employment cost index


Employment Cost Index

An index compiled by the Bureau for Labor Statistics estimating the cost of hiring and paying the American workforce. Analysts closely monitor the employment cost index: an unexpectedly large increase may result in downward pressure in the market. This is because a rise in the cost of paying employees reduces profits, which in turn reduces stock prices. It may also reduce bond prices because rises in the ECI are seen as a harbinger of inflation.

employment cost index

A closely watched economic report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that indicates the total cost of employing a civilian worker. A larger-than-expected increase in the index is likely to place downward pressure on both bond and equity prices.