1

Table 7. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED
industry workers, by bargaining status and area size

4
)): Employment Cost index for wages and salaries only, private

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Workers by bargaining status:
124.8 126.9 128.3 05 0.7 11 27 22 28
122.8 124.7 126.0 7 2 1.0 23 22 26
Goods-producing industries* 123.2 125.4 126.6 6 1.0 1.0 25 24 28
Service-producing industries? . 126.8 128.8 130.4 5 5 12 29 24 28
Manufacturing . 124.5 126.5 127.8 5 7 1.0 26 24 27
Blue-collar occup: 124.2 126.2 127.6 & & 11 26 22 27
Nonmanufacturing ... 124.9 127.4 128.6 5 8 1.2 27 23 3.0
Nonunion .... 126.9 130.3 131.6 8 a) 1.0 35 35 37
Biue-collar occupations 125.2 128.9 129.7 4 Ww & 34 3.4 3.6
Goods-producing industries 127.3 130.2 131.2 1.0 1.0 8 3.6 3.3 34
Service-producing industries? 126.6 130.2 131.6 7 9 ml 3.4 3.6 3.9
Manufacturing .. 128.8 131.7 132.6 10 14 7 3.6 3.3 3.0
Blue-collar occupations 127.8 131.2 132.0 ec) Vi & 3.8 3.6 3.3
Nonmanufacturing 126.1 129.7 131.41 7 2 V4 3.4 3.6 4.0
Workers by region’?
Northeast 127.0 129.8 130.7 8 8 7 3.2 3.0 29
South 126.0 129.4 130.6 7 7 2 3.4 3.4 37
Midwest 126.9 130.4 132.2 & 14 1.4 3.2 3.3 42
West 125.8 128.9 130.2 8 a) 1.0 3.6 3.3 35
Workers by area size:
Metropolitan areas . 126.7 129.9 1341 7 a) 2 35 3.3 35
Other areas .. 125.0 128.8 130.4 6 2 12 24 37 43

1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.

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

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

€arolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest—lllinois, Indiana,
lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West—Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
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.


5

“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)
June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Dec. 1995 | Mar. 1996 | June 1996 | Sep. 1996 | Dec. 1996 | Mar. 1997 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
COMPENSATION
Civilian workers .. 132.8 133.8 06 06 09 06 08 06 08 08
State and local government 133.8 134.5 7 6 6 6 8 5 5 5
Private industry workers 132.5 133.6 Z 6 2 7 z 6 8 8
White-collar occupations 134.0 135.1 7 2 8 8 7 8 8 8
Blue-collar occupations .. 130.7 131.6 6 8 7 4 2 3 8 7
Service occupations .. 130.6 132.8 3 5 7 6 9 9 8 17
Goods-producing industries! 132.7 133.7 8 4 z) 7 6 2 1.0 8
Construction? 128.5 129.4 7 6 5 4 9 6 2 7
Manufacturing 133.6 134.6 8 5 9 8 7 2 9 7
Durables .. 134.0 135.0 8 3 12 6 7 A 8 7
Nondurables 132.8 133.9 1.0 7 5 12 7 3 10 38
Service-producing industries? .] 132.4 133.6 6 8 8 7 8 8 7 x)
Transportation and public
utilities .. 1318 132.9 7 6 7 8 1.0 3 6 8
Wholesale trade? 1335 134.6 8 6 a) 7 8 17 2 8
Retail trade 1295 130.9 4 15 -A 14 13 x) s& 14
Finance, insurance,
estate24 129.4 130.5 3 14 14 3 -6 24 6 2
Services .. 135.7 136.9 5 8 8 7 38 F ) 2
Nonmanufacturing industries .| 132.0 133.1 6 7 8 7 ) 7 8 8
WAGES AND SALARIES
Civilian workers... 130.1 131.3 06 1.0 08 07 08 09 08 09
State and local government . 1322 133.1 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 7
Private industry workers 129.7 130.9 7 1.0 2 7 8 x) 2 2
White-collar occupations 1312 132.6 7 11 2 8 8 1.0 8 14
Blue-collar occupations* 1273 128.3 5 ) 1.0 5 6 7 10 8
Service occupations 127.7 130.0 4 7 7 cc) 1.0 x) 2 18
Goods-producing industries | 128.9 129.9 7 8 1.0 8 6 6 14 8
Construction? .. 123.5 124.4 2 2 8 5 7 1.2 1.0 7
Manufacturing* 130.3 131.3 6 2 2 2 3 5 2 8
Durables* 130.1 1312 6 6 14 2 5 5 ) 8
Nondurable: 130.4 131.5 10 a 5 14 8 4 2 8
Service-producing industries? ..| 130.0 131.4 7 14 8 7 2 1.0 8 14
Transportation and public
utilities 128.9 130.2 6 6 5 7 8 2 6 1.0
Wholesale trade? 131.8 138.1 14 2 2 7 7 18 0 1.0
Retail trade . 128.4 1297 2 24 “A 1.0 13 1.3 8 1.0
Finance, insu
estate2.4 125.3 126.4 3 12 18 2 a) 19 6 2
Services 133.1 134,7 6 1.0 14 7 7 38 4 12
Nonmanufacturing industries ....) 129.2 130.6 7 10. 9 6 1.0 9 8 14

See footnotes at end of table.



18
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, 312-353-1880. Reprints of the articles plus
other descriptive pieces and a complete historical listing are available upon request by calling 202/606-6199,
sending email to ocltinfo@bls.gov, or visiting the web site at: http://stats.bls.gov/ecthome.htm. 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 and area size

Indexes (June 1989-100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Workers by bargaining status:
Union .., 130.1 131.8 133.2 0.3 06 14 26 16 24
Biue-collar occupations 1283 129.9 131.2 2 8 1.0 24 15 23
Goods-producing industries’ . 129.2 131.2 132.3 2 a) 8 2.0 17 24
Service-producing industries? 131.0 132.4 134.0 5 4 12 3.3 16 23
Manufacturing ... 1298 131.7 133.0 0 7 1.0 24 15 25
Blue-collar occupations . 1295 131.4 132.6 A 7 ) 24 15 24
Nonmanufacturing ... 129.9 131.5 132.9 5 7 1 29 18 23
Nonunion .. 1297 132.8 133.9 8 8 8 29 32 3.2
Blue-collar occupations 1278 131.2 131.8 4 1.0 5 27 34 34
Goods-producing industries! . 130.4 133.2 134.0 8 x) & 3.2 29 28
Service-producing industries? 129.2 132.5 133.7 7 8 2 2.9 3.3 35
Manufacturing ... 131.7 134.4 135.1 ) 1.0 5 35 3.0 26
Blue-collar occupations .. 130.3 133.5 134.2 8 1.0 5 37 3.2 3.0
Nonmanutacturing 128.9 132.2 133.4 7 8 9 29 3.3 35
Workers by region:3
Northeast .. 130.6 133.1 134.0 7 7 7 25 26 26
South 128.8 131.5 132.5 8 5 8 29 29 29
Midwest 131.3 134.7 136.2 5 14 14 28 34 37
West .. 128.3 131.4 1325 8 8 8 36 32 3.3
Workers by area size:
Metropolitan areas 130.0 132.8 133.9 7 8 8 3.0 29 3.0
Other areas .. 128.7 132.4 133.8 5 8 14 24 3.4 40
1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest—Illinois, Indiana,
Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail —_lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries. Dakota, and Wisconsin; and West—Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
S The regional coverage is as follows: Northeas'—Connecticut, Maine, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
and Vermont; South—Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, NOTE: The indexes for these series are not strictly comparable to those for the
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South aggregate, occupation, and industry series.


‘Table 2. COMPENSATION (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED)
local government workers, by industry and occupational

7

}): Employment Cost index for total compensation, civilian and state and
group

Indexes (June 1989=100)

Percent changes for

Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Civilian workers 130.2 132.8 134.1 08 06 1.0 28 28 3.0
Excluding sal 1305 133.0 134.2 9 7 2 28 28 28
Workers by occupational group
White-collar occupations 131.3 1339 | 135.2 1.0 6 1.0 34 3.0 3.0
Excluding sales 1319 | 1343 135.6 1 6 1.0 3.0 29 28
Professional specialty and te 1326 | 1346 135.8 2 7 2 29 24 24
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 131.1 134.0 | 135.3 15 6 1.0 35 38 32
Administrative support, including
clerical ... 132.0 1346 | 1358 2 Z 2 3.0 2.9 2.9
Blue-collar occupations 128.3 130.9 131.8 5 8 7 25 25 27
Service occupations 129.7 1327 | 1346 8 5 14 24 34 38
Workers by industry division
Goods-producing! 130.1 182.7 133.6 6 2 7 28 26 27
Manufacturing .. 131.3 133.8 134.6 7 2 6 3.4 26 25
Service-producing? 130.2 1329 | 1342 2 6 1.0 28 29 34
Services 132.5 1349 | 1365 1.0 6 12 28 28 3.0
Health ser 134.1 135.7 | 1367 5 4 7 23 17 1.9
Hospitals 1336 | 1346 | 1356 8 3 7 25 13 15
Educational services 133.2 134.2 136.5 18 A 17 26 26 25
Public administration . 130.7 138.0 | 1341 8 a) 8 26 26 26
Nonmanufacturing 129.8 1325 | 1338 8 6 1.0 28 2.9 34
State and local government workers .. 1319 | 133.3 135.0 13 4 13 25 24 24
Workers by occupational group
White-collar occupations... 131.8 133.0 | 1348 18 1 1.4 25 24 23
Professional specialty and technic 1316 | 1325 134.6 1.6 0 16 25 23 23
Executive, administrative, and
managerial .. 1320 | 1344 | 1356 8 2 2 22 26 27
Administrative support, including
clerical 6... 1318 | 1335 | 1953 14 2 13 26 24 27
Blue-collar occupations 130.3 1323 | 1333 6 2 8 24 22 23
Service occupations . 133.6 135.6 | 137.0 1.0 0 1.0 27 25 25
Workers by industry division
Services ... 1324 | 1333 | 195.4 16 a 16 25 23 23
Excluding schools3.4 1319 | 1329 | 1344 38 3 Ma 23 16 19
Health services 134.0 1349 | 1360 7 3 8 23 1.4 15
Hospitals . 134.2 1352 | 1363 8 3 8 24 15 16
Educational services 132.3 133.2 135.4 18 a 17 26 25 23
Schools... 132.6 133.5 135.7 18 a 1.6 25 25 23
Elementary and secondary 132.6 133.3 135.5 16 2 17 22 24 22
Colleges and universities 132.5 134.1 136.3 2.0 “A 16 35 32 29
Public administration . 130.7 133.0 | 1344 8 0 8 26 26 2.6

1 Includes mining, construction, and manutacturing.

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

3 Formerly called hospitals and other services.

This series may be discontinued with the September 1998 news release.


6

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

Indexes (June

Percent changes for 3-months ended

Series 1989=100)
June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Dec. 1995 | Mar. 1996 | June 1996 | Sep. 1996 | Dec. 1996 | Mar. 1997 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
BENEFIT COSTS
Civilian workers .. 139.3 139.9 os O41 06 06 07 0.4 06 04
State and local government ........] 137.6 137.9 5 7 4 4 7 s a 2
Private industry workers 1397 140.4 5 0 z 5 7 0 Z 5
White-collar occupatior 141.4 141.9 5 A 7 8 5 3 6 4
Blue-collar occupations .. 1379 138.9 6 0 7 2 7 1 7 7
Service occupations? . 1395 141.6 A A 3 a 6 x) 8 15
Goods-producing industries! 140.7 141.7 1.0 +2 8 4 2 -6 2 7
Manufacturing 1408 144.7 14 “A 2 6 8 -6 1.0 6
Service-producing industries? ..] 139.1 139.6 4 A 6 7 6 4 6 4
Nonmanufacturing industries ....] 139.4 140.0 3 A 58 7 4 4 4

7 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.

This series may be discontinued with the September 1998 news ralease,
3 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail

‘rads; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.

4 No identifiable seasonality was found for this series.


9

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
‘Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Public utilities 130.4 132.5 133.7 1.0 0.4 0.9 2.3 26 25
Communicat 129.4 130.5 131.8 1.3 2 1.0 13 24 24
Electric, gas, and sanitary service: 132.0 134.9 136.0 7 5 8 3.4 29 3.0
Wholesale and retail trade 127.5 131.2 132.4 9 8 2 3.0 38 3.8
Excluding sales 128.0 131.9 133.0 13 12 8 34 44 3.9
Wholesale trade! 129.9 133.8 134.6 5 7 & 3.0 35 3.6
Excluding sales! 130.0 133,7 134.5 1.0 8 6 3.0 3.9 35
Retail trade ... 126.2 129,7 131.1 141 9 14 29 3.9 3.9
General merchandise stores’ 124.6 127.7 128.6 8 1.0 7 3.0 3.3 3.2
Food stores! ... 127.0 128.2 1298 24 0 12 43 34 22
Finance, insurance, and real estate? 126.7 129.4 130.5 3 6 ) 3.3 25 3.0
Excluding sales! . 1297 192.4 133.5 2 7 8 3.4 3.0 29
Banking, savings ar
credit agencies! 130.3 131.6 133.1 16 8 14 44 27 24
Insurance! . 129.3 132.1 133.1 a) 2 8 35 3.0 29
Excluding sales? .. 133.4 136.6 187.4 5 4 6 29 29 3.0
Services .. 132.7 135.7 137.0 & & 1.0 29 3.0 3.2
Business services! 130.2 134.2 136.3 8 7 16 3.6 3.9 47
Health services 134.2 135.9 137.0 5 3 8 22 18 24
Hospitals ... 193.4 134.4 135.4 5 3 7 24 12 15
Nursing homes = - - 2 5 & 28 23 27
Educational services 197.5 138.8 141.6 2.0 2 2.0 32 3.0 3.0
Colleges and universities 138.6 139.9 142.5 18 3 19 3.0 27 28
Nonmanutacturing industries 129.1 132.1 133.3 7 8 9 29 3.0 3.3
White-collar occupations 130.5 133.6 134.9 8&8 7 1.0 3.2 32 3.4
Excluding sales . 132.1 135.1 136.2 1.0 8 8 32 3.3 34
Blue-collar occupations . 125.9 128.6 129.4 2 2 8 19 2.4 28
Service occupations .. 127.0 130.5 132.7 8 a) 17 23 3.6 45
} This series may be discontinued with the September 1998 news release. 4 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail
2 This series has the same industry and occupational coverage as the Hourly trade; finance, insurance, and real astate; and service industries.
Eamings Index, which was discontinued in January 1989, ~ Data not available.

Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.


United States Zi
Department Y
' of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

Technical contact: 202/606-6199 USDL: 97-382

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

Internet: _ http://stats.bls.gov/ecthome.htm 8:30 A.M. (EST), TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1997

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX - SEPTEMBER 1997

The Employment Cost Index (ECI), for September 1997 was 134.1 (June 1989=100), an increase of 3.0
percent from September 1996, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The
ECI measures changes in compensation costs, which include wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee
benefits.

Quarterly changes, seasonally adjusted

On a seasonally adjusted basis, compensation costs for civilian workers (private industry plus state and
local governments) rose 0.8 percent during the June-September 1997 period, the same as the March-June 1997
increase. Wages and salaries increased 0.9 percent from June to September, following a gain of 0.8 percent in
the March-June quarter. Benefit costs increased 0.4 percent during the June-September quarter; in the March-
June quarter, the increase was 0.6 percent.

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

Seasonally adjusted Unadjusted
3-months ended 12-months
Compensation Dec. Mar. June Sep. | Dec. Mar. June Sep. ended
Component 1995_1996_1996 1996 | 1996 1997 _1997__1997 Sep. 1997
Civilian workers
Compensation costs 06 #06 O09 06/08 06 O08 O08 3.0
Wages and salaries 06 #10 08 07/08 09 O8 09 3.5
Benefit costs 05 O01 06 06/07 O11 06 04 1.9
Private industry
Compensation costs 07° 06 #09 07307 06 O8 O08 3.2
Wages and salaries 07° #10 O09 07] 08 09 09 09 3.6
Benefit costs 05° #00 O07 O05 | 07 00 07 O05 2.0

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 0.8 percent during the June-September 1997
period, the same as the March-June quarter. Wages and salaries rose 0.9 percent, also the same as the March-
June increase. Benefit costs increased 0.5 percent, following a March-June quarterly increase of 0.7 percent.
(See table 1.)


12

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

Indexes (June 1989=100) Percent changes for
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Private industry workers 126.5 129.7 131.0 07 09 10 33 33 36
Excluding sales .. 126.8 129.9 134.2 x) 1.0 1.0 34 33 35
White-collar occupations 128.0 131.3 132.7 8 8 14 36 3.4 37
Excluding sales ... 129.0 132.0 133.4 1 3 cI 38 34 34
Professional specialty and technical . 129.6 132.4 133.7 6 1 1.0 34 28 32
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 128.9 192.1 133.6 17 8 14 45 42 36
Sales’. 123.9 128.3 129.8 “4 4 1.2 28 34 48
Administrative support, including
clerical .. 128.5 131.7 132.9 2 8 2 34 35 34
Blue-collar occupations . 124.3 127.3 1283 5 10 8 29 29 32
Precision production, craft, pai 124.2 127.4 1282 4 13 6 26 3.0 32
Machine operators, assemblers, and
inspectors 125.4 128.5 1295 7 1.0 8 33 32 33
Transportation and material moving . 121.0 123.0 124.41 3 6 x) 24 2.0 26
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers,
and laborers | 125.8 129.3 130.2 6 a 7 35 3.4 35
Service occupations .. 124.4 127.6 129.9 2 8 18 27 a7 47
Production and nonsupervisory
occupations? .. 125.6 128.8 130.1 & 2 1.0 3.4 3.4 36
Goods-producing industries? 126.1 128.9 129.9 8 44 8 3.3 3.0 3.0
Excluding sales 1257 128.3 1293 9 1.0 8 34 3.0 29
White-collar occupations 1286 131.4 1323 1.0 1 7 34 32 29
Excluding sales .... 1277 130.0 130.9 1 2 7 37 29 25
Blue-collar occupations 124.5 127.3 128.4 6 1.0 2 34 29 34
Construction’ ... 120.4 123.6 124.7 7 13 2 34 33 36
Manufacturing .. 127.7 130.3 131.3 2 2 8 3.4 3.0 28
White-collar occupations 129.6 131.9 132.8 14 1.0 7 34 29 25
Excluding sales . 128.4 1305 131.3 rh 2 6 36 28 23
Blue-collar occupations . 126.3 1292 130.2 7 9 8 34 3.0 34
Durables . 1277 130.1 131.2 2 2 8 33 28 27
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 130.6 133.5 133.3 2 1 1 25 25 24
White-collar occupations 126.1 129.6 1293 2 14 28 29 25
Blue-collar occupations 137.0 138.8 138.4 4 8 22 18 1.0
Nondurables 1276 130.6 131.4 9 1.0 35 32 3.0
Service-producing industries 126.7 130.1 131.5 7 2 44 33 3.4 38
Excluding sales 1276 130.9 1323 x) 2 14 34 35 37
White-collar occupations .. 127.8 131.2 132.6 8 8 14 a7 35 38
Excluding sales 129.5 1327 134.2 14 2 14 38 3.6 36
Blue-collar occupations 1238 1272 1279 2 1.0 6 22 3.0 33
Service occupations . 124.0 1275 129.8 1.0 8 18 27 38 47
Transportation and public utilities 125.9 128.8 130.1 Z 5 10 24 3.0 33
Transportation’ 123.8 126.9 128.5 5 3 13 23 3.0 38

See footnotes at end of table.


Table 5. WAGES AND SALARIES (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED)

ll

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 12 months ended
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Civilian workers... 127.2 130.1 131.6 09 07 1.2 3.2 3.2 35
Excluding sales .. 1275 130.2 131.7 1 8 12 3.3 3.2 3.3
Workers by occupational group
White-collar occupations . 128.6 131.5 133.0 1.0 7 V4 35 3.3 3.4
Excluding sales .. 129.4 132.0 133.5 1.3 8 1 3.5 3.3 3.2
Professional specialty and technical 130.2 132.3 134.0 141 7 1.3 3.3 27 29
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 129.0 132.0 133.5 16 8&8 1 42 3.9 35
Administrative support, including
clerical ..... 128.4 131.4 132.7 1.0 8 1.0 3.3 3.4 3.3
Blue-collar occupations 124.5 127.5 128.4 5 1.0 7 28 29 34
Service occupations . 126.2 129.3 131.5 1.0 5 17 28 35 42
Workers by industry division
Goods-producing! 126.1 128.9 129.9 8&8 1.0 8 3.3 3.0 3.0
Manufacturing 127.7 130.3 131.3 9 9 8 3.4 3.0 28
Service-producing2 127.7 130.6 132.2 9 & 1.2 3.2 3.2 35
Services 130.3 132.9 134.8 11 7 1.4 3.2 34 35
Health ser 130.8 133.1 134.3 & & 3 26 24 27
Hospitals 130.0 131.5 132.5 6 4 8 25 18 1.9
Educational services .. 131.6 132.6 136.3 1.9 A 2.0 3.0 27 28
Public administration 126.6 129.0 130.3 1.0 A 1.0 28 3.0 29
Nonmanufacturing . 127.0 130.0 131.5 9 7 1.2 3.2 3.3 35
State and local government workers ... 130.1 131.5 133.6 1.6 a 16 28 27 27
Workers by occupational group
White-collar occupations 130.3 131.5 133.7 16 a 17 28 26 26
Professional specialty at 131.1 132.0 134.4 1.9 A 18 29 26 25
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 129.3 131.7 133.1 1.0 3 V1 26 29 29
Administrative support, including
clerical .. 127.7 129.5 131.4 13 2 15 27 27 29
Blue-collar occupations 127.9 129.8 131.2 7 2 1 25 22 26
Service occupations 130.1 132.4 134.2 12 co) 1.4 28 3.0 3.2
Workers by industry division
Services .... 131.2 132.2 134.7 1.8 a 1.9 28 26 27
Excluding schools3.4 130.1 131.6 133.3 1 3 13 25 23 25
Health services . 131.4 132.6 133.9 3 4 1.0 25 24 24
Hospitals ... 130.9 132.4 133.7 9 A 1.0 26 24 24
Educational services 131.3 132.2 134.8 1.9 a 2.0 28 26 27
Schools 131.4 132.3 134.9 1.9 a 2.0 28 26 27
Elementary and secondary .. 132.0 132.6 135.3 1.9 2 2.0 26 24 25
Colleges and universities 129.8 131.4 133.6 24 -1 17 3.8 3.4 29
Public administration . 126.6 129.0 130.3 1.0 a 1.0 28 3.0 29

1 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.
Includes transportation, communication, and public

litios; wholesale and retail

trade; financa, insurance, and real estate; service industries; and public administration.

3 Formerly called hospitals and other services.

This series may be discontinued with the September 1998 news release,


8

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
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Private industry workers 129.8 132.8 133.9 0.6 08 08 29 29 3.2
Excluding sales ... 130.2 133.0 134.1 8&8 8 & 29 29 3.0
White-collar occupations 131.1 134.1 135.2 8 8&8 8&8 3.2 3.2 3.1
Excluding sales 132.0 134.8 135.9 1.0 8 8 3.3 3.4 3.0
Professional specialty and technical .. 133.3 135.9 136.7 5 1.0 & 34 25 26
Executive, administrative, and
managerial 130.9 133.9 135.2 1.6 7 1.0 37 40 3.3
Sales! . 126.7 130.7 132.2 72 5 Ww 28 3.0 43
Administrative support, including
clerical .. 132.0 134.7 135.9 9 7 2 3.0 3.0 3.0
Blue-collar occupations .. 128.1 130.8 131.7 4 Bo) 7 24 25 28
Precision production, craft, and repair 128.2 130.9 131.7 4 1.0 & 22 25 27
Machine operators, assemblers, and
inspectors 128.7 131.2 132.2 5 2 8 29 24 27
‘Transportation and material moving .. 124.9 126.8 128.0 2 & 9 1.6 17 25
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers,
and laborers .. | 130.0 133.4 134.2 5 5 & 3.3 3.2 3.2
Service occupations ... 127.4 130.9 133.1 7 8 17 22 35 45
Production and nonsupervisory
occupations? .. 129.2 132.1 133.2 5 8&8 8&8 27 27 34
Goods-producing industries? 130.1 132.7 133.6 & 1.0 7 28 26 27
Excluding sales 129.8 132.3 133.1 & 2 & 29 26 25
White-collar occupat 132.2 134.8 135.6 a) 1.0 & 32 29 26
Excluding sales 131.5 133.8 134.5 1.0 a) 5 3.4 28 23
Blue-collar occupations 128.9 131.4 132.4 5 9 8&8 27 24 27
Construction’ .... 125.9 128.7 129.7 5 1.2 8 23 27 3.0
Manufacturing 131.3 133.8 134.6 7 2 & 3.1 26 25
White-collar occupations 132.8 135.2 135.8 9 1.0 4 3.2 27 23
Excluding sales .. 131.8 133.8 134.5 1.0 8&8 5 35 25 2.0
Blue-collar occupations .. 130.2 132.8 133.7 5 8 7 34 25 27
Durables... 131.9 134.1 135.0 5 8 7 29 22 24
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 138.2 138.4 137.8 oO 8 74 5.1 A -3
White-collar occupations 133.8 134.9 134.6 “A 1.0 +2 47 7 6
Blue-collar occupations 144.4 142.8 141.8 2 4 -7 5.9 -9 18
Nondurables 130.0 133.0 133.7 9 1.0 5 3.4 32 28
Service-producing industries 129.5 132.5 133.8 7 7 1.0 29 3.0 3.3
Excluding sales 130.3 133.3 134.5 a] 8&8 9 29 3.2 3.2
White-collar occupations... 130.6 133.7 134.9 & 8&8 9 32 3.2 3.3
Excluding sales 132.2 135.1 136.3 1.0 8 9 3.3 3.2 34
Blue-collar occupations 126.4 129.2 130.0 3 8 6 2.0 25 28
Service occupations . 127.4 130.6 132.7 & 8 16 23 3.6 44
Transportation and public utilities . 129.3 131.7 132.9 7 3 a 26 26 28
‘Transportation! 128.2 130.9 132.1 4 2 2a 28 25 3.0

‘See footnotes at end of table.



4

Employment Cost Index

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

Wages & salaries

Benefits |

12-month percent change
4

12 |

fuctdeasdecsdasad

Chart B. Changes in wages and salaries and
benefit costs, state and local government

Wages and salaries Benefits

12-month percent change

tecdutatoatis

dab datooe

87 89 91 93 95

81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97

Chart C. Changes in compensation,
private industry and state and local
government

Chart D. Changes in wages and salaries,
private industry and state and local
government

Private industry State and local gov't.

12-month percent change
10 5

89 93° «9S

85

83 87 91

8 87 89 91 93 95 97

83

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Compensation Levels and Trends
http://stats.bls.gov/ecthome.htm

ocltinfo@bls.gov 202/606-6199

October 1997



. 15
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 _
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Civilian workers 137.7 139.6 140.3 06 0s 05 18 2.0 19
State and local government workers 136.1 137.4 138.2 7 0 6 19 17 15
Private industry workers .. 138.1 140.1 140.8 5 5 5 18 2.0 2.0
White-collar occupations 139.5 141.5 142.0 8 5 4 24 22 18
Blue-collar occupations . 136.2 138.0 1388 A 6 & 16 14 19
Service occupations? . 136.2 139.6 141.4 “A 2 13 4 24 38
Goods-producing industries? 138.8 140.9 141.5 A 7 4 19 17 19
Service-producing industries? 137.2 139.2 1398 7 5 4 18 22 19
Manufacturing . 138.8 141.0 141.4 2 8 3 24 18 19
Aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) 1548 148.8 147.6 “4 fl -8 10.2 42 47
White-collar occupations! 152.1 1473 146.8 5 3 -3 87 37 35
Blue-collar occupations 158.4 150.4 148.2 0 -3 AS 127 5.4 64
Nonmanufacturing .. 1375 139.5 140.2 6 4 5 16 2.0 2.0
Union workers .. 139.9 140.9 1422 A 5 2 24 6 16
Nonunion workers 137.4 139.7 140.2 7 & 4 16 23 20
1 This series ay be discontinued with the September 1998 news release. trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
2 Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing. NOTE: The indexes for these series are not strictly comparable to those for the

Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail aggregate, occupation, and industry series.


7
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 ECT release, indexes were rebased to June 1989=100. A description of
the rebasing is included in the article "Employment Cost Index Rebased to June 1989," in the April 1990 issue of

the Monthly Labor Review.

Beginning with the December 1990 ECI release, seasonally adjusted data are available for selected ECI
series. Seasonal adjustment removes the effects of events that follow a more or less regular pattern each year.
These adjustments make nonseasonal patterns easier to spot. EC] 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 1997 data from the ECI, are
published in a separate news release titled "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation - March 1997." 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,
with March as the reference month, are calculated with current employment weights, rather than the fixed 1990
weights used in computing the ECI. Therefore, year-to-year changes in the cost levels will usually differ from
those in the ECI.

Because the Employment Cost Index is a sample survey, it is subject to sampling errors. Sampling errors
are differences that occur between the results computed from a sample of observations and those computed from
all observations in the population. The estimates derived from different samples selected using the same sample
design may differ from each other.

A measure of the variation among these differing estimates is the standard error. It can be used to
measure the precision with which an estimate from a particular sample approximates the expected result of all
possible samples. The standard error can be used to define a range (confidence interval) around the estimate.
The 90-percent confidence interval means that if all possible samples were selected and an estimate of the
population value and its sampling error were computed for each, then, for approximately 90 percent of the
samples, the intervals from 1.6 standard errors below the estimates to 1.6 standard errors above the estimates
would include the population value.

Because standard errors vary from quarter to quarter, the ECI uses a five-year moving average of
standard errors to evaluate published series. Currently, in the higher level aggregate series the standard errors
for 3-month changes are generally 0.1 percent or less; for 12-month changes, standard errors are generally 0.25
percent or less. Currently, in the lower level series, standard errors are generally 0.3 percent or less for 3-month
changes and 0.6 percent or less for 12-month changes.

More detailed information on the ECI is available in several sources. These include an annual bulletin,
Employment Cost Indexes and Levels, 1975-95, (Bulletin 2466); a chapter in the BLS Handbook of Methods
(Bulletin 2490), "National Compensation Measures," and several articles published in the Monthly Labor Review
and Compensation and Working Conditions. The annual bulletin is available from the Superintendent of



*

3
‘Fable B. 12-month percent changes in Employment Cost Index for state and local government

Compensation Sep. Sep. Sep. Sep. Sep. Sep. Sep. Sep. | Ave. yearly increase
Component 1990__1991 1992 1993 199419951996 1997 Sep. 1990-96
Compensation costs 59 41 35 30 30 30 25 2.4 3.6
Wages and salaries 53. 39 2.7 29 29 31 £428 2.7 3.4
Benefit costs 71 46 S1 32 32 25 19 15 3.9

The ECI for December 1997 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, January 27, 1998 at 8:30 A.M. (EST)

The Bureau is evaluating published ECI series to assure that they meet statistical standards for reliability.
Preliminary research has targeted 37 series for elimination from the news release. These series are marked with a

footnote in the accompanying tables. Series that fail reliability standards will be removed from the news release
beginning in September 1998 and will be available only upon request.

BLS Data Available on the World Wide Web and Fax On Demand

ECT data, as well as other data produced by BLS, are now available on the World Wide Web. The ECI
home page address is: http://stats.bls.gov/ecthome.htm. The BLS home page address is: http://stats.bls.gov.
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
ECT data requests, send e-mail to: ocltinfo@bls.gov.

News releases and other information are available from the BLS fax-on-demand service. To request a
document fax, call 202-606-6325. To request a catalog of available documents, select option 2 at the initial
voice prompt. To request data found in this news release, enter the following codes:

Text 4110
Tables 1-4 4115
Tables 5-7 4120
Table 8 4125

Explanatory notes 4190



2
Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 0.5 percent during the June-
September 1997 period, the same as the March-June quarter. Wages and salaries increased 0.7 percent; in the
March-June quarter, the increase was 0.6 percent. Benefits increased 0.2 percent; the previous quarterly
increase was 0.1 percent.

Over-the-year changes, unadjusted

Compensation costs for civilian workers (not seasonally adjusted) were up 3.0 percent for the year ended
September 1997; the increase for the year ended September 1996 was 2.8 percent. Compensation costs in
private industry rose 3.2 percent; in September 1996 the increase was 2.9 percent. Compensation costs for state
and local governments increased 2.4 percent for the year ending in September 1997; the gain for the year ending
in September 1996 was 2.5 percent. (See tables 2 and 3.)

Private industry

In private industry, wages and salaries grew 3.6 percent for the year ended September 1997; the increase
for the year ended September 1996 was 3.3 percent. (See table 6.) Benefit costs for private industry workers
increased 2.0 percent for the year ended in September 1997; the increase for the year ended in September 1996
was 1.8 percent. (See table 8.)

In private industry, over-the-year compensation cost increases were 3.1 percent for white-collar
occupations, 2.8 percent for blue-collar occupations, and 4.5 percent for service occupations. Among the
occupational groups, increases ranged from 2.5 percent for transportation and material moving occupations to
4.5 percent for service occupations. Compensation for sales occupations, which tend to be volatile due to
commission sales, rose 4.3 percent; in September 1996, the over-the-year increase was 2.8 percent.

For the year ended September 1997, compensation costs in goods-producing industries increased 2.7
percent, about the same as the 2.8 percent increase for the year ended September 1996. In service-producing
industries, compensation costs increased 3.3 percent; in September 1996, the over-the-year increase was 2.9
percent. Among industry divisions, over-the-year increases ranged from 2.5 percent in manufacturing to 3.9
percent in retail trade.

Over-the-year compensation cost increases in private industry were 2.4 percent for union workers and 3.2
percent for nonunion workers. The pattern was similar for both goods-producing and service-producing
industries. In goods-producing industries, the increase for union workers was 2.4 percent and the increase for
nonunion workers was 2.8 percent. In service-producing industries, union workers’ compensation increased 2.3
percent, and nonunion workers’ compensation increased 3.5 percent. (See table 4.)

State and local government

Compensation costs in state and local government increased 2.4 percent for the year ended September
1997, about the same as the 2.5 percent increase for the year ended in September 1996. However, the 2.4
percent increase was lower than the average yearly increase of 3.6 percent for the previous 7 years (1990-96).
For the year ended September 1997, the increase in wages and salaries was 2.7 percent, and benefits increased
1.5 percent. For the previous year ended in September 1996, wages and salaries increased 2.8 percent, and
benefits increased 1.9 percent. (See tables 2, 5, and 8; table B; and charts B, C, and D.)


‘

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
Series 3 months ended 12 months ended
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997 | Sep. 1996 | June 1997 | Sep. 1997
Public utilities .. 128.4 130.9 132.0 1.0 06 08 26 3.0 28
Communications 1282 130.6 131.8 13 6 2 23 32 28
Electric, gas, and sanitary services 128.5 131.2 132.2 8 6 8 26 27 2.9
Wholesale and retail trade . 125.8 129.7 130.9 8 2 2 35 3.9 44
Excluding sales 1265 131.1 132.2 13 14 8 38 5.0 45
Wholesale trade! 1285 132.2 133.0 4 6 6 37 33 35
Excluding sales 128.9 132.8 133.9 1.0 8 8 42 44 3.9
Retail trade 124.4 128.5 1299 14 14 14 32 44 44
General merchandise stores! 1226 1262 1267 7 1.0 4 3.0 37 3.3
Food stores! ... 128.1 124.7 1267 16 oe] 16 38 29 29
Finance, insurance, and real estate! 1222 125.3 126.4 2 6 2 3.6 28 34
Excluding sales! . 126.0 128.1 1293 12 7 x) 40 29 26
Banking, savings and loan, and other
credit agencies! 126.8 126.8 128.9 24 7 17 53 24 17
Insurance! 125.4 128.0 128.7 1.0 4 5 36 34 26
Excluding sales! , 1203 132.2 132.9 5 5 5 29 28 28
Services 1297 133.0 134,7 8 r) 13 35 33 39
Business services! .. 128.5 132.4 134.9 6 8 19 40 37 5.0
Health services 1308 133.2 134.3 5 5 8 26 24 27
Hospitals 129.7 131.2 1322 5 4 8 24 16 19
Nursing homes . - - - 4 4 8 28 3.0 3.3
Educational services 133.3 134.8 1378 22 2 22 37 34 3.4
Colleges and universities 133.4 135.0 1378 19 3 24 34 31 3.3
Nonmanufacturing industries. 125.9 129.3 1307 6 2 14 33 34 38
White-collar occupations 127.6 131.0 132.4 8 8 14 37 35 38
Excluding sales .. 1292 132.4 1338 14 2 ww 3.9 36 36
Blue-collar occupations . 122.4 1255 126.4 3 14 7 25 29 33
Service occupations 123.9 127.4 1297 1.0 8 18 27 38 47
1 This series may be discontinued with the September 1998 news release. 4 Includes transportation, communication, and public utilities; wholesale and retail
This series has the same industry and occupational coverage as the Hourly trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; and service industries.
Eamings Index, which was discontinued in January 1989. ~ Data not available.

Includes mining, construction, and manufacturing.


16
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.

Data for this quarter were collected from a probability sample of approximately 17,500 occupations
within about 4,100 sample establishments in private industry and approximately 4,400 occupations within about
800 sample establishments in State and local governments. Data are collected for the pay period including the
12" 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 Statistics survey, were used. A description of the teweighting 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, which 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.