US Labor Cost Index – October 2025

Rise in Civilian Worker Compensation Costs Reported

According to the latest release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, compensation expenses for civilian employees grew by 0.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis during the three months ending December 2025. Both wages and salaries, as well as benefit costs, experienced a 0.7% increase compared to September 2025. For further details, refer to tables A, 1, 2, and 3.

Looking at the year-over-year data, compensation costs for civilian workers climbed 3.4% without seasonal adjustment for the 12 months ending December 2025. Over the same period, wages and salaries rose by 3.3%, while benefit costs advanced by 3.4%. Additional information can be found in tables A, 4, 8, and 12.