Employment Cost Index Summary

Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until                                    USDL-25-0657
8:30 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, April 30, 2025

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                                  EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX – MARCH 2025

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period
ending in March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries increased 0.8
percent and benefit costs increased 1.2 percent from December 2024. (See tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 3.6 percent for the 12-month period ending in March 2025
and increased 4.2 percent in March 2024. Wages and salaries increased 3.5 percent for the 12-month period 
ending in March 2025 and increased 4.4 percent in March 2024. Benefit costs increased 3.8 for the 12-month
period ending in March 2025. The prior year’s increase was 3.7 percent. (See tables A, 4, 8, and 12.)

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 3.4 percent over the year. In March 2024, the 
increase was 4.1 percent. Wages and salaries increased 3.4 percent for the 12-month period ending in March
2025 and increased 4.3 percent in March 2024. The cost of benefits increased 3.5 percent for the 12-month 
period ending in March 2025 and increased 3.6 percent in March 2024. Inflation-adjusted (constant dollar) 
wages and salaries increased 1.0 percent for the 12 months ending March 2025. 
(See tables A, 5, 9, and 12.)

Within private industry by bargaining status, compensation costs increased 4.6 percent for union workers
and 3.3 percent for non-union workers for the 12-month period ending in March 2025. Wages and salaries 
increased 4.5 percent for union workers and 3.2 percent for non-union workers for the 12-month period 
ending in March 2025. Benefit costs increased 4.6 percent for union workers and 3.4 percent for non-union
workers for the period ending in March 2025. (See tables 6, 10, and 12.)

Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 4.3 percent for the 12-month period 
ending in March 2025 and increased 4.8 percent in March 2024. Wages and salaries increased 4.1 percent 
for the 12-month period ending in March 2025 and 5.0 percent in March 2024. Benefit costs increased 4.8 
percent for the 12-month period ending in March 2025. The prior year’s increase was 4.5 percent. 
(See tables A, 7, 11, and 12.)

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                      Rounding Changes to Employment Cost Index (ECI) Estimates

Effective with the release of June 2025 ECI data on July 31, 2025, BLS will publish index levels to three
decimal places. Percent changes based on these more precise indexes will continue to be published to one 
decimal place. For more information, see www.bls.gov/eci/notices/2024/changes-to-index-rounding.htm.
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