Real Earnings
Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until USDL-10-0012
8:30 a.m. (EST), Friday, January 15, 2010
Technical Information: (202) 691-6555 * cesinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/ces
Media Contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
REAL EARNINGS - DECEMBER 2009
Real average hourly earnings did not change from November to December, seasonally adjusted, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. A 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings for
production and nonsupervisory workers was offset by a 0.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price
Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
Real average weekly earnings was unchanged over the month, seasonally adjusted. This stems from no
change in real average hourly earnings and in average weekly hours. Since reaching a recent high point
in December 2008, real average weekly earnings have fallen by 1.6 percent.
Real average hourly earnings fell 1.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, from December 2008 to December
2009. A 0.3 percent decline in average weekly hours combined with the decrease in real average hourly
earnings resulted in a 1.6 percent decrease in real average weekly earnings during this period.
Real Earnings for January 2010 is scheduled to be released on Friday, February 19, 2010 at
8:30 a.m. (EST).
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* Upcoming Changes to The Real Earnings News Release *
* *
* Effective with the release of January 2010 data on February 19, 2010, the U.S. *
* Bureau of Labor Statistics will introduce changes to the Real Earnings news release *
* text and tables in order to incorporate new all employee hours and earning data. New *
* real earnings for all employees will be calculated using the 1982-1984 based *
* Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Real Earnings for production *
* and nonsupervisory employees will be revised to use the 1982-1984 based Consumer *
* Prices Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Previously, Real *
* Earnings were calculated using an unpublished CPI-W with a base of 1982. *
* *
* News release tables for Real Earnings will be redesigned to incorporate the new *
* series and to be consistent with formatting of the new Employment Situation news *
* release tables. Additional information is available at *
* www.bls.gov/ces/upcoming_realer_changes.htm. *
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Last Modified Date: January 15, 2010
