US: Employment Cost Index rises by 1% in Q4 vs. 1.1% expected

Employment Cost Index in the US rose less than expected in Q4.
US Dollar Index lost its traction and erased daily recovery gains after the data.

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

The data published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed on Tuesday that the Employment Cost Index, compensation costs for civilian workers, increased by 1.1% in the fourth quarter.

This reading came in below the market expectation of 1% and followed the 1.2% increase recorded in the third quarter.

"Wages and salaries increased 1.0% and benefit costs increased 0.8% from September 2022," the BLS further noted in its publication.

Market reaction

With the initial reaction, the US Dollar lost some strength against its major rivals and the US Dollar Index was last seen trading virtually unchanged on the day at 102.22.

Author

Eren Sengezer

FXStreet

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

USD/JPY recovers toward 160.50 ahead of BoJ press conference

USD/JPY recovers losses and heads toward 160.50 in early Europe on Tuesday, following the release of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision. The BoJ hiked the key rate by 25 bps to 1% as widely, providing little to no impetus to the Japanese Yen. The focus is now on the BoJ Deputy Governor Uchida's press conference.

AUD/USD sticks to red near 0.7050 after RBA's pause

AUD/USD remains in the red near 0.7050 following the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) expected decision to pause its rate hike cycle. The pair assesses RBA Governor Bullock's press conference for a fresh trading impetus.

$4,400: Gold sellers set to retain control whilst below this level; focus shifts to Fed

Gold holds a pullback from six-day highs of $4,369 as buyers take a breather early Tuesday. The US Dollar looks to fill Monday’s bearish opening gap as markets temper Iran deal optimism. Technically, Gold remains exposed to downside risks whilst below the 21-day SMA near $4,400.

Solana's rebound gains momentum as ETF inflows return

Solana (SOL) steadies at $73 after posting three consecutive green candlesticks since the weekend. The recent recovery is supported by institutional demand, with spot Exchange Traded Funds recording net inflows of $2.81 million on Monday.

Kevin Warsh opens first Fed meeting June 16 with rate hold expected

Kevin Warsh was confirmed by the Senate in a 54-45 vote and sworn in as Federal Reserve Chair on 22 May 2026. The ceremony took place at the White House, with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administering the oath. The FOMC meeting on 16 and 17 June is his first as chair. The June meeting is also a quarterly projection meeting.

4.2% headline, 0.2% core: Why the Fed's next hike may be targeting the wrong problem

May's CPI put headline inflation at 4.2% on the year, up from 3.8% in April and the hottest reading since April 2023, while core prices rose just 0.2% on the month, undershooting the 0.3% consensus and halving April's pace.