Wire Embargo Until — 1996-05-14

Real average weekly earnings fell 0.4 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. This drop stemmed from a 0.4 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Average weekly earnings were about unchanged in April as a 0.6 percent rise in average hourly earnings was offset by a decrease of 0.6 percent in average weekly hours. 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.