November 2009 Real Earnings — 2009-12-16

Real average hourly earnings fell 0.5 percent from October to November, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. A 0.5 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) more than offset a 0.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers. Real average weekly earnings rose 0.1 percent over the month. A decline in real average hourly earnings was more than offset by a 0.6 percent increase in the average work week. Since reaching a recent high point in December 2008, real average weekly earnings have fallen by 1.7 percent. Real average hourly earnings fell 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, from November 2008 to November 2009. A 0.6 percent decline in average weekly hours combined with the decrease in real average hourly earnings resulted in a 0.7 percent decrease in real average weekly earnings during this period.