December 2012 Real Earnings — 2013-01-16

Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.3 percent from November to December, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase in real average hourly earnings was due to a 0.3 percent increase in average hourly earnings combined with an unchanged Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Real average weekly earnings rose 0.6 percent over the month due to the increase in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3 percent increase in the average workweek. Since reaching a peak in June 2012, real average weekly earnings has edged down by 0.1 percent. Real average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, from December 2011 to December 2012. The increase in real average hourly earnings, combined with a 0.3 percent gain in the average workweek, resulted in a 0.6 percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.