Total compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.8 percent in the third quarter of 2007, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This was about the same as the 0.9 percent increase for the March to June period.

Both components of compensation--wages and salaries and benefits--rose the same amount, 0.8 percent in the quarter. In the previous quarter, wages and salaries also increased 0.8 percent and benefits increased 1.3 percent.

For private industry, compensation costs rose 0.8 percent from June to September 2007, compared to 0.9 percent for the prior quarter, while state and local government costs increased 0.8 percent, compared to 1.1 percent for the quarter ended June 2007.

In the third quarter, benefit costs for private industry rose 0.8 percent, compared to 1.1 percent the previous quarter. For state and local government, benefit costs increased 0.7 percent, compared to 1.7 percent in the previous quarter.