United States - Compensation of employees (current LCU)

The value for Compensation of employees (current LCU) in United States was 464,943,000,000 as of 2020. As the graph below shows, over the past 48 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 464,943,000,000 in 2020 and a minimum value of 42,260,000,000 in 1972.

Definition: Compensation of employees consists of all payments in cash, as well as in kind (such as food and housing), to employees in return for services rendered, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions that provide benefits to employees.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files.

Year Value
1972 42,260,000,000
1973 44,680,000,000
1974 46,140,000,000
1975 48,910,000,000
1976 51,560,000,000
1977 55,250,000,000
1978 59,710,000,000
1979 63,020,000,000
1980 67,740,000,000
1981 75,910,000,000
1982 83,930,000,000
1983 89,110,000,000
1984 94,320,000,000
1985 100,740,000,000
1986 105,580,000,000
1987 111,090,000,000
1988 117,510,000,000
1989 122,690,000,000
1990 129,340,000,000
1991 138,480,000,000
1992 138,220,000,000
1993 138,750,000,000
1994 138,420,000,000
1995 139,020,000,000
1996 140,480,000,000
1997 142,100,000,000
1998 144,010,000,000
1999 150,620,000,000
2000 159,180,000,000
2001 201,423,000,000
2002 225,779,000,000
2003 256,609,000,000
2004 273,296,000,000
2005 292,127,000,000
2006 304,182,000,000
2007 319,404,000,000
2008 340,255,000,000
2009 366,472,000,000
2010 392,663,000,000
2011 400,810,000,000
2012 397,970,000,000
2013 388,341,000,000
2014 392,543,000,000
2015 397,774,000,000
2016 407,496,000,000
2017 417,903,000,000
2018 435,762,000,000
2019 450,688,000,000
2020 464,943,000,000

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance