by Calculated Risk on 9/10/2014 07:01:00 PM

This is an important change ... from the WSJ: Cost of Employer Health Coverage Shows Muted Growth

The cost of employer health coverage continued its muted growth this year with a 3% increase that pushed the average annual premium for a family plan to $16,834, according to a major survey.

The increase was slightly less than the 4% seen last year, according to the annual poll of employers performed by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation along with the Health Research & Educational Trust, a nonprofit affiliated with the American Hospital Association. The share of the family-plan premium borne by employees was $4,823, or 29% of the total, the same percentage as last year.

The total annual cost of employer coverage for an individual was $6,025 in the 2014 survey, up 2%, a difference that wasn't statistically significant.

Thursday:
• At 8:30 AM ET, the initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for claims to decrease to 300 thousand from 302 thousand.

• At 10:00 AM, the Q2 Quarterly Services Report from the Census Bureau.

• At 2:00 PM, the Monthly Treasury Budget Statement for August.