The U.S. Employment Cost Index (ECI) for the second quarter of 2026 came in unchanged at 0.9% quarter-over-quarter, matching the pace recorded in the first quarter of 2026. The data, updated on 31 July 2026, indicate that overall compensation costs for American workers continued to grow at a steady rate rather than accelerating or cooling further.
On a quarter-over-quarter basis, the “actual” 0.9% figure for Q2 reflects the same rate of change seen previously, when the ECI also rose 0.9% from the quarter before during Q1 2026. According to the comparison framework, the current reading measures the change in employment costs from the first to the second quarter, while the prior figure measured the change from the final quarter of the previous year to the first quarter of 2026.
The steady ECI reading suggests that wage and benefit pressures remain consistent, offering a signal of stability in labor costs for employers and policymakers monitoring inflation dynamics and labor-market conditions.
