Wages and salaries in the US rose 0.8% quarter-on-quarter in Q3 2025, easing from a 1.0% increase in the previous quarter, reflecting softer gains in both private-industry pay (0.8% vs. 1.0% in Q2) and state and local government wages (0.7% vs. 0.9%). Year-over-year, wages and salaries increased 3.5% (down slightly from 3.6% in Q2). Pay for private-industry workers rose 3.6% (vs. 3.5%), while wages for state and local government employees grew 3.5% (vs. 3.9%). source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment Cost Index Wages in the United States averaged 0.80 percent from 1982 until 2025, 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 February of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2025-07-31 12:30 PM
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
Q2 1% 0.8% 0.8%
2025-12-10 01:30 PM
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
Q3 0.8% 1% 0.8%
2026-02-10 01:30 PM
Employment Cost - Wages QoQ
Q4 0.8% 0.8%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Hourly Earnings MoM 0.30 0.20 percent Dec 2025
Average Hourly Earnings YoY 3.80 3.60 percent Dec 2025
Average Weekly Hours 34.20 34.30 Hours Dec 2025
Employed Persons 163992.00 163760.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Employment Cost Index 0.80 0.90 percent Sep 2025
Employment Cost - Benefits 0.80 0.70 percent Sep 2025
Employment Cost - Wages 0.80 1.00 percent Sep 2025
Employment Rate 59.70 59.60 percent Dec 2025
Full Time Employment 135215.00 134325.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Government Payrolls 13.00 6.00 Thousand Dec 2025
JOLTs Job Openings 6542.00 6928.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Job Openings 6728.00 7947.00 Thousand Nov 2025
Participation Rate 62.40 62.50 percent Dec 2025
Labour Costs 121.64 122.23 points Sep 2025
Long Term Unemployment Rate 1.14 1.11 percent Dec 2025
Manufacturing Payrolls -8.00 -2.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Non Farm Payrolls 50.00 56.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Nonfarm Payrolls Private 37.00 50.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Part Time Employment 28712.00 29452.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Productivity 117.97 116.55 points Sep 2025
Unemployed Persons 7503.00 7781.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 4.40 4.50 percent Dec 2025
Wages 31.76 31.73 USD/Hour Dec 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 29.51 29.49 USD/Hour Dec 2025
Youth Unemployment Rate 10.40 10.60 percent Dec 2025


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
0.80 1.00 1.60 0.20 1982 - 2025 percent Quarterly
SA