Wire Embargo Until — 1996-11-14

Real average weekly earnings fell by 1.5 percent from September to October after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. This decline is attributed to a 1.2 percent decrease in average weekly hours and a 0.3 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Average hourly earnings were unchanged in October. 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 2.4 percent between October of 1995 and 1996 before seasonal adjustment as a result of a 3.0 percent increase in average hourly earnings and a 0.6 percent decrease in average weekly hours.