Southern California bosses raised wages at a 4% annual rate in December — tied for the largest increase among 15 major U.S. job markets tracked by a federal benchmark.

Every three months, the U.S. government’s Employment Cost Index tracks what it costs employers in wages and salaries to keep and attract workers. Here’s what the index for the Southern California region — Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties — told us about local pay patterns and how they compared to national trends …

1. Direction: The latest result was down from the previous quarter’s 4.2% but up from 3.7% a year earlier.

2. Ranking: No. 1 with New York among the 15 metropolitan areas studied vs. No. 1 in the previous quarter and No. 4 a year ago.

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3. History: From 2010 to 2014, post-recession years, the index showed tight-fisted employers upping pay at just a 1.55% percent annual rate. Since then, local wages and salaries have averaged 3.42% increases. Last year, wage hikes averaged 4.3% by this math vs. 3.3% in 2018 and the region’s highest in the government database that dates to 2007.

4. Bay Area: 3.2% annual rate in December — the No. 8 increase among the 15 metros.

5. U.S. extremes: Third highest? Boston at 3.9%. Lows? Seattle at 1.3%; Houston at 1.6%; and Minneapolis at 2.2%.

6. National pace: U.S. wages and salaries rose at a 3% yearly pace in December, the same as three months earlier and off from 3.1% percent a year ago.

7. National trend: In the 15 metros tracked, wage growth grew in nine markets in the quarter and eight over the past 12 months.