TEXT Table A. Composition of change in real earnings of production or Table 1. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on Table 1. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on Table 2. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private Technical information: (202) 606-6555 USDL 96-30 Media contact: 606-5902 WIRE EMBARGO UNTIL 10:00 A.M. (EST) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1996 REAL EARNINGS IN DECEMBER 1995 Real average weekly earnings fell 0.2 percent from November to December after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The decline stemmed from a 0.3 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). This was partly offset by a 0.1 percent increase in average weekly earnings which resulted from an increase of 0.3 percent in average hourly earnings and a decrease of 0.3 percent in average weekly hours. Data on average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll reports of private nonfarm establishments. Earnings of both full-time and part-time workers holding production or nonsupervisory jobs are included. Real average weekly earnings are calculated by adjusting earnings in current dollars for changes in the CPI-W. Average weekly earnings rose by 2.2 percent between December of 1994 and 1995 as a result of a 3.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings which was partially offset by a 0.9 percent decline in average weekly hours. After adjustment for a 2.5 percent gain in the CPI-W over the same period, real average weekly earnings fell by 0.3 percent. Before adjustment for seasonal change and deflation by the CPI-W, average weekly earnings were $401.24 in December 1995, compared with $392.54 a year earlier. _____________________________ Real Earnings for January 1996, originally scheduled for release on February 14, 1996, is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 28, 1996. ****************************************************************** * The Real Earnings release for January 1996 will present * * the revised seasonally adjusted constant dollar series * * based on new seasonal adjustment factors calculated for the * * CPI-W, reflecting experience through 1995. The revision * * will affect constant dollar series from January 1991 * * through December 1995. * ****************************************************************** Table A. Composition of change in real earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls ______________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | Average | Average | Average | The | Real | hourly | weekly | weekly | Consumer | average Year | earnings | hours | earnings | Price | weekly and | | | | Index1/ | earnings month |____________|____________|____________|____________|____________ | | Percent change from preceding month, seasonally adjusted _____________|________________________________________________________________ | | | | | 1994: | | | | | Dec. | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 1995: | | | | | Jan. | .2 | .3 | .5 | .3 | .1 Feb. | .3 | -.6 | -.3 | .3 | -.6 Mar. | .2 | .0 | .2 | .3 | -.2 Apr. | .5 | .0 | .5 | .3 | .2 May | -.3 | -1.2 | -1.4 | .2 | -1.6 June | .5 | .6 | 1.1 | .1 | 1.0 July | .6 | .6 | 1.2 | .1 | 1.1 Aug. | -.2 | -.6 | -.8 | .1 | -.9 Sept. | .5 | .3 | .8 | .2 | .6 Oct. | .4 | .3 | .7 | .3 | .5 Nov. | -.1 | -.6 | -.7 | .0 | -.7 Dec.p | .3 | -.3 | .1 | .3 | -.2 |________________________________________________________________ | | Percent change from same month a year ago |________________________________________________________________ | | | | | 1994: | | | | | Dec. | 2.8 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 0.4 1995: | | | | | Jan. | 2.7 | .0 | 2.7 | 2.9 | -.2 Feb. | 2.7 | .6 | 3.3 | 3.0 | .3 Mar. | 2.9 | -.3 | 2.6 | 3.0 | -.4 Apr. | 3.1 | -.6 | 2.5 | 3.2 | -.7 May | 2.6 | -1.4 | 1.1 | 3.2 | -2.1 June | 3.0 | -.6 | 2.4 | 3.1 | -.6 July | 3.3 | -.3 | 3.0 | 2.8 | .2 Aug. | 3.1 | -.6 | 2.5 | 2.5 | (2) Sept. | 3.1 | -.6 | 2.5 | 2.5 | (2) Oct. | 2.9 | -.9 | 2.0 | 2.7 | -.6 Nov. | 2.9 | -.6 | 2.3 | 2.4 | -.1 Dec.p | 3.1 | -.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 | -.3 _____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________ 1/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). 2 Less than 0.05 percent. p = preliminary. Table 1. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by industry ____________________________________________________________________ | | Average hourly earnings |_________________________________________ | | | | Industry | | | | Percent | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | change | 1994 | 1995 | 1995p| Dec. 1994 - | | | | Dec. 1995 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ | | | | Total private:2/ | | | | Current dollars..........| $11.28 | $11.60 | $11.63 | 3.1 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.43 | 7.45 | 7.47 | .5 | | | | Goods-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.88 | 13.17 | 13.21 | 2.6 Constant (1982) dollars..| 8.48 | 8.46 | 8.48 | .0 | | | | Mining: | | | | Current dollars..........| 15.09 | 15.38 | 15.56 | 3.1 Constant (1982) dollars..| 9.93 | 9.88 | 9.99 | .6 | | | | Construction: | | | | Current dollars..........| 14.83 | 15.20 | 15.09 | 1.8 Constant (1982) dollars..| 9.76 | 9.76 | 9.69 | -.7 | | | | Manufacturing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.26 | 12.47 | 12.58 | 2.6 Constant (1982) dollars..| 8.07 | 8.01 | 8.08 | .1 | | | | Service-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 10.72 | 11.06 | 11.10 | 3.5 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.06 | 7.10 | 7.13 | 1.0 | | | | Transportation and public | | | | utilities: | | | | Current dollars..........| 14.04 | 14.44 | 14.41 | 2.6 Constant (1982) dollars..| 9.24 | 9.27 | 9.25 | .1 | | | | Wholesale trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.21 | 12.50 | 12.60 | 3.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 8.04 | 8.03 | 8.09 | .6 | | | | Retail trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 7.59 | 7.79 | 7.81 | 2.9 Constant (1982) dollars..| 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.02 | .4 | | | | Finance, insurance, | | | | and real estate: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.05 | 12.50 | 12.59 | 4.5 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.93 | 8.03 | 8.09 | 2.0 | | | | Services: | | | | Current dollars..........| 11.29 | 11.60 | 11.69 | 3.5 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.43 | 7.45 | 7.51 | 1.1 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ See footnotes at end of table. Table 1. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by industry - Continued ____________________________________________________________________ | | Average weekly earnings |_________________________________________ | | | | Industry | | | | Percent | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | change | 1994 | 1995 | 1995p| Dec. 1994 - | | | | Dec. 1995 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ | | | | Total private:2/ | | | | Current dollars..........|$392.54 |$399.04 |$401.24 | 2.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 258.42 | 256.29 | 257.70 | -.3 | | | | Goods-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 540.96 | 542.60 | 542.93 | .4 Constant (1982) dollars..| 356.13 | 348.49 | 348.70 | -2.1 | | | | Mining: | | | | Current dollars..........| 680.56 | 689.02 | 697.09 | 2.4 Constant (1982) dollars..| 448.03 | 442.53 | 447.71 | -.1 | | | | Construction: | | | | Current dollars..........| 573.92 | 585.20 | 573.42 | -.1 Constant (1982) dollars..| 377.83 | 375.85 | 368.29 | -2.5 | | | | Manufacturing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 525.95 | 522.49 | 528.36 | .5 Constant (1982) dollars..| 346.25 | 335.57 | 339.34 | -2.0 | | | | Service-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 351.62 | 360.56 | 362.97 | 3.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 231.48 | 231.57 | 233.12 | .7 | | | | Transportation and public | | | | utilities: | | | | Current dollars..........| 555.98 | 570.38 | 569.20 | 2.4 Constant (1982) dollars..| 366.02 | 366.33 | 365.57 | -.1 | | | | Wholesale trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 470.09 | 477.50 | 481.32 | 2.4 Constant (1982) dollars..| 309.47 | 306.68 | 309.13 | -.1 | | | | Retail trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 222.39 | 222.79 | 226.49 | 1.8 Constant (1982) dollars..| 146.41 | 143.09 | 145.47 | -.6 | | | | Finance, insurance, | | | | and real estate: | | | | Current dollars..........| 430.19 | 445.00 | 450.72 | 4.8 Constant (1982) dollars..| 283.21 | 285.81 | 289.48 | 2.2 | | | | Services: | | | | Current dollars..........| 365.80 | 374.68 | 377.59 | 3.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 240.82 | 240.64 | 242.51 | .7 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ 1/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). 2/ Data relate to production and related workers in mining and manufacturing; construction workers in construction; and nonsupervisory workers in transportation and public utilities, trade, finance, insurance, and real estate, and services. Included in this group are approximately four-fifths of all jobs on private industry payrolls. p = preliminary. Table 2. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls1/, seasonally adjusted _____________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | Average hourly | Average weekly | earnings | earnings | | Year |_______________________________|_______________________________ and | | | | month | | | | | Current | Constant | Current | Constant | dollars | (1982) | dollars | (1982) | | dollars2/ | | dollars2/ | | | | _____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________ | | | | 1994: | | | | Dec. | $11.27 | $7.40 | $391.07 | $256.94 1995: | | | | Jan. | 11.29 | 7.39 | 392.89 | 257.30 Feb. | 11.32 | 7.39 | 391.67 | 255.83 Mar. | 11.34 | 7.38 | 392.36 | 255.44 Apr. | 11.40 | 7.40 | 394.44 | 255.96 May | 11.37 | 7.36 | 388.85 | 251.85 June | 11.43 | 7.39 | 393.19 | 254.33 July | 11.50 | 7.43 | 397.90 | 257.21 Aug. | 11.48 | 7.41 | 394.91 | 254.95 Sept. | 11.54 | 7.44 | 398.13 | 256.53 Oct. | 11.59 | 7.45 | 401.01 | 257.72 Nov. | 11.58 | 7.44 | 398.35 | 256.01 Dec.p | 11.62 | 7.45 | 398.57 | 255.49 _____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________ 1/ See footnote 2, table 1. 2/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). p = preliminary.