Wire Embargo Until — 1999-01-14

Real average weekly earnings increased by 0.5 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. This gain was due to a 0.4 percent increase in average hourly earnings and a 0.3 percent rise in average weekly hours. The earnings increase was slightly offset by a 0.2 percent increase 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.