The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy.
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, March 20, 2018
USDL-18-0451
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EMPLOYER COSTS FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION – DECEMBER 2017
Employer costs for employee compensation averaged $35.87 per hour worked in December 2017, the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $24.49 per hour worked
and accounted for 68.3 percent of these costs, while benefit costs averaged $11.38 and accounted for the
remaining 31.7 percent. Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged
$33.72 per hour worked in December 2017. Total employer compensation costs for state and local
government workers averaged $49.19 per hour worked in December 2017.
Supplemental pay benefit costs in private industry
Supplemental pay includes employer costs for employee nonproduction bonuses, overtime and premium
pay, and shift differentials. Nonproduction bonuses such as holiday bonuses and cash profit sharing are
given at the discretion of the employer and not tied to a production formula. Overtime and premium pay
includes pay for work in addition to the regular work schedule. Shift differentials are extra payments for
working a non-traditional work schedule.
Additional highlights of employer compensation costs per hour worked for supplemental pay benefits in
private industry, December 2017:
• Supplemental pay costs for private industry workers in December 2017 averaged $1.28 per hour
worked or 3.8 percent of total compensation. (See chart 1 and table 5.)
$0.00
$0.50
$1.00
$1.50
$2.00
$2.50
$3.00
Management,
professional,
and related
All workers
Service
$0.00
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
$4.00
Financial
activities
All workers
Leisure and
hospitality
Chart 1. Supplemental pay costs for private industry
workers, December 2017
Chart 2. Nonproduction bonuses for private industry
workers, December 2017
Cost per hour worked
Cost per hour worked
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