Compensation costs for private industry workers in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area increased by 3.8 percent for the year ending September 2025, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This marks an increase from the previous year’s annual gain of 3.0 percent.
Acting Regional Commissioner Michael G. Phinney stated, “One year ago, New York experienced an annual gain of 3.0 percent in compensation costs.” Nationally, compensation costs rose by 3.5 percent during the same period.
Wages and salaries, which make up the largest portion of compensation costs, grew at a rate of 3.9 percent locally over the past year. In comparison, wages and salaries nationwide rose by 3.6 percent.
New York is one of fifteen metropolitan areas across the United States and one of three in the Northeast region where locality compensation cost data are available. Among these areas, Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale recorded the highest increase in compensation costs at 5.7 percent while Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor saw the lowest at 2.1 percent for September 2025.
Within the Northeast region, New York’s annual increase was higher than both Philadelphia-Reading-Camden (3.4 percent) and Boston-Worcester-Providence (3.3 percent). The local rise in wages and salaries also outpaced those cities with gains of 3.4 percent in Philadelphia and 3.2 percent in Boston.
The Employment Cost Index for December 2025 will be released on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 8:30 a.m., according to officials.
Locality compensation figures are part of the national Employment Cost Index (ECI), which tracks quarterly changes in compensation without being influenced by employment shifts among different occupations or industries.
Additional information about ECI national data—including breakdowns by industry, occupation group, union status as well as coverage for civilian, private sector and government employees—is available through the Employment Cost Index website and related resources provided by BLS’ Northeast Information Office regional homepage.
The substate area data referenced follows definitions outlined in Office of Management and Budget Bulletin No. 23-01 issued July 21, 2023.
The New York-Newark CSA covers counties across four states: Bronx, Dutchess, Kings (Brooklyn), Nassau, New York (Manhattan), Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties in New York; Bergen through Union Counties in New Jersey; Greater Bridgeport and Western Connecticut Planning Regions; plus Pike County in Pennsylvania.
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