Employment Cost Index Benefits in the United States decreased to 0.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 0.80 percent in the third quarter of 2025. Employment Cost Index Benefits in the United States averaged 0.97 percent from 1982 until 2025, reaching an all time high of 2.70 percent in the third quarter of 1982 and a record low of 0.10 percent in the first quarter of 1997. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2025-12-10 01:30 PM
Employment Cost - Benefits QoQ
Q3 0.8% 0.7% 0.6%
2026-02-10 01:30 PM
Employment Cost - Benefits QoQ
Q4 0.7% 0.8% 0.7%
2026-04-30 12:30 PM
Employment Cost - Benefits QoQ
Q1 0.7%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Hourly Earnings MoM 0.40 0.40 percent Feb 2026
Average Hourly Earnings YoY 3.80 3.70 percent Feb 2026
Average Weekly Hours 34.30 34.30 Hours Feb 2026
Employed Persons 162912.00 163097.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Employment Cost Index 0.70 0.80 percent Dec 2025
Employment Cost - Benefits 0.70 0.80 percent Dec 2025
Employment Cost - Wages 0.70 0.80 percent Dec 2025
Employment Rate 59.30 59.40 percent Feb 2026
Full Time Employment 134341.00 134441.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Government Payrolls -6.00 -20.00 Thousand Feb 2026
JOLTs Job Openings 6946.00 6550.00 Thousand Jan 2026
Job Openings 7110.00 6088.00 Thousand Jan 2026
Participation Rate 62.00 62.10 percent Feb 2026
Labour Costs 122.55 121.72 points Dec 2025
Long Term Unemployment Rate 1.11 1.06 percent Feb 2026
Manufacturing Payrolls -12.00 5.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Non Farm Payrolls -92.00 126.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Nonfarm Payrolls Private -86.00 146.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Part Time Employment 28478.00 28727.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Productivity 119.64 118.81 points Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons 7571.00 7368.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.40 4.30 percent Feb 2026
Wages 32.03 31.94 USD/Hour Feb 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 29.77 29.60 USD/Hour Feb 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 9.50 8.90 percent Feb 2026


United States Employment Cost Index Benefits QoQ
The Employment Cost Index (ECI) is a measure of the change in the cost of labor, independent of the influence of employment shifts among occupations and industry categories. The total compensation series includes changes in wages and salaries and in employer costs for employee benefits. The ECI calculates indexes of total compensation, wages and salaries, and benefits separately for all civilian workers in the United States, for private industry workers, and for workers in state and local government.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
0.70 0.80 2.70 0.10 1982 - 2025 percent Quarterly
SA