Regulation is also attacked because of the heavy cost it imposes on society. Estimates have put this cost at more than $100 billion in the year 1979 (of which about 5 percent were administrative costs and the rest were the costs of compliance) and more than $200 billion a year in these 1990s. Although these estimates have been challenged as grossly exaggerated, compliance costs are surely very high, particularly in the area of social regulation, such as job safety, energy and the environment, and consumer safety and benefits of regulation, it is practically impossible to determine on a strict benefit-costs basis whether regulation is economically justified.