U.S. labor costs accelerate in first quarter

Reuters

Published Apr 28, 2017 08:37AM ET

U.S. labor costs accelerate in first quarter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. labor costs recorded their biggest gain since 2007 in the first quarter, suggesting wage growth was picking up as the labor market nears full employment.

The Employment Cost Index, the broadest measure of labor costs, increased 0.8 percent, the largest increase since the fourth quarter of 2007, after rising 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter, the Labor Department said on Friday.