Employment Cost Index

2026 Second Quarter Summary: Inflation closes in on compensation cost growth

2026 First Quarter Summary: Inflation closes in on compensation cost growth

2025 Fourth Quarter Summary: Further softening in compensation cost growth, though margin above general inflation widens slightly

2025 Third Quarter Summary: Growth in compensation costs continues downward trend, though still above general inflation

2025 Second Quarter Summary: Workers’ real purchasing power has slightly weakened despite continued wage growth above inflation.

2025 First Quarter Summary: Continue gains in workers’ real purchasing power, while private-sector benefit costs, particularly healthcare, are accelerating faster than wages.

2024 Fourth Quarter Summary: Year-on-year growth of employee compensation softens but remained solidly above consumer inflation.

2024 Third Quarter Summary: Compensation costs continue to rise faster than inflation: good news for workers, especially union workers.