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Employer Costs for Employee Compensation
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Data Requests
The National Compensation Survey (NCS) is used to produce labor cost changes through the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and the average costs per hour worked through the Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC). The NCS also provides estimates on the incidence and provisions of benefits by the percentage of workers with access to and participating in employer-sponsored benefit plans through the Employee Benefits in the United States. The survey covers a broad range of benefits including holidays and vacations, sick leave, health and life insurance, and retirement plans. Benefit plan details of employer-provided health and retirement plan provisions are also available.
The latest data can be accessed from the:
- Databases and
- News releases.
What is data request?
In some circumstances, BLS can provide estimates not available through NCS publications. When requests for unpublished data are received, they are evaluated and processed based on resource availability and the complexity of the request. The NCS is not designed to produce estimates for individual states. All tabulations of data are reviewed for reliability and confidentiality prior to release, which may limit the data provided. The NCS can be used to produce estimates by aggregate occupational and industry groups, census regions and divisions, the fifteen largest combined statistical areas and metropolitan statistical areas, and by various worker characteristics (such as work status, bargaining status, and basis of pay).
How to submit a data request?
submit your SDR
Click or scan the QR code To submit your Special Data Request
When making a data request, users should provide a detailed explanation of the scope that includes ownership (civilian, private, and state and local government), industry group(s) or industry, occupational group(s) or occupation, worker and establishment characteristics, and reference period. This detailed explanation will expedite the evaluation. Once we receive the request, we will evaluate it and contact you regarding an expected timeframe for tabulation, review, and clearance. All estimates are evaluated to ensure respondent confidentiality and estimate reliability. In cases where the level of detail requested does not meet publication criteria, BLS staff will contact you with possible alternatives including on-site microdata access. Access to restricted microdata requires a well-defined research proposal that will be thoroughly reviewed as explained on the BLS Restricted Data Access page.
Please review the list of fulfilled requests prior to submitting a tabulation data request. Enter “data request” in the subject line and indicate the scope of the request. BLS staff evaluating the request will respond and ask for clarification, if necessary. These tabulations can take anywhere from four to eight weeks to produce, review, and fulfill.
Completed Special Data Requests
Examples of previously fulfilled requests are listed below, in order to demonstrate the level of detail that can be provided outside of the ECEC publications. All data in tables on this page are unpublished except by special request. Data requests based on Employment Cost Index (ECI) and Benefits publications are also available.
To sort these tables by a different column, click on the column header.
National Compensation Survey (NCS)
| Date posted | Customer type | Characteristics | Special data request title | Geography | Data time frame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12 | Private | Leveling points by occupation | Average leveling points for six-digit occupations | All U.S. | 2018 |
| 2021-12 | Private | Leveling points by occupation | Average leveling points for six-digit occupations | All U.S. | 2021 |
Employer Costs for Employee Compensation
More information
For an explanation of survey design, calculation and weighting methodology, and history of the NCS see the National Compensation Measures in the Handbook of Methods.