Wire Embargo Until — 1998-04-14

Real average weekly earnings decreased by 0.2 percent from February to March 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 0.6 percent decrease in average weekly hours. This was partially offset by a 0.3 percent increase in average hourly earnings and a 0.1 percent decline 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. Before seasonal adjustment, average weekly earnings increased by 3.7 percent between March of 1997 and 1998 as a result of a 4.0 percent increase in average hourly earnings and a 0.3 percent decrease in average weekly hours.