Content area
Full Text
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported employers paid $28.11 hourly for the average civilian worker in December 2007. Wages amounted to $19.62 or 69.8%, while benefits totaled an average of $8.49 or 30.2%. Mandated benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance accounted for $2.23 or 7.9%. Life, health and disability insurance took up 8.3% of the total or $2.34. Paid leave represented 7.0% or $1.96, and pensions and other savings amounted to 4.4% or $1.24. The average hourly cost for a worker in private industry was $26.42, below the overall average.