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
Dec, 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
. Dec, 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Workers, by bargaining status
Union .. 119.1 121.5 122.2 0.4 0.7 06 29 24 26
Blue-collar occupations 117.6 120.0 120.4 3 & 3 27 23 24
Goods-producing Industries 1 117.9 120.2 120.5 3 8 2 27 23 22
Service-producing industries 2 ., 120.6 123.2 124.3 4 7 3 3.3 26 3.1
Manufacturing .... 119.2 121.3 121.9 6 7 5 28 24 2.3
Blue-collar occupations .. 118.9 121.0 121.6 5 7 5 28 23 23
Nonmanufacturing 119.0 121.6 122.3 3 8 6 3.0 25 28
Nonunion ...... 119.8 122.6 123,3 5 7 6 27 29 29
Blue-collar occupations ... 118.3 121.4 121.9 ze) 6 4 29 341 3.0
Goods-producing industries 1 ..., 120.3 122.9 123.7 7 6 7 3 28 2.8
Service-producing industries 2 .. 119.5 122.4 123.1 4 7 & 25 29 3.0
Manufacturing .. 121.5 124.3 125.1 8 4 6 34 32 3.0
Blue-collar occupations .. 120.0 123.1 124.2 8 4 9 28 3.4 36
Nonmanufacturing 119.4 121.9 122.6 3 7 6 26 27 23
Workers, by region
Northeast 120.2 123.1 123.6 2 8 4 25 26 28
South .. 119.1 121.8 122.5 5 8 6 27 28 29
Midwest 120.4 123.0 123.5 S& 7 4 3.4 29 28
Wett ...... 119.0 121.4 122.7 8 4 Ww 29 28 34
Workers, by area size
Metropolitan areas 119.7 122.4 123.2 5 7 7 27 28 29
Other areas ... 119.0 122.1 122.4 3 7 2 28 3.0 29

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

eh 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,
Georgla, Kantucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South

Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virgini

lidwest—ilinols, Indiana,

towa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohlo, South

Dakota, and ‘Wisconsin;

and West—Alaska, Arizona, Califomia, Colorado, Hawall,

Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington. and ‘Wyoming.
NOTE: The indexes for these series are not strictly comparable fo those for the

aggregate, occupation, and industry series.


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

indexes (June
_ Percent changes for 3-months ended
+ Series 1989=100)
Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Mar. 1994 | June 1994 | Sep. 1994 | Dec. 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
COMPENSATION
Civilian workers .... 126.2 127.3 07 08 08 07 0.6 0.7 0.6 09
State and local government 128.1 129.1 a) 8 & 6 7 1.0 5 &
Private industry workers ... 125.9 127.0 8 8 8 7 & 7 & a)
White-collar occupations 126.9 128.1 8B & 7 7 7 &B 6 9
Blue-collar occupations .. 125.0 126.0 5 7 Be] & “4 7 & &
Service occupations .... 124.7 125.4 8 5 7 a 2 & 5 6
Goods-producing industries 1 126.5 127.7 a 1.0 8 6 5 & 6 3
Construction 122.8 123.7 16 wt 1.0 anal A 5 8 7
Manufacturing 127.4 128.6 6 a) 2 a7 5 7 4 a
Durables 128.2 129.3 5 3 Wt 7 6 7 4 9
Nondurables . 125.8 127.3 7 eS) 6 6 3 6 5 1.2
Service-producing industries 2 125.6 126.6 a7 7 8 7 7 8 i) 8
Transportation and public

utilities ....... 125.9 127.3 V1 5 13 3 WwW 7 1.0 Ww
Wholesale trade .. 126.3 126.7 3 Ww 12 5 1.6 a] 14 3
Retail trade .. 122.4 123.0 7 a Ww A 7 2 a 5

Finance, insurance, and real
estate 3 122.7 123.5 14 0 7 3 Ww 13 7 7
Services ... 128.8 129.8 8 7 6 7 5 3 3 &
Nonmanufacturing industries ...] 125.3 126.4 & 8 8&8 5 7 8 6 a

WAGES AND SALARIES
123.0 123.9 07 08 0.8 0.6 08 07 0.7 0.7
State and local government........] 126.0 127.4 B 7 7 8 1.0 . 6 a)
Private industry workers 122.3 123.1 8 a 7 6 a 7 7 7
White-collar occupation: 123.5 124.5 6 8 7 7 7 8 7 8
Biue-collar occupations 3 120.8 121.3 7 8 ES) 4 8 a 6 4
Service occupations ........ 120.8 121.4 9 5 & 1.0 5 6 6 5
Goods-producing industries 1.3 122.4 122.8 7 a) 8 6 7 8 6 6
Construction ... 116.5, 117.5, 1.0 1.0 7 5 a 4 9 a]
Manufacturing 3 ., 123.5 124.3 6 8 8 7 ) 8 5 6
Durables 3 123.6 124.2 5 & 3 8 a) 8 & 5
Nondurabies ........ 123.4 124.5 A a) a 6 7 7 6 co)
Service-producing industries 2 122.4 123.3 6 7 8 5 x) 7 7 7
Transportation and public

utilities ... 122.8 123.8 8 7 1.4 8 13 7 7 8
Wholesale trade 124.0 125.0 A 1.2 a) 7 13 & 14 8
Retall trade ...... 120.2 120.8 3 1.0 9 3 9 2 8 5

Finance, insurance, and real
estate $ 118.0 118.8 7 4 5 4 7 17 a 7
Services | 125.2 126.4 a 7 5 7 7 & 5 7
Nonmanutacturing Industries ... 121.8 122.7 6 8 8 5S 7 & 7 7

‘See footnotes at end of table.


1

18

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 BCI release, indexes. were rebased to June 1989=100. A description of
the rebasing is included in the article "Employment Cost Index Rebased to September 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 1990 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, 1975-95, (Bulletin 2466); a chapter in the BLS Handbook of Methods
@ulletin 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. ECI 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.


10

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

workers, by bargaining status, reglon, and area size

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series $3 months ended 12 months ended
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec, 1995
Dec. 1994 } Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Workers, by bargaining status
Union .... 124.2 126.8 127.9 0.3 08 09 27 24 3.0
Biue-collar occupations .. 123.4 125.7 126.5 2 7 6 23 24 25
Goods-producing industries 1 .. 124.7 126.7 127.5 2 6 6 23 1.8 22
Setvice-producing industries 2 123.6 126.8 128.2 6 1.0 1 3.3 3.2 37
Manufacturing ..... 125.8 127.1 128.2 4 A a) 23 1.4 19
Blue-collar occupations 125.6 126.8 127.9 4 3 ze] 22 1.4 18
Nonmanufacturing 123.0 126.2 127.4 3 1.0 1.0 34 29 3.6
Nonunion 123.2 126.0 126.7 4 6 6 34 27 28
Blue-coll P 121.9 124.5 125.1 2 5 5 3.4 2.3 2.6
Goods-producing industries 1 .. 124.1 126.4 127.3 4 4 7 3.5 23 26
Service-producing Industries 2 122.7 125.6 126.2 4 6 5 29 2.8 29
Manufacturing .... 124.8 127.3 128.3 & 3 8 3.5 27 28
Blue-collar occupations 123.5 125.7 127.0 4 2 1.0 3.0 22 2.8
Nonmanufacturing 122.5 125.3 126.0 2 6 6 29 25 29
Workers, by region $
Northeast 124.3 127.4 127.9 2 6 4 3.0 27 2.9
South .. 122.5 125.2 126.0 6 7 6 34 28 29
Midwest 125.0 127.7 128.4 3 ) 5 3.1 25 27
West .. 121.7 123.9 125.1 3 A 1.0 3.0 21 28
Workers, by area size
Metropolitan areas 123.4 126.2 127.0 4 & 6 3.0 27 29
Other areas .... 123.6 126.1 126.6 2 6 4 3.2 24 25

7 Includes mining, construction, and manutacturing.
2 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail
traqe; 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 Islano,
and Vermont; South— Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South

Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest—ilinols, Indiana,
lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohlo, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West—Alaska, Arizona, Califomla, Colorado, Hawai,
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.


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
Serles 3 months ended 12 months ended
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
. Dec, 1994 | Sep, 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec, 1995
Civilian workers... 123.8 126.6 127.4 0.4 08 0.6 3.0 27 29
Excluding sales 124.2 126.9 127.8 4 iB 7 34 26 29
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations 124.4 127.4 128.2 4 9 6 3.2 28 34
Excluding sales ........ 125.1 128.0 128.9 5 2 7 3.2 28 3.0
Professional specialty an 126.2 128.9 129.8 4 Vt 7 3.0 25 29
Executive, administrative, and
managerial ... 123.6 126.7 127.7 6 8 8 3.5 3.1 3.3
Administrative support, including
ClerICAL vsssssseseeen 125.2 128.1 129.2 5 6 9 32 28 32
Blue-collar occupations 122.7 125.2 125.9 2 6 6 28 23 26
Service occupations .... 124.3 126.7 127.5 6 7 6 3.2 26 26
Workers, by industry division
Goods-producing * 124.4 126.5 127.4 4 A 7 3.2 24 24
Manufacturing 125.1 127.3 128.4 6 3 g 3.1 23 26
Service-producing | 423.6 126.6 127.3 4 a 6 3.0 28 3.0
Services ... | 126.4 128.9 129.7 5 9 6 28 25 26
Health services | 128.5 131.1 132.1 5 7 8 25 26 28
Hospitals ..... 128.4 130.4 131.5 7 5 8 27 23 24
Educational services 126.4 129.8 130.4 3 19 5 28 3.0 3.2
Public administration 124.2 127.4 128.5 4 1.0 g 3.5 3.0 35
Nonmanufacturing .... 123.4 126.3 127.0 3 Q 6 3.0 27 29
State and local government workers ... 125.6 128.7 129.4 5 1.4 5 3.0 3.0 3.0
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations. 125.5 128.6 129.3 5 1.6 5 3.0 3.0 3.0
Professional specialty an 125.5 128.4 129.0 4 17 5 2.9 27 28
Executive, administrative, and .
managerial ... 125.3 129.1 130.3 5 13 a 3.0 35 4.0
Administrative support, including
Clerical «sesso 125.6 128.4 129.2 6 1.2 6 3.3 28 29
Blue-collar occupations .., 124.7 127.2 128.1 4 7 7 27 24 27
Service occupations ..... 126.6 + 180.1 1344 5 1.0 8 37 3.3 3.6
Workers, by industry division
Services . 126.1 129.2 129.8 4 17 5 29 29 29
Excluding schools 125.6 128.9 129.3 6 a 3 3.0 3.2 23
Health services 127.7 131.0 131.5 4 a) 4 37 3.0 3.0
Hospitals .... 127.7 134.1 131.7 6 a) 5 3.6 32 3.4
Educational services 126.0 129.0 129.6 4 WZ 5 27 28 29
Schools ...... 126.3 129.4 129.9 3 18 4 28 28 29
Elementary and secondary .. 126.5 129.8 130.3 2 19 A 23 28 3.0
Colleges and universities 125.5 128.0 129.0 8 15 8 4.0 28 28
Public administration ... 124.2 127.4 128.5 4 1.0 9 35 3.0 35
4 includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. trage; finance, insurance, and real estate; service Industries; and public administration.

ing.
Includes transportation, communication, and public utilitles; wholesale and ratail Formerly called hospitals and other services.


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

meses too” Percent changes for 3-months ended
Series -
Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Mar. 1994 | June 1994 | Sep. 1994 | Dec. 1994 | Mar. 1995 | June 1995 Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
BENEFIT COSTS

Civilian workers. ..... 134.9 136.6 09 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.2 07 0.4 1.3
State and loca! government ....... 133.1 134.2 8 1.2 4 4 6 14 1 8
Private industry workers .. 135.4 137.2 9 1.0 1.0 8 A 5 6 1.3
White-collar occupations 136.6 138.2 1.4 1 Ww 3 5 8 6 1.2
Blue-collar occupations 133.9 135.9 5 8 a 5 =2 3 4 15
Service occupations ... ’ 135.7 136.8 6 4 8 & 2 7 Af 8
Goods-producing Industries 1...] 136.1 138.5, 8 1.0 a 8 +3 a 4 1.8
Manufacturing | 135.5 138.0 2 Ww 9 1.0 74 a 4 18
Service-producing industries 2 134.7 136.1 1.0 B) 12 6 6 1.0 4 1.0
Nonmanufacturing industries ....] 135.4 136.8 13 Q it 5 5 8 6 1.0
2 includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. rage: finance, insurance, and real estate; and service Industries.

Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail No Identifiable seasonality was found for this 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
Dec, 1894 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Wholesale trade ... 121.5 126.1 126.8 0.7 1.0 0.6 3.4 46 44
Excluding sales occupations 122.0 126.2 127.3 6 9 a 28 4.0 4.3
Retail trade 120.1 122.6 122.8 2 7 2 28 1.8 22
General m . 119.3 121.0 121.7 5 2 6 2.6 19 2.0
FOC Stores ..s.sssscssnssssecenssen 120.0 121.8 122.5 72 zs] 6 14 1.2 21
Finance, Insurance, and real estate 118.9 122.7 123.5 3 7 7 a4 3.5 3.9
Excluding sales occupations ...... 121.8 125.4 126.1 2 & 6 3.0 3.2 35
Banking, savings and loan, and other

credit agencies. 120.5 124.8 126.4 2 6 5 23 3.3 44
Insurance .. 122.3 124.9 126.0 7 2 9 22 28 3.0
Excluding 126.5 129.6 130.3 4 5 5 34 29 3.0
Services ....sssessee 126.6 128.9 129.7 6 5 6 28 2.4 24
Business services .. 123.0 125.7 126.5 5 3 6 3.7 27 28
Health services ....... 128.7 131.3 132.3 6 8 8 21 27 2.8
Hospitals .... 128.6 130.3 131.4 7 5 8 24 2.0 22
Nursing homes . ~ - - 6 5 WwW 3.3 29 3.5
Educational services 128.4 133.2 134.0 2 22 6 3.5 3.9 44
Colleges and univer 128.8 134.6 135.7 2 25 8 28 47 54
Nonmanufacturing industries 122.6 125.5 126.2 2 7 6 3.0 26 29
White-collar occupations 123.5, 126.5 127.3 3 7 6 3.0 28 34
Excluding sales ...... 125.1 128.0 129.0 3 7 8 3.0 26 34
Blue-collar occupations 120.5 123.5 123.8 0 8B 2 29 25 27
Service occupations 122.4 124.2 124.8 a 6 5 28 24 2.0

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

Eagpings Index, which was discontinued In January 1889. trade; finance, Insurance, and real estate; and service industries.

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


United States
News == ©
of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

Technical, historical contact: USDL: 96-46
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. (EST), TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1996

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX--DECEMBER 1995

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) increased 0.6 percent before seasonal adjustment in the 3 months
ended in December 1995, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The
December 1995 ECI level of 127.4 (June 1989=100) was 2.9 percent higher than the index in December 1994.
The ECI measures changes in compensation costs, including wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee
benefits. :

Quarterly changes, seasonally adjusted

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the ECI rose 0.9 percent in the September-December 1995 period,
compared with a 0.6 percent gain in the June-September 1995 period. The acceleration was due to benefits.
Wages and salaries rose 0.7 percent, the same as in the June-September period, and in line with increases over
the past 3 years. Benefit costs, in contrast, rose 1.3 percent, the largest gain since March 1993. A reversal in the
trend of declining increases in health insurance costs, as well as gains in nonproduction bonuses, contributed to
the faster rate of benefit-cost increase.

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

Unadjusted
Compensation Seasonally adjusted 3-months ended 12-months
component Mar. June Sept. Dec. | Mar. June Sept Dec. ended
1994 199419941994 | 1995 1995 1995 1995 Dec. 1995
Compensation costs....} 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.9 2.9
Wages and salaries... | 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7 2.9
Benefit costs ............. 0.9 0.9 09 0.7 0.2 0.7 0.4 13 2.8

"|The recent shutdown of many federal agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, forced a delay in the
updating of seasonal factors to be used in 1996 and the annual revisions in the seasonally adjusted ECI data.
The new seasonal factors, and the revised seasonally adjusted data for the past 5 years, will be introduced in the
March 1996 ECI release.



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

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995

Private industry workers 119.7 122.4 123.1 0.5 0.7 0.6 2.8 28 28
Excluding sales ... 120.0 122.6 123.4 5 7 7 29 27 28
White-collar occupations 120.8 123.6 124.4 5 7 6 2.8 28 3.0
Excluding sales .... 121.7 124.3 125.4 6 7 3 3.0 27 3.0
Professional specialty and technical 123.0 125.3 126.4 7 7 a 29 25 28

Executive, administrative, and
c 120.5 123.4 124.5 4 7 a 3.0 2.8 3.3
116.7 120.5 120.2 2 1.0 +2 17 3.4 3.0
121.6 124.3 125.3 6 6 8 3.1 28 3.0
Blue-collar occupations ... 118.0 120.8 121.3 4 6 A 28 28 2.8
Precision production, craft, and repair 117.9 121.0 124.41 A 9 a 28 27. 2.7

Machine operators, assemblers,

and inspectors .... 118.8 121.4 122.3 7 4 7 2.8 29 29
Transportation and material moving 115.6 118.5 118.6 3 6 a 27 23 26

Handlers, equipment cleaners,
helpers, and laborers ..... 118.9 121.5 122.8 8 2 Ani 28 34 3.3
Service occupations .... 118.8 120.8 121.4 1.0 7 5 3.0 27 22

Production and nonsupervisory
occupations 1 .. 119.4 121.8 122.4 5 7 5 28 28 2.8
Goods-producing industries 2 119.6 1224 122.8 & 6 6 3.0 27 27
Excluding sales occupations .. 119.1 121.6 122.3 6 6 6 3.0 27 2.7
White-collar occupations .. 122.0 124.4 |. 125.1 7 5 6 3.2 27 25
Excluding sales ..... 120.8 123.2 124.1 8 6 7 3.4 28 27
Blue-collar occupations 118.1 120.7 121.4 5 7 6 28 27 2.8
Service occupations . 119.7 122.8 123.5 +3 7 6 2.4 22 3.2
Construction ..... 114.7 116.8 117.2 1 1.0 3 3.2 19 22
Manufacturing 120.8 123.5 124.3 7 5 6 3.0 29 29
White-collar occupations 122.7 125.3 125.9 8B 5 5 3.3 3.0 26
Excluding sales ... 121.4 123.9 124.7 1.0 & 6 3.6 34 27
Biue-collar occupations ... 119.5 122.2 123.1 7 5 7 28 29 3.0
Service occupations 120.6 123.7 124.3 0 7 5 28 2.6 34
Durables .. 120.8 123.6 124.2 8 6 5 3.1 3.2 2.8
Nondurables 120.8 123.3 124.4 4 3 9 28 25 3.0
Service-producing industries 3 119.7 122.6 123.3 4 iB 6 27 29 3.0
Excluding sales occupations .. 120.7 123.4 124.3 4 7 7 28 27 3.0
White-collar occupations 120.4 123.2 124.4 4 7 7 26 28 34
Excluding sales 122.4 124.7 125.8 5 7 3 29 26 3.0
Blue-collar occupations 117.6 121.1 121.1 a 7 0 2.6 - 34 3.0
Service occupations ... 118.7 120.7 121.3 1.2 8 5 3.0 29 22
Transportation and public utilities 119.6 122.9 123.7 6 a7 7 3.6 34 3.4
Tran In. 117.5 121.0 121.6 7 1.0 5 3.6 3.7 35
Public utilities 122.3 125.2 126.1 7 6 Zz 37 3.1 34
Communications 122.1 125.3 126.2 2 6 7 43 3.6 3.4
Electric, gas, and sanitary services ....) 122.4 125.2 125.9 4 & 6 3.0 2.7 29
Wholesale and retail trade ... 118.4 121.6 122.4 8 4 26 28 34
Excluding sales occupations 118.8 121.9 123.2 B&B 14 2.3 27 37

‘See footnotes at end of table.



Table 5. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED

and state and local government workers, by industry and occupational group

}): Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries only, civilian

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 42 months ended
Dec, 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Dec, 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
120.4 123.2 123.9 05 O8 06 28 28 29
120.7 123.4 124.2 5 8 6 3.0 27 29
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations .. 121.5 124.3 125.1 6 1.0 6 29 29 3.0
Excluding sales ...... 122.2 125.0 125.9 6 1.0 7 2.9 29 3.0
Professional specialty and technical 123.5 126.1 127.0 6 WW 7 29 27 28
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 120.8 123.8 124.9 5 8 3 3.0 3.0 3.4
. Administrative ‘support, including
clerical ... 121.6 124.3 125.3 & 7 8 34 28 3.0
Blue-collar occupations 118.2 121.1 121.5 3 7 3 28 28 28
Service occupations ...... 120.4 122.8 123.4 8 8 5 3.3 28 25
Workers, by industry division
Goods-producing 1 119.6 122.1 1228 5 6 6 29 26 27
Manufacturing ... 120.8 123.5 124.3 7 5 6 3.0 29 29
Service-producing 2 we] 120.7 123.7 124.4 A 1.0 6 27 29 34
Services 123.5 * 126.2 126.9 6 Ww & 29 28 2.8
Health servic 125.4 127.5 128.4 8 7 7 2.6 25 24
Hospitals ... 124.9 126.8 127.8 7 6 8 26 23 23
Educatlonat services .. 124.3 127.8 128.5 4 22 5 3.0 3.2 3.4
Public administration .. - 120.6 123.2 124.2 6 7 8 3.4 28 3.0
Nonmanufacturing .. 120.2 123.1 123.8 4 1.0 6 27 28 3.0
State and local government workers ..... 123.4 126.6 127.3 5 1.6 6 34 34 3.2
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations ... 123.6 126.8 127.5 6 18 6 31 3.2 3.2
Professional specialty and technical .. 124.2 127.4 128.0 5 1.8 s 29 34 3.4
Executive, administrative, and
managerial ..... 122.4 126.0 127.2 7 14 1.0 3.0 3.6 3.9
Administrative support, Inclus
clerical 121.7 124.4 125.1 7 1.2 6 3.3 29 28
Blue-collar occupations .. 122.5 124.8 125.7 6 & 7 23 25 26
Service occupations ... 123.3 126.6 127.3 5 Ww & 3.7 3.2 3.2
Workers, by industry division
Services .... sessengnenes 124.2 127.6 128.2 5 2.0 5 3.0 3.2 3.2
Excluding schools 3 124.0 126.9 127.3 6 1 3 3.0 3.0 27
Health services .. 125.3 127.9 128.5 5 1.0 5 3.6 26 26
Hospitals ... anes 125.1 127.6 128.3 7 1.0 5 3.6 27 26
Educationa! services 124.2 127.7 128.3 5 22 5 3.0 3.3 3.3
Schools ..... 124.3 127.8 128.4 4 22 5 3.0 32 33
Elementary and secondary .. | 124.9 128.7 129.2 3 23 4 27 3.4 34
Colleges and universitles .......0000| 122.5 125.0 126.0 8 7 8 4at 29 20
Public administration ...... 120.6 123.2 124.2 6 7 8 3.4 28 3.0
3 Includes mining, construction, and manutacturing, tragp; finance, insurance, and real estate; service Industries; and public administration.

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

Formerly 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
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec..1995
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995

Private Industry workers 123.5 126.2 126.9 0.4 0.6 06 3.1 26 28
Excluding sales 123.9 126.5 127.4 4 6 7 34 25 28
White-collar occupations 124.1 127.0 127.9 5 6 7 3.2 28 34
Excluding sales 125.1 127.8 128.9 6 6 a 34 27 3.0
Professional specialty and technical 126.8 129.3 130.4 4 7 a) 3.2 24 28

Executive, administrative, and
managerial 123.3 126.2 127.2 6 6 8 37 29 3.2
Sales toe 119.6 123.2 123.1 3 7 «1 27 3.4 29
‘Administrative support, including clerical 125.1 128.1 129.2 5 6 2 3.2 29 3.3
Blue-collar occupations ... 122.6 125.1 125.7 2 6 5 28 23 25
Precision production, craft, and repair 122.5 125.4 125.7 0 8 2 3.0 24 2.6

Machine operators, assemblers,

and inspectors 0... 123.4 125.1 126.2 4 2 9 22 1.8 23
Transportation and material moving 120.6 122.9 123.5 2 4 5 31 2.2 24

Handlers, equipment cleaners,
helpers, and laborers 122.9 125.9 127.0 2 5 3 3.2 26 33
Service occupatlons .....csssessensecre 122.9 124.7 125.3 3 6 28 24 2.0

Production and nonsupervisory
occupations 7 .. 123.1 125.8 126.5 4 6 6 28 26 28
Goods-producing industries 2 124.3 126.5 127.4 3 5 7 341 21 25
Excluding sales occupations 124.0 126.1 127.1 4 4 8 3.2 24 2s
White-collar occupations 125.9 128.1 129.0 6 A 2 4.0 24 25
Excluding sales .. 125.0 127.2 128.3 7 4 a 43 25 26
Blue-collar occupations .. 123.4 125.5 126.4 2 5 7 27 1.9 24
Service occupations ... 126.3 128.8 129.6 72 7 & 32 18 26
Construction ... 120.8 123.1 123.4 5 3 2 37 14 22
Manufacturing .... o 125.1 127.3 128.4 6 3 9 34 23 26
White-collar occupations . 126.0 128.7 129.5 3 5 6 3.9 3.0 28
Excluding sales ... 124.9 127.4 128.4 Ww 6 8 4.2 3.4 28
Blue-collar occupations 124.5 126.3 127.5 4 2 1.0 26 1.9 24
Service occupations 127.0 129.5 130.2 0 7 5 35 2.0 25
Durables ... 125.8 128.2 129.1 6 4 7 3.2 25 26
Nondurables 123.8 125.7 127.0 5 2 1.0, 29 2.0 2.6
Service-producing industries 3 .. 122.8 125.8 126.5 A 7 & 29 29 3.0
Excluding sales occupations 123.8 126.6 127.5 4 6 7 3.0 27 3.0
White-collar occupations 123.4 126.5 127.4 4 7 7 3.0 29 3.2
Excluding sales .. 125.1 128.0 129.1 4 7 a) 3.0 2.7 3.2
Blue-collar occupations .. 120.7 123.9 124.2 a 6 2 3.0 27 29
Service occupations ... 122.5 124.2 124.9 1.0 5 6 2.9 24 2.0
Transportation and public utilltles 122.1 126.0 127.0 6 1.0 8 3.9 38 4.0
Transportation 120.3 124.7 125.7 5 1.4 8 4.0 42 45
Pubile utilities 124.4 127.5 128.5 6 6 8 3.8 3.2 3.3
Communications. 124.0 127.4 128.3 a 6 7 4.0 37 35.
Electric, gas, and sanitary services . 124.8 127.7 128.7 3 & 8 3.3 27 34
Wholesale and retall trade .... 120.6 123.8 124.2 A 8 3 3.0 27 3.0
Excluding sales occupations 120.9 124.1 125.2 0 8 9g 25 26 3.6

See footnotes at end of table.



]

{

benefit costs, private industry

T
| | Wages & salaries Benefits
| .

Obs teed Cony bees ESWROOL VenS Ears EYSN SWOT ORY ENEY PYLE
83 85 87 89 91 93 95

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

| Seasonally adjusted Not seasonally adjusted

3-month percent change
3.5

“7T

af
2.5 |r
ak i
1s E
re

0.5 f

‘ttaslieaitialialusdisobes bawinubonbesdeubusba ebb.

0
| 81 83 85 87 89 SI 93 95

* Chart C. ‘Changes in compensation, manu-
facturing - durable goods and manufactur-

_ing - nondurable goods, private industry

: :

Manufacturing Manufacturing
durables nondurables

: 12-month percent change

i
\
i
|
i
/
i
i
1
|

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Employment Cost Trends

Chart D. Changes in compensation,
union and nonunion occupations,
private industry

Poor ence
Union Nonunion

6

Led tebebeteutednd

89 91 93 95

February 1996 dectinfo@bis.gov 202/606-6199


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
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
: Dec, 1994 | Sep. 1995 } Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep, 1995 | Dec. 1995
Civilian workers... 132.5, 135.2 136.2 02 05 07 3.4 22 28
State and tocal government workers .... 130.5, 133.6 134.4 2 1 6 28 25 3.0
Private industry workers .. 133.0 135.6 136.6 2 4 7 3.7 21 27
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar occupations .. 133.3 136.6 187.5 4 4 7 4s 29 3.2
Blue-collar occupations ... 132.5 134.1 135.2 “2 4 8 28 11 20
Service occupations ..... 134.7 135.7 136.5 4 1 & 24 41 13
Workers, by Industry division
Goods-producing industries 1 . 134.8 136.2 137.5 0 2 1.0 35 1.0 2.0
Service-producing industries 2 .... 131.5 134.8 135.6 2 5 & 3.8 2.7 34
Manufacturing ... 134.3 135.5 137.0 3 2 Ww 3.3 1.2 2.0
Nonmanufacturing 132.3 135.4 136.2 a 5 6 38 24 29
Workers, by bargaining status
Union workers ..... 133.7 136.6 138.5 3 8 14 2.4 25 3.6
Nonunion workers .. 182.7 135.2 135.9 A 3 5 42 2.0 24
1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. NOTE: The indexes for these series are not strictly comparable to those for the
Includes transportation, communication, and public utiles; wholesale and retail aggregate, occupation, and industry series.

trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries,


17
EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) 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 21,000 occupations within about 4,100 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," 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.


3

Compensation cost increases were slightly higher for union workers (3.0 percent) than for nonunion
workers (2.8 percent). This pattern also held in the service-producing industries (3.7 percent and 2.9 percent,
Tespectively), but not in the goods-producing industries (2.6 percent for nonunion and 2.2 percent for union).

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.bls.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 requests, send e-mail to: dectinfo@bls.gov.

ECI data for March 1996 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, April 30, 1996, at 8:30 A.M. (EDT).



Qyer-the-year changes, unadjusted

Compensation costs (not seasonally adjusted) increased 2.9 percent for the year ended in December
1995, about the same as the gain for the year ended in December 1994, (See table 2.) Wage and salary
increases also were about the same in the two periods (2.9 and 2.8 percent, respectively), while benefit cost

gains slowed (2.8 percent, down from 3.4 percent). The following table shows the pattern of annual changes
since 1987.

Table B. Percent changes in Employment Cost Index, by component

Percent change, 12 months ended in December

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

Compensation costs
Civilian workers .......0.sssess00
Private industry.............
State and local government

3.6 49 5.0 49 43 3.5 3.5 3.0 29
3.3 48 48 46 44 3.5 3.6 3.1 2.8
45 5.6 6.2 5.8 3.6 3.7 2.8 3.0 3.0

Wages and salaries

Civilian workerg, 3.5 43 44 43 3.6 27 3.1 28 29

Private indust 3.3 41 41 4.0 3.7 2.6 3.1 2.8 2.8

State and local government 4.2 49 5.3 53 3.5 30 + 27 3.1 3.2
Benefits

Civilian workers 3.7 7.0 6.6 6.7 5.6 53 4.6 3.4 28

3.4 69 61 6.6 62 52 5.0 37 27
: - : 710 3.9 5.4 29 28 3.0

Private indus!
State and local government

A slowdown in compensation cost increases was evident for private industry (2.8 percent for December
1994-95, down from 3.1 percent for December 1993-94), but not for state and local governments (3.0 percent
for both periods). For private industry workers, wage and salary gains were the same for the two periods (2.8
percent), but benefit cost increases declined (2.7 percent in December 1994-95, down from 3.7 percent).

For the year ended December 1995, compensation cost gains in private industry were higher in service-
producing industries (3.0 percent) than in goods-producing industries (2.5 percent). For the previous year ended
December 1994, increases in the goods-producing sector had been the higher of the two (3.1 percent compared
with 2.9 percent). Among the goods-producing industries, the December 1994-95 increases ranged from 2.2
percent in construction to 2.6 percent in manufacturing. In the service-producing industries, gains ranged from
2.0 percent for general merchandise stores to 5.4 percent for colleges and universities. Other service-producing
industries with relatively large increases were transportation (4.5 percent) and wholesale trade (4.4 percent).

Over-the-year compensation cost increases in private industry were higher for white-collar workers (3.1
percent) than for blue-collar workers (2.5 percent) and service occupations (2.0 percent). Among white-collar
occupations, increases ranged from 2.8 percent for professional specialty and technical workers to 3.3 percent
for administrative support including clerical occupations. Among blue-collar occupations, the gains ranged
from 2.3 percent for machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors to 3.3 percent for handlers, equipment
cleaners, helpers, and laborers.


13

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
Serles . 3 months ended 12 months ended
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994} Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Wholesale trade ... 119.9 123.9 125.1 0.8 1.0 1.0 3.0 42 43
Excluding sales occupations 120.2 123.7 125.6 5 7 15 2.3 3.4 45
Retail trade .. 117.8 120.5 120.6 72 8 a 24 21 24
General merchandise stores 117.5 119.0 120.0 a) 3 8B 22 24 a4
Food stores .... 117.3 118.6 119.0 al 9 3 1.2 1.0 “44
Finance, insurance, and real estate 114.2 118.0 118.8 4 a) 7 1.2 37 4.0
Excluding sales occupations .. 117.4 121.4 121.7 2 7 5 24 3.3 37
Banking, savings and loan, and other

credit agencies .. 116.2 120.4 121.2 +3 6 7 1.5 3.3 4.3
INSUTANCE esse 118.6 121.1 122.2 8 2 a) 17 29 3.0
Excluding sales occupations .. 122.7 125.7 126.3 3 4 5 23 28 29
Services .. 123.0 125.3 126.1 7 7 6 28 25 25
Business services 120.4 123.6 124.3 4 6 6 41 3.4 32
Health services 125.4 127.5 128.4 2 a) 7 23 26 24
Hospitals ... 124.8 126.6 127.7 7 6 9 23 22 2.3
Nursing homes .. - - - 6 5 1.0 3.6 3.0 34
Educational services 125.1 128:6 129.3 2 24 5 3.5 3.0 34
Colleges and universitles .. 124.9 129.0 130.1 3 25 8 27 3.6 42
Nonmanufacturing industries 119.1 121.9 122.6 3 8 6 27 27 29
White-collar occupations .. 120.2 123.1 123.9 A 8 6 26 2.8 34
Excluding sales 121.8 124.4 125.5 4 7 9 28 26 3.0
Blue-collar occupations 116.4 119.4 119.5, 0 8 a 2.6 26 27
Service occupations .. 118.6 120.6 121.2 WW 7 5 3.0 28 22

1 This series has the same Industry and occupational coverage as the Hourly 3 includes transportation, communication, and public utllties: wholesale and retall

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

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


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
Serles 3 months ended 12 months ended
Dec, 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995 | Dec. 1994 | Sep. 1995 | Dec. 1995
COMPENSATION
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 129.2 131.5 133.9 0.4 0.4 18 3.2 22 3.6
White-collar occupations 125.3 127.8 128.9 0 5 9 29 2.0 2.9
Blue-collar occupations .. 134.2 136.3 140.9 8 a 3.4 3.4 23 5.0
WAGES AND SALARIES
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 124.8 127.4 128.0 0.6 07 05 26 27 26
White-collar occupations 120.2 122.7 123.1 3 9 3 25 24 24
Blue-collar occupations . 131.7 134.1 135.1 1.2 4 7 3.0 3.0 26
BENEFIT COSTS
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 138.4 140.5 146.6 0.2 0.2 43 4.0 13 5.9
White-collar occupations 137.3 139.9 142.5 “5 2 “1.9 3.6 1.4 3.8
Blue-collar occupations ... 199.2 140.6 151.9 a +2 8.0 43 12 91

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