US wages and salaries, a component of compensation costs for civilian workers, rose 0.9% quarter over quarter in the second quarter of 2026, accelerating from a 0.8% increase in the previous period. This marked the fastest pace of growth in a year. Wages and salaries increased by 0.9% in both the private sector and state and local government. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment Cost Index Wages in the United States averaged 0.80 percent from 1982 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 1.60 percent in the third quarter of 1982 and a record low of 0.20 percent in the second quarter of 2015. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United States Employment Cost Index Wages QoQ. United States Employment Cost Index Wages QoQ - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on August of 2026.