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 September of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-04-30 12:30 PM
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
Q1 0.8% 0.7% 0.5%
2026-07-31 12:30 PM
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
Q2 0.9% 0.8% 0.7%
2026-10-30 01:30 PM
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
Q3 0.9%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Hourly Earnings MoM 0.30 0.20 percent Aug 2026
Average Hourly Earnings YoY 3.10 3.20 percent Aug 2026
Average Weekly Hours 34.40 34.30 Hours Aug 2026
Employed Persons 162746.00 162177.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Employment Cost Index 0.90 0.90 percent Jun 2026
Employment Cost - Benefits 1.00 1.20 percent Jun 2026
Employment Cost - Wages 0.90 0.80 percent Jun 2026
Employment Rate 59.10 58.90 percent Aug 2026
Full Time Employment 134288.00 133553.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Government Payrolls 35.00 -50.00 Thousand Aug 2026
JOLTs Job Openings 7271.00 7182.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Job Openings 7738.00 6948.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Participation Rate 61.60 61.40 percent Aug 2026
Labour Costs 123.98 123.62 points Jun 2026
Long Term Unemployment Rate 1.14 1.05 percent Aug 2026
Manufacturing Payrolls 16.00 14.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Non Farm Payrolls 162.00 21.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Nonfarm Payrolls Private 127.00 71.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Part Time Employment 28541.00 28764.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Productivity 120.02 119.59 points Jun 2026
Unemployed Persons 7031.00 6916.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.10 4.10 percent Aug 2026
Wages 32.53 32.42 USD/Hour Aug 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 30.37 30.33 USD/Hour Aug 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 9.10 8.50 percent Aug 2026


United States Employment Cost Index Wages 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
0.90 0.80 1.60 0.20 1982 - 2026 percent Quarterly
SA