February 2010 Real Earnings — 2010-03-18

Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.1 percent from January to February, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This increase stems from a 0.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings while the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) remained unchanged. Real average weekly earnings fell 0.2 percent over the month, as a result of a 0.3 percent decline in the average work week offsetting the increase in real average hourly earnings. Over the past 6 months, real average weekly earnings have changed little. Real average hourly earnings fell 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, from February 2009 to February 2010. A 0.9 percent decline in average weekly hours combined with the decrease in real average hourly earnings, resulted in a 1.2 percent decline in real average weekly earnings during this period. Real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees rose 0.1 percent from January to February, seasonally adjusted.