The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the Employment Cost Index for the third quarter of 2026 on Friday, October 30, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The last report showed civilian compensation costs up 0.9 percent in the three months to June and 3.4 percent over the year.
Key takeaways
- Next release: October 30, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET.
- June 2026: wages and salaries up 3.2 percent over the year, benefits up 3.8 percent.
- Private industry pay rose 3.1 percent over the year, but fell 0.4 percent after inflation.
- From December 2026 data, BLS will update weights and drop workers' compensation costs.
What is the Employment Cost Index?
The ECI tracks what employers spend on pay and benefits for the same jobs over time. Because the mix of jobs is held fixed, it is a cleaner read on wage growth than average hourly earnings.
Why should job seekers care?
It shows how much room employers have for raises. With private sector real wages already down over the year to June, the October 30 figure will show whether that gap is closing. We will update this page when it is out. For how BLS reports are scheduled, see our release calendar guide, and for using this in a pay talk, our salary expectations guide.
What is the background?
The ECI is one of the measures the Federal Reserve watches most closely, because it shows labour costs without being skewed by shifts in which jobs are being added or lost. In the year to June 2026, total compensation rose 3.4 percent and benefits rose faster than wages. After inflation, private sector wages fell 0.4 percent, which means most workers' pay did not keep up with prices.
Who should pay attention?
Anyone preparing for a pay review or negotiating an offer. Employers often use market data like the ECI when they set yearly raise budgets. HR teams and small business owners also use it to check that their pay keeps up with competitors. Public sector workers can compare their raises with the state and local government figures, which rose 3.6 percent over the year to June.
What should you do before and after October 30?
- Note the headline 12-month figure. If your raise is below it, your pay is falling behind the market.
- Check the wages figure separately from benefits, because benefits have been rising faster.
- Look at your industry, since ECI breaks results down by sector and occupation group.
- Use the number in your review with real examples of your work, not on its own.
- Read our guide to getting ahead at work for a wider plan.
What happens next?
After the October 30 release, the next ECI covers the fourth quarter and is due on January 29, 2027. That December 2026 data will also be the first to use the updated weights.
Sources: BLS Employment Cost Index; ECI news release, June 2026.
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About the author
Lutaf Junijo
Career Content Editor, World Careers Hub
Lutaf Junijo is the Career Content Editor at World Careers Hub and Dev Global Jobs. He writes and edits our guides on jobs, CVs, visas, salaries and careers abroad, and he runs our official social media. Every fact is checked against official and trusted sources, named in the post, and errors are corrected as soon as readers report them.
