May 2012 Real Earnings — 2012-06-14

Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.3 percent from April to May, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase stems from a 0.1 percent gain in average hourly earnings and a 0.3 percent decline in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI- U). Real average weekly earnings rose 0.1 percent over the month, due to the increase in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3 percent decline in the average workweek. Since reaching a peak in October 2010, real average weekly earnings have fallen 1.1 percent. Real average hourly earnings fell 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, from May 2011 to May 2012. The decline in real average hourly earnings combined with an unchanged workweek, resulted in no change in real average weekly earnings during this period. Real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees rose 0.3 percent from April to May, seasonally adjusted.