Wire Embargo Until — 1996-02-28

Real average weekly earnings fell by 1.7 percent from December to January after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. This decline stemmed from a 1.7 percent drop in average weekly hours, which was partly due to unusually severe weather in the eastern part of the country, along with a 0.4 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The decrease was partially offset by an increase of 0.5 percent in average hourly earnings. 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.