Retirement Benefits Still 4.4% of Total Compensation

That amounted to 4.4% of total compensation, the same as in June (See Benefits were 4.4% of Total Comp Costs in June ). Total employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $28.87 per hour worked, a BLS news release said.

Employer costs averaged $2.42 for insurance benefits (life, health, and disability insurance) or 8.4% of total compensation. Other benefit categories included legally required benefits (Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation), which averaged $2.27 (7.9% of total compensation); paid leave benefits (vacations, holidays, sick leave, and personal leave), which averaged $2.03 (7%); and supplemental pay (overtime and premium, shift differentials, and nonproduction bonuses), which averaged 75 cents per hour worked (2.6%).

State and local government employers spent an average of $13.41 for benefits for every hour worked in September 2008, which accounted for 34.2% of total compensation, while private industry employers averaged $7.93 for benefits, or 29.3% of total compensation. State and local government employer costs for health benefits were higher ($4.21) than private industry ($1.93), and retirement and savings costs, which includes both defined benefit and defined contribution plans, were also higher for state and local government employers ($3.09) than private employers ($0.97).

In September 2008, employer compensation costs in state and local governments averaged $39.18 per hour worked. Wages and salaries averaged $25.77 per hour (65.8% of costs), while benefits averaged $13.41 (34.2%).

Private industry employer compensation costs averaged $27.07 per hour worked. Wages and salaries averaged $19.14 per hour (70.7% of costs), while benefits averaged $7.93 (29.3%).

The complete BLS data is here .