October 2010 Real Earnings — 2010-11-17

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.1 percent from September to October, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This decrease stems from a 0.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which offset a 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings. Real average weekly earnings rose 0.3 percent over the month, as a 0.3 percent increase in the average work week combined with the decline in real average hourly earnings. Real average hourly earnings rose 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, from October 2009 to October 2010. A 1.8 percent increase in average weekly hours, combined with the increase in real average hourly earnings, resulted in a 2.3 percent increase in real average weekly earnings during this period. Real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees rose 0.1 percent from September to October, seasonally adjusted.