Wire Embargo Until — 1998-08-18

Real average weekly earnings increased by 0.1 percent from June to July after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The increase stemmed from a 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings. This was partly offset by a 0.2 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Average weekly hours were unchanged over the month. 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. Before seasonal adjustment, average weekly earnings increased by 4.1 percent between July of 1997 and 1998 as a result of a 4.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings with no change in average weekly hours.