Wire Embargo Until — 1999-05-14

Real average weekly earnings decreased by 0.2 percent from March to April after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. A 0.3 percent increase in average weekly hours and a 0.2 percent gain in average hourly earnings were offset by a 0.7 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. Average weekly earnings rose by 3.2 percent, seasonally adjusted, between April of 1998 and 1999. After adjustment for inflation, average weekly earnings grew by 1.0 percent.