The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its figures for compensation costs in 2015.
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For private industry workers, compensation costs increased 1.9% over 2015, slowing from an increase of 2.3% in 2014. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70% of compensation costs) increased 2.1% over the 12-month period; in December 2014, the increase was 2.2%.
The increase in the cost of benefits (which make up the remaining 30% of compensation) was 1.3% for the 12-month period ending in December 2015, lower than December 2014 when the annual increase was 2.5%.
Among occupational groups, compensation cost increases for private industry workers for the 12-month period ending in December 2015 ranged from 1.4% for natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations to 2.6% for production, transportation, and material moving occupations.
The big 2015 cost increase for employers was in health benefits, which increased 3.0% over the course of the year, up from a 2.4% increase in 2014.
More details are available from the BLS.