# US wages rise 0.8% in Q3 and 3.1% over the year

> Private industry wages and salaries rose 0.8% in the third quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, and 3.1% over the 12 months to September. The Bureau of Labor Statistics published the Employment Cost Index on 30 October.

- Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/us-employment-cost-index-q3-2026/
- Type: Data
- Published: 2026-11-03
- Updated: 2026-11-03
- Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team
- Currencies: USD

The Bureau of Labor Statistics published its Employment Cost Index for the third quarter of 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Friday 30 October. Private industry wages and salaries rose 0.8% from the second quarter, seasonally adjusted, and 3.1% over the 12 months to September, not seasonally adjusted. Benefit costs rose 0.9% over the quarter and 3.9% over the year ([BLS, Employment Cost Index, 2026 Q3](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm)).

## Key figures

- **Wages and salaries, quarter on quarter**: +0.8%, seasonally adjusted
- **Wages and salaries, 12 months**: +3.1%
- **Benefit costs, quarter on quarter**: +0.9%
- **Benefit costs, 12 months**: +3.9%

The jobs report for October, due on Friday 6 November, is in [US jobs report for October due Friday 6 November](/news/us-jobs-report-october-2026-preview/).

## Sources

- [Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Cost Index, 2026 Q3](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm)

## Common questions

### How much did US private wages rise in Q3 2026?

0.8% from the second quarter, seasonally adjusted, and 3.1% over the 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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