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Compensation costs up 2.3 percent in New England, 4.3 percent in Pacific region, over year ended September 2026

November 05, 2026

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 3.4 percent for the United States as a whole (not seasonally adjusted) for the 12-month period ending in September 2026. Within compensation costs, wages and salaries increased 3.1 percent, and benefit costs increased 3.9 percent over the year. For the 12 months ended September 2025, private industry compensation costs increased 3.5 percent.

12-month percent change, total compensation costs for private industry workers, by region, September, 2025 and 2026
Region12 months ending September 202512 months ending September 2026

United States

3.53.4

New England

3.62.3

Middle Atlantic

3.53.2

South Atlantic

3.33.5

East South Central

4.13.5

West South Central

4.12.8

East North Central

3.33.4

West North Central

3.72.7

Mountain

3.03.2

Pacific

3.64.3

Note: Data are not seasonally adjusted. Total compensation includes wages, salaries, and employer costs for employee benefits.
Regions are defined as:

  • New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont;
  • Middle Atlantic: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania;
  • South Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia;
  • East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee;
  • West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas;
  • East North Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin;
  • West North Central: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota;
  • Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming;
  • Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Private industry compensation costs in the East North Central states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) also increased 3.4 percent over the year ended September 2026, mirroring the national rate.

In New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), compensation increased 2.3 percent. Costs increased 4.3 percent in the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington) from September 2025 to September 2026.

These data are from the Employment Cost Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see Employment Cost Index — September 2026. Also see more charts on Employment Cost Index data. Total compensation costs are the sum of wages and salaries plus benefits costs.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Compensation costs up 2.3 percent in New England, 4.3 percent in Pacific region, over year ended September 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/compensation-costs-up-2-3-percent-in-new-england-4-3-percent-in-pacific-region-over-year-ended-september-2026.htm (visited November 05, 2026).