Pay gains for US workers slowed in second quarter
“U.S. workers saw their wages and benefits grow more slowly in the second quarter, a sign that a tight labor market has yet to accelerate income gains. The Labor Department says overall compensation rose 0.6 percent in the April-June period, compared with a 0.8 percent rise in the first quarter. Wages and salaries, which account for 70 percent of compensation, rose 0.5 percent, compared to a 0.9 percent gain in the first quarter. Benefits costs rose 0.9 percent, compared to 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018. Benefits costs cover pensions and health insurance.”