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 96-97 Media contact: 606-5902 WIRE EMBARGO UNTIL 10:00 A.M. (EST) FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1996 REAL EARNINGS IN FEBRUARY 1996 Real average weekly earnings rose 2.1 percent from January to February after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. This rise stemmed from a 2.4 percent increase in average weekly hours, which was largely a rebound from January's weather-related decline. The average weekly hours increase was partially offset by a decrease of 0.1 percent in average hourly earnings and a 0.2 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). 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 2.6 percent between February of 1995 and 1996 as a result of a 2.9 percent increase in average hourly earnings, which was partially offset by a 0.3 percent decrease in average weekly hours. After adjustment for a 2.6 percent gain in the CPI-W over the same period, real average weekly earnings fell by 0.1 percent. Before adjustment for seasonal change and deflation by the CPI-W, average weekly earnings were $398.63 in February 1996, compared with $388.51 a year earlier. _____________________________ Real Earnings for March 1996 is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 12, 1996. 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 _____________|________________________________________________________________ | | | | | 1995: | | | | | Feb. | 0.3 | -0.6 | -0.3 | 0.2 | -0.5 Mar. | .2 | .0 | .2 | .3 | -.1 Apr. | .5 | .0 | .5 | .3 | .2 May | -.3 | -1.2 | -1.4 | .3 | -1.7 June | .5 | .6 | 1.1 | .2 | .9 July | .6 | .6 | 1.2 | .0 | 1.2 Aug. | -.2 | -.6 | -.8 | .2 | -.9 Sept. | .5 | .3 | .8 | .1 | .7 Oct. | .4 | .3 | .7 | .3 | .4 Nov. | -.1 | -.6 | -.7 | .1 | -.7 Dec. | .3 | -.3 | (2) | .2 | -.2 1996: | | | | | Jan.p | .4 | -1.7 | -1.3 | .4 | -1.8 Feb.p | -.1 | 2.4 | 2.3 | .2 | 2.1 |________________________________________________________________ | | Percent change from same month a year ago |________________________________________________________________ | | | | | 1995: | | | | | Feb. | 2.7 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 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. | 3.1 | -.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 | -.3 1996: | | | | | Jan.p | 3.3 | -2.9 | .3 | 2.6 | -2.4 Feb.p | 2.9 | -.3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | -.1 _____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________ 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 | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | change | 1995 | 1996p| 1996p| Feb. 1995 - | | | | Feb. 1996 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ | | | | Total private:2/ | | | | Current dollars..........| $11.36 | $11.73 | $11.69 | 2.9 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.42 | 7.49 | 7.44 | .3 | | | | Goods-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.82 | 13.27 | 13.20 | 3.0 Constant (1982) dollars..| 8.38 | 8.47 | 8.40 | .2 | | | | Mining: | | | | Current dollars..........| 15.26 | 15.66 | 15.67 | 2.7 Constant (1982) dollars..| 9.97 | 10.00 | 9.97 | .0 | | | | Construction: | | | | Current dollars..........| 14.82 | 15.28 | 15.20 | 2.6 Constant (1982) dollars..| 9.69 | 9.76 | 9.68 | -.1 | | | | Manufacturing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.24 | 12.66 | 12.58 | 2.8 Constant (1982) dollars..| 8.00 | 8.08 | 8.01 | .1 | | | | Service-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 10.86 | 11.22 | 11.19 | 3.0 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.10 | 7.16 | 7.12 | .3 | | | | Transportation and public | | | | utilities: | | | | Current dollars..........| 14.04 | 14.47 | 14.44 | 2.8 Constant (1982) dollars..| 9.18 | 9.24 | 9.19 | .1 | | | | Wholesale trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.28 | 12.61 | 12.56 | 2.3 Constant (1982) dollars..| 8.03 | 8.05 | 7.99 | -.5 | | | | Retail trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 7.63 | 7.91 | 7.83 | 2.6 Constant (1982) dollars..| 4.99 | 5.05 | 4.98 | -.2 | | | | Finance, insurance, | | | | and real estate: | | | | Current dollars..........| 12.19 | 12.63 | 12.70 | 4.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.97 | 8.07 | 8.08 | 1.4 | | | | Services: | | | | Current dollars..........| 11.38 | 11.76 | 11.74 | 3.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 7.44 | 7.51 | 7.47 | .4 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ 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 | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | change | 1995 | 1996p| 1996p| Feb. 1995 - | | | | Feb. 1996 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ | | | | Total private:2/ | | | | Current dollars..........|$388.51 |$391.78 |$398.63 | 2.6 Constant (1982) dollars..| 253.93 | 250.18 | 253.74 | -.1 | | | | Goods-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 521.77 | 517.53 | 533.28 | 2.2 Constant (1982) dollars..| 341.03 | 330.48 | 339.45 | -.5 | | | | Mining: | | | | Current dollars..........| 677.54 | 682.78 | 706.72 | 4.3 Constant (1982) dollars..| 442.84 | 436.00 | 449.85 | 1.6 | | | | Construction: | | | | Current dollars..........| 546.86 | 547.02 | 563.92 | 3.1 Constant (1982) dollars..| 357.42 | 349.31 | 358.96 | .4 | | | | Manufacturing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 510.41 | 503.87 | 518.30 | 1.5 Constant (1982) dollars..| 333.60 | 321.76 | 329.92 | -1.1 | | | | Service-producing: | | | | Current dollars..........| 351.86 | 357.92 | 363.68 | 3.4 Constant (1982) dollars..| 229.97 | 228.56 | 231.50 | .7 | | | | Transportation and public | | | | utilities: | | | | Current dollars..........| 551.77 | 555.65 | 568.94 | 3.1 Constant (1982) dollars..| 360.63 | 354.82 | 362.15 | .4 | | | | Wholesale trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 467.87 | 475.40 | 478.54 | 2.3 Constant (1982) dollars..| 305.80 | 303.58 | 304.61 | -.4 | | | | Retail trade: | | | | Current dollars..........| 214.40 | 217.53 | 222.37 | 3.7 Constant (1982) dollars..| 140.13 | 138.91 | 141.55 | 1.0 | | | | Finance, insurance, | | | | and real estate: | | | | Current dollars..........| 435.18 | 448.37 | 454.66 | 4.5 Constant (1982) dollars..| 284.43 | 286.32 | 289.41 | 1.8 | | | | Services: | | | | Current dollars..........| 367.57 | 373.97 | 378.03 | 2.8 Constant (1982) dollars..| 240.24 | 238.81 | 240.63 | .2 __________________________|________|________|________|______________ 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/ | | | | _____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________ | | | | 1995: | | | | Feb. | $11.32 | $7.40 | $391.67 | $255.99 Mar. | 11.34 | 7.39 | 392.36 | 255.61 Apr. | 11.40 | 7.40 | 394.44 | 256.13 May | 11.37 | 7.36 | 388.85 | 251.85 June | 11.43 | 7.39 | 393.19 | 254.16 July | 11.50 | 7.43 | 397.90 | 257.21 Aug. | 11.48 | 7.41 | 394.91 | 254.78 Sept. | 11.54 | 7.44 | 398.13 | 256.53 Oct. | 11.59 | 7.44 | 401.01 | 257.55 Nov. | 11.58 | 7.43 | 398.35 | 255.68 Dec. | 11.61 | 7.44 | 398.22 | 255.11 1996: | | | | Jan.p | 11.66 | 7.44 | 392.94 | 250.60 Feb.p | 11.65 | 7.42 | 401.93 | 255.84 _____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________ 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.