1.   The advertisement proudly noted that the labour cost index for Britain is one hundred, compared to one seventy eight in Germany.

2.   Among the chief concerns of investors is the release on Tuesday of the employment cost index for the fourth quarter.

3.   Although wages are up somewhat, one of the smallest increases in benefit costs ever held down the employment cost index last year.

4.   Fed policy makers will be paying close attention to the employment cost index, which measures total labor costs including wages and benefits.

5.   Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly touted the employment costs index as the most reliable measure of how much businesses are spending on labor, Sharp said.

6.   For those investors who are always the last to know, ECI stands for employment cost index.

7.   In addition to the employment costs index, the Labor Department will also release this week the July employment report detailing the health of the U.S. job market.

8.   In addition to the employment costs index tomorrow, the Labor Department will release on Friday the July employment report detailing the health of the U.S. job market.

9.   Indeed, by matching the first-quarter rise, the employment cost index showed the smallest quarterly gain since the government started keeping track of employment costs.

10.   In the U.S., the fourth quarter employment cost index rose more than expected, raising the chances of steeper inflation and a rise in interest rates.