Employment benefits in the United States rose by 0.70% in the fourth quarter of 2025, easing slightly from a 0.80% increase recorded in the third quarter of 2025, according to data updated on 10 February 2026. The figures are measured on a quarter-over-quarter basis, comparing each quarter’s change to that of the immediately preceding period.
The latest reading indicates a modest deceleration in the pace of employment benefit growth at the end of 2025. In the third quarter of 2025, the 0.80% figure reflected the change relative to the second quarter, while the current 0.70% rate captures the change from the third to the fourth quarter of 2025. This step down suggests that while benefits continued to rise, the momentum in benefit cost increases has softened heading into 2026.
