Quarterly changes, seasonally adjusted
Compensation costs for private industry rose 0.5 percent from September to December 2008; the prior quarter increase was 0.6 percent. For the December quarter, state and local government compensation increased 0.5 percent. The prior quarter’s increase was 0.9 percent. Wages and salaries for private industry workers increased 0.6 percent for the September to December 2008 period, the same as for the prior quarter. In state and local government, wages and salaries increase was 0.4 percent - smaller than the 1.0 percent increase in the prior quarter. Benefit costs for private industry rose 0.4 percent, compared to 0.6 percent in the previous quarter. For state and local government, benefit costs increased 0.8 percent, compared to the 0.7 percent increase in the previous quarter.
Over-the-year changes, not seasonally adjusted
Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.6 percent for the year ended December 2008, less than the 3.3 percent increase for the year ended December 2007. In private industry, compensation costs rose 2.4 percent in the year ended December 2008, less than the increase for the year ended December 2007, which was 3.0 percent. For state and local government, the increase for the 12-month period ended December 2008 was 3.0 percent, less than the December 2007 increase of 4.1 percent. Wages and salaries for civilian workers increased 2.7 percent for the 12-month period; down from the December 2007 increase of 3.4 percent. Private industry wages and salaries increased 2.6 percent in December 2008. In December 2007 the increase was 3.3 percent. State and local government wages and salaries increased 3.1 percent for the year ended December 2008. The increase for the 12-month period ending December 2007 was 3.5 percent. Benefits increased 2.2 percent for civilian workers. In private industry, benefit costs increased 2.0 percent, less than the increase for state and local government, which was 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ended December 2008.
Nonfarm private industry
For the year ended December 2008, private industry compensation costs increased 2.4 percent for goods-producing industries, the same as the increase in December 2007. Compensation costs for manufacturing increased 2.0 percent for the year ended December 2008, also the same as for the year ended December 2007. In the construction industry, compensation costs rose 3.1 percent compared to 3.9 percent for the 12-month period ending December 2007.
The over-the-year increase for December 2008 in compensation costs for service-providing industries slowed to 2.5 percent. The December 2007 increase was 3.2 percent. Among the major service-providing industries, changes in compensation costs ranged from 1.2 percent in information to 3.8 percent in professional and business services.
Among private industry occupational groups, over-the-year compensation gains ranged from 1.7 percent for sales and office occupations to 2.9 percent for management, professional, and related occupations.
Compensation costs for union workers advanced 2.8 percent in the year ended December 2008, while compensation costs for nonunion workers increased 2.4 percent. Wages and salaries for union workers increased 3.2 percent in the 12-month period ended December 2008. Nonunion workers saw a smaller increase of 2.5 percent. Benefit costs rose 1.9 percent in the 12-month period for both union and nonunion workers.
State and local government
For the year ended December 2008, wages and salaries for state and local government workers rose 3.1 percent. The increase for the 12-month period ended December 2007 was 3.5 percent. Benefit costs increased 2.9 percent for the current 12-month period, less than the 5.5 percent increase for the previous year. Public administration wages and salaries increased 2.8 percent, also less than its December 2007 12-month percent increase of 3.8 percent.
Over-the-year changes in wages and salaries, constant dollars, not seasonally adjusted
After adjusting for the changes in the prices of consumer goods and services, wages and salaries for civilian workers increased 2.6 percent for the 12-month period ended December 2008, compared to a 0.7 percent decrease for the 12-month period ended December 2007. The increase for private industry was 2.5 percent compared to a decrease of 0.7 percent for the year ended December 2007. State and local government registered a 3.0 percent increase, compared to a decrease of 0.6 percent for the previous year.
