Employment Cost Index: Total Compensation, All Civilian
Cost of wages and benefits per hour worked, holding job mix fixed (BLS). Displayed as the quarter-over-quarter change.
0.89%month-on-month2026-04-01 · level 177.18
Index Dec 2005=100, seasonally adjusted → month-on-month
Why it matters
The Fed's preferred measure of labour costs because it is not distorted by shifts in who is working.
Release schedule: Quarterly, about a month after quarter-end, 8:30 am ET (BLS)
Recent readings
| Period | month-on-month | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | 0.89% | -0.01 |
| 2026-01-01 | 0.90% | +0.15 |
| 2025-10-01 | 0.75% | -0.05 |
| 2025-07-01 | 0.80% | -0.13 |
| 2025-04-01 | 0.93% | +0.04 |
| 2025-01-01 | 0.89% | -0.01 |
| 2024-10-01 | 0.90% | +0.05 |
| 2024-07-01 | 0.85% | -0.07 |
| 2024-04-01 | 0.92% | -0.13 |
| 2024-01-01 | 1.05% | +0.11 |
| 2023-10-01 | 0.93% | -0.14 |
| 2023-07-01 | 1.07% | — |
Source: FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; original data from the agency named in the description. This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.