Wall Street Journal Online (01/31/12) Eric Morath
Compensation for U.S. workers increased modestly in the final three months of 2011, an indication that a slowly improving labor market has not yet put pressure on wages. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the employment cost index rose 0.4% in October through December, up from a 0.3% advance during the third quarter. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected an increase of 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Wages and salaries grew 0.4%, compared with 0.3% in the prior period.