
Nursing Homes: 100.0 73.8 26.2 Cal 24 52 WwW 118 (?)
Protessionat speciaity and t¢ 100.0 745 25.5 63 24 38 a) 11.9 @ )
Professional occupations .. 400.0 75.9 241 65 18 35 1.0 11.3 @@ )
Technical occupations .. 400.0 73.0 27.0 61 3.0 40 12 126 (2)
Service occupations ... 100.0 729 2A S7 22 59 a 124 {?)

7 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.
2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.



Table 5, PRIVATE INDUSTRY. BY BROAD INDUSTRY CATEGORIES: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, and
costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Ait workers in Sng i
Compensation «private industry Goods-producing! | Service-producing? Manufacturing Nonmanutacturing
component .
Cost_| Percent | Cost | ‘Percent | Cost | Percent | Cost | Percent | Cost | Percent
wt 7 {
Total compensation $17.10 | 100.0% | $20.75 | 100.0%] $1588 | 100.0% | $2047 | 100.0% | $1629 | 100.0%
Wages and salaries .. 1225 | 716 1397,| 673 73.5 1372 | 670 11.89 | 73.0
485 | 284 67a | 327 420 | 265 674] 930 499 | 27.0
4.09 64 1.37 66 4.00 63 1.54 75 98 60 i
54 34 73 35 AT 3.0 80 39 47 29 i
a7 22 43 24 33 24 S7 28 33 20
14 a 1 5 4 2 12 8 14 38
05 3 04 2 05 3 05 2 04 3
AT 28 78 37 37 23 80 39 39 24
19 1 40 19 2 7 40 20 14 8
23 13 3t 15 20 13 30 15 a 13
08 3 07 3 05 3 09 4 08 3
1.15 67 1.68 80 98 62 172 84 62
04 3 08 3 04 2 06 3 2
1.06 62 1.53 74 30 57 158 77 58
‘Sickness and accident insurance 04 3 07 3 04 2 07 4 2
Retirement and savings 2 30 82 40 At 26 78 37 46 28
Legally required benefits? 1.59 93 2.08 10.0 143 90 1.96 94 1.53 94
Social Security 4.02 60 121 58 6 61 wi}, 59 98 60
Federal unemployment insurance 03 2 03 a 03 2 03 a 03 2
‘State unemployment insurance 2 7 16 8 WW 7 14 7 12 a
Workers’ compensation 39 23 67 32 30 19 48 23 37 23
Other benefits ... 03 2 07 4 (8) @) 09 4 02 a
+ Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. unemployment insurance, and other legally required benefits in addition to those

2 Includes ‘transportation, communication, and public ullities; wholesale and shown.
retail trade; finance, insurance, and reat estate; and service industries. * Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits,
Includes railroad retirement and . supplemental tetitement, railroad 5 Cost per hour worked is $0.04 or less.



United States
Department >
of Labor ;

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

‘ Technical contact: USDL: 95-225

Brenda Rogers (202) 606-6199 :
Media contact: FOR RELEASE: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Kathryn Hoyle (202) 606-5902 Thursday, June 22, 1995

EMPLOYER COSTS FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION - MARCH 1995

Employer costs for employee compensation in the United States (private industry and state and
local governments) averaged $18.38 per hour worked in March 1995, the U.S..Department of
Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Straight-time wages and salaries (71.4 percent
of the costs) averaged $13.12 an hour, and benefit costs (the remaining 28.6 percent) averaged

$5.26.

Legally required benefits (e.g., social security, workers’ compensation, unemployment
insurance) averaged $1.59 per hour worked--the largest cost to employers among the benefit
categories. Legally required benefits accounted for 8.7 percent of total. compensation costs and
nearly one-third of all benefit costs. (See table 1.)

Other important benefit categories and their average costs per hour worked were: Insurance
($1.29), paid leave ($1.22), retirement and savings (71 cents), and supplemental pay (42 cents),
which includes premium pay for overtime, shift pay, nonproduction bonuses, and lump-sum
payments provided in lieu of wage increases.

Private industry

In private industry, March 1995 employer compensation costs averaged $17.10 per hour
worked, with straight-time wages and salaries averaging $12.25 per hour and benefit costs
averaging $4.85 per hour. (See table 5.) Compensation-costs varied widely by industry and.
occupational group, union status, part-time and full-time status, establishment employment size,
and geographic region. (See chart B.) Highlights for private industry follow: :

Compensation costs averaged more for workers in goods-producing industries ($20.75 per
hour worked) than for those in service-producing industries ($15.88). (See table 10.) In goods-
producing industries, compensation cost levels ranged from $17.99 in nondurable goods
manufacturing to $22.29 in durable goods manufacturing. Among service-producing industries,
compensation costs ranged from $9.32 in retail trade to $23.24 in transportation and public

ities.

For the first time, compensation costs for state and local government
workers include data for substitute teachers. This inclusion also affects
compensation costs of civilian workers.



12

Table 8 PRIVATE INDUSTRY BY ESTABLISHMENT EMPLOYMENT SIZE: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, |
and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995 .

Ailworkers in "499
private industry workers 100 workers or more
Compensation r 400
‘component qos “500 workers or more \
Cost | Percent | Cost | Percent workei |
Cost | Percent | Cost | Percent | Cast | Percent |
$17.10 | 100.0% | $1458 | 100.0%} $19.44 | 100.0% 100.0% | $2285 | 100.0%
1225 | 716 10.81 744 1358 | 69.9 na 15.72 | 638"
485 | 284 377 | 259 585 | 301 28.7 7.43 |. 312 |
1.09 64 77 53 1.39 72 1.01 62 1.81" 73
54 at 37 25 69 36 48 30 a1 40
37 22 27 19 AT 24 35 22 60 26
14 8 10 7 a7 9 12 8 22 40
05 3 03 2 06 3 05 3 7 3
AT 28 35 24 58 3.0 51 34 6 29 i
19 "4 12 ‘9 2 13 23 14 2 12 |
05 3 (aa) a) 10 5 06 3 14 & |
23 13 15 24 12 22 13 2) 44
insurance AAS 67 82 57 1.45 75 1.14 7.0 1.80 79
Life insurance .. 04 3 93 2 05 3 3 07 3
Health insurance . 1.06 62 7 53 1.34 69 1.05 65 1.65 72 j
Sickness and accident insurance 04 Ey 03 06 3 05 3 08 4
Retirement and savings ... 52 3.0 33 23 69 a5 48 29 91 40
Legaity required benefits? 1.59 93 148} 102 87 4.58 94 1.87 a2
Social Security 4.02 60 ot 62 58 7 60 1.31 57
03 2 03 2 2 03 2 03
212 7 12 38 & 213 8 mn
39 23 2 28 19 39 24 35
03 2 an) oO 05 a 02 4 08 3
1 Gost per hour worked is $0.01 or less. shown.
2 Includes railroad retirement and supplemental retirement, railroad ® Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits,

unemployment insurance, and other legally required benefits in addition to those



Ww

‘Table 7. PRIVATE INDUSTRY BY REGION AND BARGAINING STATUS: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, and costs

as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Region Bargaining status
Compensation . 5
‘component Northeast South Midwest ‘West Union Nonunion

Cost | Percent | Cost | Perent | Cost | Percent | -Cost |-Percent | Cost | Percent | Cost_| Percent

Total compensation 100.0% | $15.31 | 100.0% $15.89 | 100.0% | $12.95 | 100.0%} $22.40 | 100.0%} $16.26 | 100.0%
‘Wages and salaries woo | 1104 | 721 | 1124] 708 | i339] 730 | 1442] 643 | 11.90 | 732
‘Total benefits 291 427} 279 465 | 292 496 | 27.0 799 | 357 435 | 268
140 | 7.0 93] 61 99 |. 62 114} 62 155] 69 102 | 69
‘s7 | 33 46 | 30 so] 34 58] 30 | 38 49 | 30
48} 24 ai] ot 35] 22 Bo} 24 49] 22 36 |. 22
“19 3 a 7 4 7 45 8 16 7 13 3
07 4 04 3 04 2 04 2 06 3 04 3
‘Supplementat pay 57 | 28 42) 27 AT} 29 45 | 25 7 | 33 4} 26
Premium pay 18 2 19] 42 21 13 a7 2 ag} 22 14 9
Nonproduetion bonuses . 33 16 ag | 42 20) 12 22] 12 a2 5 2] 15
if 08 3 04 3 06 4 06 3 ata 5 04 3
199 | 69 4.01 66 118] 73 1411] 60 224 | 10.0 9B}: 60
05 3 04 3 04 3 04 2 07 04. 2
123} 64 32] 60 198 | 67 103} 56 209 | 93 so] 55
05 2 04 3 05 3 04 2 08 4 04 2
eo} 31 46 | 30 49 Si] 28 115] 51 42] 26
1.82 | 94 144] 94 150) 94 4721 94 224.) 10.0 44g} 92
117] 58 3 | 61 6] 64 aa | 60 123 | 55 99} 64
03 2 03 2 03 2 2 03 a 03 2
18 3 08 5 2 38 43 7 “16 7 2 7
a1 | 20 Ba] 25 36}. 238 44] 24 2 | 32 ea} 24
03 4 02 ) 04 3 03 A 08 3 02 a

1 includes raliroad retirement and supplemental retirement, raitroad unemployment
insurance, and other légalty required benefits in addition to those shown.

2 includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.



Table 4. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, and costs.as a percent of total
com pensation, by occupational and industry group, March 1995

Benefit costs
Total | Wages >
. “tor estares Totat | Paid je= nen a Insuranc wand " “equret ponents!
. leave |mentaipay ce} savings | benefits
Cost per hour worked ° “
State and local goverment workers $1731 | $7.56 | $1.95 | so22 | $203 | $178 | $t8s 4}. $0.02
Occupational group :
‘White-collar occupations 27.60 | 19.69 791 2.03 14 244 190 | 1,67 03
Professional specialty and technicat . 3263 | 23.91 872 201 15 227 232 1.93 04
Professional 33.88 | 24.95 8.93 2.02 43 233 241 1,99. 04
Teachers 3630 | 27.11 9.19 1.82 07 246 2.73 207 04
Executive, administrative, and manage 32.02 | 2208 9.94 3.28 18 2.25 226 197 | (2)
Aciministrative support including clerical 15.99 | 10.59 5.40 147 09 1.84 95 403.) (?)
Blue-collar occupations .. 2012 | 12.99 7.18 1.92 36 1.93 439 f° 151 02
Service occupations 18.39 WaT 6.62 1.70 40 172 157 149 03
Industry group -
Services 25.92 | 18.60 7.82 1.78 15 2:04 477 4.57, 02
Health services 2t1T 1443 6.98 216 51 U7t 1.08 1.50 02
Hospitals 2142 | 14.46 696 2.20 49 165 409. |. -1.51 “02
Eclucational services .. 27.09 | 1967 7.44 1.70 08 2.03 1.91 1.60 03
Elementary and secondary education 26.89 | 19.67 12 152 08 2.16 489 4.4.56 03
Higher education 28.29 20.17 8.12 2.22 1S 1.93 2.04 477 - (7)
Public administration 2282 | 14.94 789 227 31.f 197 4.88.) 04.43 03
Percent of total compensation
State and local govemment workers .. 100.0% |. 696% | 30.4% | - 7.9% |. 09% | -- 82% 71% | 68% |» 0.4%
Occupational group :
White-coltar occupations 100.0 13 28.7 14 5 78 69 60"
Professional specialty and technical 100.9 733 28.7 62 5 69 7A 59
Professional .. 400.0 73.6 26.4 6.0 4 69 7A 59
Teachers . 100.0 747 253 5.0 2 68 75 57
Executive, administrative, and managerial 100.0 69.0 31.0 102 8 70 74 61
Adiministrative support including clerical 100.0 662 33.8 92 5 18 $9 64
Biue-coliar occupations 100.0 646 35.4 26 18 96 69 75
Service occupations 100.0 64.0 36.0 93 22 94 86 65 a
Industry group
Services 100.9 m7 28.3 69 8 79 68 60 a
Health services 100.9 66.9 331 102 24 ay 54 7A a
Hospitals 100.0 675 325 103 23 77 51 7A a
Educational services 100.0 72.6 27.4 63 3 7 cal 5.9 a
Elementary and secondary education .. 100.0 732 26.8 57 2 80 70 58 a
Higher education .. 100.0 713 28.7 79 5 68 72 62 ()
Public administration 100.0 655 345 10.0 13 a6 82 63 A

1 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.

2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.

|



22

3-digit industries such as hospitals to those for major industry divisions, such as public
administration.

The employment data from these 2-digit, 3-digit, or 4-digit industries were distributed to major
occupational groups (such as executives, administrators, and managers or machine operators,
assemblers, and inspectors), using the relative importance of the groups as estimated by the ECI
sample. Because the ECI establishment sample is completely replaced, industry by industry, on a
4-year cycle, the major occupational group employment counts from the ECI are, on average, 2 to
3 years old. However, comparisons of cost level estimates showed that differences of a few years
in the age of the occupation data within industries have a negligible impact on the estimates.

More information on the cost levels, including how the costs are calculated, appears in the
article "Analyzing employers’ costs for wages, salaries, and benefits" in the October 1987 issue of
the Monthly Labor Review. The published cost levels for March 1987 also appear in that article.

An annual bulletin is issued from the ECI program. The most recent bulletin, Employment
Cost Indexes and Levels--1975-94 (Bulletin 2447), provides complete historical data on ECI
indexes and levels, and measures of the precision of the two series through June 1994. It also
includes an explanation of survey methods and discussion of the published information. The next
annual bulletin, to be issued later this year, will include this material as well as complete historical
ECI data and measures of precision through June 1995.

The Relative Standard Errors

Because the data are based on a sample survey, the compensation cost estimates probably
differ from the figures that would be obtained from all units covered by the survey. To determine
the precision of each cost level estimate, a standard error was calculated.

The standard error defines a range (confidence interval) around the cost estimate. The
approximate 95-percent confidence interval is the estimate plus or minus twice the standard error.
The standard error can also be expressed as a percent of the cost estimate, or the relative standard
error. For example, the 95-percent confidence interval for a cost estimate of $10 with a relative
standard error of 1.0 percent would be $10.00 plus or minus 2.0 percent (2 times 1.0 percent) or
$9.80 to $10.20. We can be 95 percent confident that the "true" cost falls within the confidence
interval.

The relative standard error is shown with the cost estimates for some series in the appendix.
Relative standard errors for all published estimates are available upon request. They also will
appear in the 1995 ECI annual bulletin to be published later this year. A fuller explanation of the
telative standard errors is provided in the article "Analyzing employers' costs for wages, salaries,
and benefits" in the October 1987 issue of the Monthly Labor Review.



4
Employer costs for employee compensation

Chart A. Relative importance of employer costs for employee compensation,
private industry and state and local government, March 1995

— Private State & local
government

Measures

“Wages and salaries

Paid leave
Supplemen

Retirement/savings
Legall

Chart B. Employer costs for employee compensation by various categories,
private industry, March 1995

Wl Wages & Salaries 2 Benefits

Category

All workers

Goods-producing
Service-producing

White collar
Blue collar
Union
Non-union

1-99 workers
100-499 workers
500+ workers

Full time
Part time

$0 $3

$12 $15 $18 = $2 ,
Cost per hour worked E

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



18

.
!

Table 11. PRIVATE GOODS-PRODUCING AND SERVICE-PRODUCING INDUSTRIES: Employer costs per hour worked for employee
compensation, and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Benefit costs
Total | Wages
Series compen- | and Retirement] Legally
P 3 Supple- c Other
slat A and ired
sation - | alates | otal mental pay} insurance | im, | bovehas. | berets!
Cost per hour worked
All workers, goods-producing industries? ... $20.75 | $1397} $678 | $137 | $078 | si.e6 | $os2 | $208 | so07
‘White-collar occupations a7a7 | 19.25 8.13 2.24 83 1.83 99 2.48 09
Professional specialty and technical 3321 | 2318 | 10.03 299 39 225 1.23 2.43 14
Professional . 35.65 | 2506 | 10.59 s2ir| 1.12 2.30 427 255 |. 48
Technical 26.54 | 18.06 8.48 2.98 63 210 4.14 2.12 12
Executive, admini , Manage 36.39 | 2579 | 10.60 2.95 125 2.03 1.43 2.84 09
‘Administrative support including clerical 1597 | 11.12 485 144 43 1.36 51 1.96 05 i
Biue-collar occupations 19.24 | 11.95 6.29 1.03 76 1.60 76 2.07 97 |
Precision production, craft, and repair 2323 | 15.34 7.90 127 85 |. 187 1.06 2.74 09
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 15.97 | 1027 569 1.04 76 187 60 1.64 08
Transportation and material moving 48.05 | 11.61 6.45 95 87 1.65 80 2.15 03
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, ar 13.41 9.09 4.32 53 a] 1.07 49 1A (8)
‘Service occupations .... 44.32 9.47 486 88 62 1.36 50 141 09
All workers, service-producing indusiries¢ .. 15.8 | 11.67 420 1.00 7 98 A 14a} (3)
White-collar occupations 19.39 | 1429 5.10 1.92 48 120 55 1.54 02
Professional specialty and 27.06 | 2008 6.38 1.90 55 1.54 Bh 2m 03
Professional 2.64 | 21.35 729 1.99 58 1.58 89 2.20 04
Technical 23.18 | 1697 621 1.66 aT 1.47 72 1.88 02
‘Executive, administrative, managerial atte | 2259 858 259 1.08 1.64 1.01 222 05
Sales workers .. 13.96 | 1029 3.07 60 83 88 25 120 | (3) i
Administrative support including clerical .. 1443 | 10.37 4.07 1.00 28 120 40 17} (3)
Blue-collar occupations 14.66 | 1039 427 3 40 1.00 39 167 | (3)
Precision production, craft, and repair . 19.99 | 13.78 561 1.30 ‘5 135 48 198 | (3)
Transportation and material moving 16.52 | 11.35 5.18 85 43 int 53 214 | (3) i
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers, 10.57 7.64 2.93 AS 28 69 27 1.23 @) |
‘Service occupations .. 8.24 628 1.97 4 32 43 10 wa | (3)
. Percent of total compensation
All workers, goods-producing industries? 67.3% | 927%] 6.6% 37% 80% | 40%] 100%] 04%
‘White-collar occupations .. 703 29.7 a2 30 67 36 7a 3
Professional specialty and technical . 400.0 69.8 302 20 3.0 68 37 73 4
* Professional 100.0 703 297 9.0 at 65 36 7! 4
Technical .. 100.0 68.1 319 9.0 24 79 43 80
Executive, administrative, managerial 100.0 709 29.1 at 34 58 39 78 2
Administrative support including clerical 100.0 69.6 30.4 7A 27 85 32 85 3
Blue-collar occupations . 655 94.5 57 42 88 42 114 4
Precision production, craft, and repai 66.0 34.0 55 37 at 46 18 A
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors 100.0 643 35.7 65 48 98 38 103 3 i
‘Transportation and material moving .. 100.0 43 38.7 52 48 91 44 119 4 i
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 100.0 678 822 40 38 8.0 36 27 @e) i
Service occupations, 100.0 68.1 33.9 64 43 95 as 99 8 |
All workers, service-producing industries* . 100.0 73.5 265 63 23 62 26 90 e)
100.0 737 26.3 68 24 62 28 80 a
100.0 742 25.8 70 20 57 3.1 78 a
100.0 745 25.5 70 20 55 31 7 a
400.0 732 26.8 72 20 63 a1 at 4
100.0 725 278 a3 34 53 33 7A 2
100.0 770 23.0 45 25 5.4 19 9.0 (3)
Administrative support including clerical 100.0 718 282 70 19 83 28 a4 @)
Biue-collar occupations 100.0 70.9 29.1 56 27 6a 26 14 (3) |
Precision produetion, craft, and repair 100.0 m4 28.9 67 26 70 24 102 (3)
‘Transportation and materiat moving 100.0 637 313 5a 26 7A 36 129 @) i
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers .. 100.0 723 277 43 26 66 26 116 e)
Service occupations 100.0 76.4 23.9 42 14 52 12 11.8 @)
1 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits. 4 Includes transportation, communication, and public utiities; wholesale and
2 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. ‘etail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.



7

Table 13. PRIVATE INDUSTRY UNION AND NONUNION WORKERS: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, and costs

as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Benefit costs ”
Total “| Wages
Series compen- | and supp Retirement} Legally
sation | salaries , pple and required |, Oter,
Total | Paid leave |mental pay| Insurance | ings | benefits | benefits
~ Cost per hour worked
Allunion workers, private industry ... seeao | gi442 | 799 | siss | ‘so7s | gaze | $1.15 | $224 | $0.08
Blue-collar occupations, 23.07 | 14.43 a64 1.47 st 2.34 131 251 10
‘Goods-producing industries .. 2387 | 14.57 9.10 1.46 4.02 252 1.44 252 M4
Service-producing industries 2123 | 1427 6.96 163 ‘47 1.99 ‘87 1.98 02
Manufacturing 2140 | 13.00 a4t 1.63 141 2.36 1.09 2.05 18
Blue-collar occupations 2128 | 12.75 853 1.58 117 2.40 411 2.08 19
Nonmanufacturing 2298 | 15.23 775 1.51 82 247 118 2.35 02
Ail nonunion workers, private industry 1626 | °11.90 498 4.02 43 98 42 4.49 02
Biue-collar occupations. 14.14 | 10.01 413 72 48 4 31 1.68 02
Goods-producing industries 1972 | 1375 5.96 1.94 69 1.36 60 1.92 05
Service-producing industries 1532 | 11.40 3.92 3 36 88 37 1s7 | (7)
Manufacturing 20.14 | 13.97 617 151 68 1.49 - 84 179 08
Blue-collar occupations 1539 | 10.44 496 ‘37 65 128 43 1.60 03
Nonmanutacturing 1548 | 1149 3.99 92 38 88 37 143 02
Percent of total compensation
Ail union workers, private industry 100.0% | 64.9% | 35.7% 69% | 39%] 100%| 51%]. 100%] 03%
Blue-collar occupations .. 100.0 625 375 64 3g 102 57 10.9 4
Goods-producing industries .. 100.0 616 38.4 62 43 10.6 64 108
Service-producing industries Y 672 328 17 22 94 44 93
Manufacturing 100.0 607 39.3 76 52 11.0 5A 26
Blue-collar occupations ... 100.0 58.9 40.1 74 55 113 52 38
Nonmanutacturing 400.0 66.3 33.7 66 23 95 51 102
All nonunion workers, private industry 732 268 63 26 60 26 92 4
Blue-collar occupations, 708 292 5A 34 6s 22 17 a
Goods-producing industries .. 698 30.2 68 35 69 30 98 3
‘Service-producing industies 744 25.6 61 23 57 24 9.0 (?)
694 30.6 75 3.4 74 32 89 3
678 322 63 42 as 28 10.4 2
742 25.8 60 24 57 24 92 a

1 includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits.

2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 ar less.



3

Compensation costs in state and local governments averaged more for white-collar
occupations ($27.60) than for blue-collar ($20.12) and service occupations ($18.39). Service
occupations include police and firefighters, as well as janitors, cooks, and nursing aides.

The relative importance of March 1995 employer costs for employee benefits also varied
among occupational categories. Benefits accounted for 28.7 percent of compensation costs for
white-collar occupations, compared with 35.4 percent for blue-éollar and 36.0 percent for service

occupations.

Notes

Aggregate compensation cost levels in'state and local governments should not be compared
directly with those in private industry. Differences between the two sectors stem from a number
of factors, particularly the variation in work activities and occupational structures. Manufacturing
and sales, for example, make up a large part of private industry work activities but are rarely
found in state and local governments. White-collar occupations account for two-thirds of the
state and local government workforce (largely professional occupations including teachers),
compared with one-half in private industry.

-.. -An article examining in-more detail differences in compensation levels between private industry
and state and local governments, "Cost of Employee Compensation in Public and Private
Sectors," was in the May 1993 issue of the BLS publication, Monthly Labor Review.

The Marchi 1995 levels of employer costs for employee compensation shown in this release
were calculated using March 1995 employment patterns. Therefore, changes in cost levels over
time reflect both changing rates of compensation and changes in relative employment among
occupations and industries with different rates of compensation.

A measure of the change in rates of compensation that is not influenced by employment shifts
among occupations and industries is provided by the Employment Cost Index (ECT), which is
published quarterly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

we Tables .

Table Description Page ;
1 Civilian workers by broad occupational categories 5
2 _ Civilian workers by industry and occupational group 6
3 State and local-government by broad occupational group 7
4 State and local government by industry and occupational group 8
5 Private:industry by broad industry categories 9
6 Private industry by broad occupational categories . : 10
7 Private industry by region and bargaining status 11
8 Private industry by establishment employment size 12
9 Private industry by full-time/part-time status : 13
10 Private industry by occupational and industry groups 14
11 ’ Private industry goods- and service-producing industries. - 15
12 Private industry manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries 16
13 Private industry union and nonunion workers 17
14 Private industry by establishment employment size (detail) 18
15 Private industry health services 19
16 Private industry--special industries 20

Appendix Relative standard errors for selected series 23



2

“March 1995 compensation costs also varied within industries: In health services, for example,
where compensation costs averaged $17.99 per hour worked, those costs were $11.30 in nursing
homes and $21.06 in hospitals. (See table 15.) .

Among occupational categories, average compensation costs were higher for white-collar
occupations ($20.50) than for blue-collar occupations ($16.69) and service occupations ($8.39).
(See table 6.) The level of compensation varied considerably, hevvever,-by occupational group
within the blue-collar and white-collar categories.

Benefits in private industry made up a larger proportion of compensation costs for blue-collar
occupations (32.4 percent) than for white-collar occupations (27.0 percent) and service
occupations (24.3 percent). (See table 10.) In goods-producing industries, benefits made up 34.5
percent of compensation costs for blue-collar occupations, compared with 29.7 percent for white-
collar occupations. The corresponding proportions in service-producing industries were 29.1
percent and 26.3 percent. (See table 11.)

March 1995 compensation costs averaged more for union workers ($22.40) in private industry
than for nonunion workers ($16.26). (See table 13.) In addition, benefits made up a larger
proportion of compensation costs for union workers (35.7 percent) than for nonunion workers
+ (26.8 percent): Union and nonunion cost levels reflect a variety of influences, including coverage

by a collective bargaining agreement and variation in distribution of union and nonunion workers
among occupations, industries, and establishment size groups.

Compensation costs in private industry increased with establishment employment:size. (See
table 8.) Compensation costs averaged $14.58 per hour worked in establishments of under 100
employees, $16.30 in establishments of 100 to 499 employees, and $22.85 in establishments of
500 or more employees.

March 1995 compensation costs for full-time workers were more than double those for part-
time workers: (See'table 9.) Compensation costs averaged $19.44 per hour worked for full-time
workers, compared with $8.98 for part-time workers. Benefit costs made up 29.5 percent of total
compensation for full-time workers, and 20.1 percent for part-time workers. Employees in an
establishment are classified as full-time or part-time in accordance with the practices of the
establishment, rather than on the basis of the number of hours worked per week.

Compensation costs by region ranged from $15.31 in the South to $20.09 in the Northeast.
The proportion of compensation costs made up of benefits ranged from 27.0 percent in the West
to 29.1 in'the Northeast and 29.2 percent in the Midwest. (See table 7.)

State and local governments

In state and local governments, March 1995.employer costs averaged $24.86 per hour
worked, with’ straight-time wages and salaries averaging $17.31 and benefit costs averaging
$7.56. (See table 4.) Compensation costs varied widely by type of work activity and
occupational group. Highlights for state and local governments follow:

Among work activities, average compensation costs were higher per hour worked in services
(e.g., health and educational services) than in public administration ($25.92 and $22.82,
Tespectively).. Those two categories account for most state and local government employment.



13

Table 9. PRIVATE INDUSTRY BY FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STATUS: Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation, and
costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Benefit costs

Total | Wages
and

Series ‘compen Retirement} Legally
p Supple- 3 Other
sation | salaries ie and | required 1
Total | Paid leave | mental pay| insurance | 5 Sings | benefits | benelits
Cost per hour worked
[aa 7 :
All full-time workers in private Industry sio44 | sia71 | $573 | $193 | $057 | $140 | $063 | $176 | $0.04
:
White-collar occupations 2284 | 1649 6.35 172 59 1.52 73 1.75 04
‘Sales occupations 17.86 13.54 4.32 31 50 1.03 38 1,49 02
Administrative support, 15.55 | 10.95 4.60 116 33 1.39 AT 1.24 02
Blue-collar occupations 1751 | 11.74 5.78 1.02 65 1.44 64 1.98 05
‘Service occupations 10.49 7.60 2.89 60 20 7 20 a2 | (?)
‘Goods-producing industries? e107 | 14.14 6.92 1.41 79 4.70 84 2.10 08 |
Construction 2ias | 14.62 6.76 68 8 1.43 1.00 295 } (7)
Manufacturing 4os1 | 27.48 | 13.43 3.09 187 341 1.50 3.69 6
‘Service-producing industries* ie7o | 1352 5.18 1.30 48 127 5A 1.60 02
‘Transportation and public administration... 2466 | 16.75 7.92 1.98 65 2.05 3 2.92 02
Wholesale trade .. 1946 | 14.08 5.38 125 St 133 56 1.70 02
Retail trade en 1225 9.40 285 58 24 63 a7 123 | (4)
Finance, insurance, and real estate 22.69 | 15.96 6.73 1.68 1.00 1.58 Bt 4.62 04
Service industries .. 18.85 13.75 5.10 1.387 36 1.26 4 1.56 02
Ail part-time workers in private Industry -... 8.98 TAT 1.81 25 14 28 10 1,02 @ )
White-collar occupations .. 11.34 3.05 39 89 1.14 (?)
Sates ions 757 6.07 22 25 84 (2)
Administrative support, including clerical 10.21 8.12 38 40 100 | (2)
Bive-collar occupations .... 9.46 7.06 20 38 1.16 (2)
Service occupations .. 6.24 5.08 a 13 a5 | (?)
Goods-producing industries? ... 10.80 8.37 26 27 AA 10 136 |. (?)
Service-producing industries* 8.91 7.13. 1.78 25 14 28 40 1.01 (?)
6.52 5.23 1.23 13 07 17 05 ‘ (2)
11.27 8.98 2.29 38 2 36 42 1.21 @)
Percent of total compensation
All tuibtime workers in private industry .. 100.0% | 70.5% | 29.5% 69% | 2.9% 7.2% 33% | 9.0% | 0.2%
White-coliar occupations .. 100.0 722 27.8 75 26 67 32 77 2
Sales occupations .. 100.0 75.8 24.2 54 28 58 24 a3 1
‘Administrative suppor, including clerical 100.0 70.4 29.6 74 24 89 3.0 8.0 1
Blue-coltar occupations, 100.0 67.0 33.0 58 37 82 37 11.3 3
Service occupations .. 100.0 724 278 57 19 73 19 107 (?)
Goods-producing industries? ... 100.0 67.4 92.9 67 38 at 49 10.0 4
‘Construction 100.0 68.4 31.6 32 32 67 42 138 (?)
100.0 67.2 328 76 38 a3 37 9.0 4

Service-producing industries* 100.0 72.3 277 70 25 29 as
‘Transportation and public administration 100.0 67.9 32.4 79 26 87 94
‘Wholesale trade ... 100.0 72.4 27.6 64 26 29 88
Retail trade .. 100.9 767 233 47 19 14 10.0
Finance, insurance, and real estate 100.0 70.3 29.7 74 44 36 TA j
‘Service industries ... 72.9 271 73 19 28 83 i
All part-time workers in private Industry 799 | 204 28 16 32 12 14 (?)
c 79.8 202 34 19 35 13 10.4 (2)
Sales occupations... 80.2 19.8 3.0 14 33 1.0 4 (2)
Administrative support, including clerical 100.0 79.8 20.5 35 16 40 17 98 (2)
Blue-collar occupations 100.0 771.0 23.0 22 17 42 24 12.7 (7)
‘Service occupations .. 814 18.6 17 3 20 4 13.6 (?)
‘Service-producing industries* 80.0 20.0 28 16 31 12 114 (2)
Retail rade . att 18.9 20 14 28 8 124 (2)
Service industries 79.7 208 34 1.9 82 141 107 (7)
1 includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment benefits. 4 Includes transportation, communication, and public uilities; wholesale and
2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less. retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
3 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.



6

Table 12. PRIVATE MANUFACTURING AND NONMANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES: Employer costs per hour worked for employee

compensation, and costs as a percent of total compensation, March 1995

Benefit costs
Total | Wages
Series compen- | and Retirement] Legally
4 ‘Supple- - Other
sation | salaries and | required 1
Total | Paid leave | mental pay| insurance | ings | benefits | Denefs
Cost per hour worked
T I
All workers, manufacturing industries $13.72 | $674 | $154 ~sos0 | g172.| $075 | $1.86 | $0.09
White-collar occupations 19.47 8.15, 2.36 75 1.87 a7 2.10 09
Professional specialty a 23.01 9.79 2.98 85 2.26 114 243 12
Professional 2474 | 1026 3.18 4 231 1.18 2.53 13
Technical .. 18.16 8.46 243 et 2.13 1.08 2.13 a
Executive, administrative, managerial 26.63 | 10.79 3.26 116 2a 1.46 2.69 a
‘Administrative support including clerical 1619 | 11.27 492 1.23 135 62 1.37, 08
Blue-collar occupations a4 | 11.20 6.14 417 82 1.65 66 1.76, 08
Precision production, craft, and epai 2282 | 14.70 B12 1.73 1.06 2.04 92 2.22 14
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .. 1590 | 10.22 5.68 1.05 76 157 60 1.63 08
‘Transportation and material moving 1748 | 11.23 6.25 1.04 89 172 6 1.90 04
Hanalers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 12.94 8.65 429 70 ‘60 124 42 1.34 02
Service occupations .... 15.37 9.96 5.41 1.01 70 1.56 (58 1.46 10
Ailworkers, nonmanufacturing industries. 1629 | 11.69 4.39 98 39 1.02 46 1.53 02
White-coliar occupations 1955 | 14.98 5.18 1.33 48 121 56 1.86 02
Protessional specialty and technical 2722 | 20.16 7.06 191 58 1.55 87 212 04
Professional aes | 21.46 7.40 201 63 1.58 92 221 04
Technical 2321 16.96 625 1.66 48 147 7 1.88 02
Executive, administrative, managerial 31.33 | 22.64 8.69 255 1.03 1.65 1.04 2.30 05
Sales workers . 13.98 10.30 3.08 60 33 68 25 1.20 (7)
inistrati 1445 10.37 4.08 1.00 29 1.20 4 1.18 ()
Biue-collar oocupations ... 1622 | 11.93 4.89 7 Aa 11 56 200 | (7)
Precision production, craft, and repair 2118 | 14.72 6.45 1.07 55 1.49 78 254 02
‘Transportation and material moving 684 | 11.47 537 84 48 120 85 220 | (2)
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers .. 11.26 8.04 9.20 42 30 72 33 143 | (7)
Service occupations 024 628 1.97 4 2 43 10 98 @)
Percent of total compensation
All workers, manufacturing industries 67.0% | 330% | 75%] 3.9% 8.4% 37% 9.1% 0.4%
‘White-coltar 100.0 70.5 29.5 86 22 68 3s 78 3
100.0 702 298 ot 26 63 35 74 4
100.0 707 29.3 84 27 66 34 72 4
100.0 68.2 31.8 ot 23 8.0 40 80 4
100.0 12 288 a7 34 56 39 72 3
100.0 69.6 30.4 76 25 83 a2 85 4
100.9 646 354 68 ar 95 38 10.1 5
100.0 644 35.6 78 47 90 49 97 8
100.0 64.3 35.7 66 48 98 a7 102 5
100.0 64.3 35.7 60 51 98 3.8 10.9 2
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, 100.0 66.8 33.2 54 46 94 32 10.4 2
Service occupations «. 100.0 648 952 66 48 10.1 38 95 a
All workers, nonmanufacturing industries 73.0 27.0 6.0 24 62 28 94 A
‘White-collar occupations 100.0 735 26.5 68 25 62 29 8.0 4
Professional specialty a 100.9 7A 25.9 790 24 57 32 78 4
Professional 100.0 744 25.6 70 22 55 32 77 2
Technical 100.0 73.4 269 TA 20 63 32 a1 a
Executive, administrative, managerial 100.0 723 277 84 a5 53 33 73 2
‘Sales workers 100.0 77.0 23.0 45 25 51 19 9.0 (?)
‘Administrative support including clerical .. 100.0 18 282 69 20 83 28 84 @)
Blue-collar occupations . 100.0 69.9 30.1 47 27 69 34 | 123 ()
Precision production, raft, and repai 100.0 695 305 51 26 70 37 120 A)
‘Transportation and material moving .. 100.0 68.1 319 50 28 7A 38 13.4 (?)
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 100.9 m5 28.5 37 26 64 3.0 127 @)
Service occupations 100.0 762 23.8 an 14 52 12 118 (7)
benefits. 2 Cost per hour worked is $0.01 or less.

1 Includes severance pay and supplemental unemployment

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