TEXT
Table A.    Composition of change in real earnings of production or
Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
Table 2.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private


Technical information: (202) 606-6555     USDL 96-283
Media contact:               606-5902
 
                                          WIRE EMBARGO UNTIL
                                          10:00 A.M. (EDT) TUESDAY,
                                          JULY 16, 1996
 
 
 
                     REAL EARNINGS IN JUNE 1996
 
    Real average weekly earnings rose by 2.2 percent from May to
June after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data
released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor.  The large gain stemmed from an unusual combination
of substantial growth in both average weekly hours (1.5 percent) and
average hourly earnings (0.8 percent).  This was partially offset by
a 0.1 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners
and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
 
    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.
 
    Average weekly earnings rose by 4.5 percent between June
of 1995 and 1996 as a result of a 3.6 percent increase in average
hourly earnings and a 0.9 percent increase in average weekly hours.
After adjustment for a 2.8 percent gain in the CPI-W over the same
period, real average weekly earnings grew by 1.7 percent.  Before
adjustment for seasonal change and deflation by the CPI-W, average
weekly earnings were $410.08 in June 1996, compared with $392.36 a year
earlier.
 
 
                   _____________________________
 
 
     Real Earnings for July 1996 will be released on Tuesday,
August 13, 1996.
 Table A.    Composition of change in real earnings of production or
nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls
______________________________________________________________________________
             |            |            |            |            |
             |   Average  |   Average  |   Average  |     The    |    Real
             |   hourly   |   weekly   |   weekly   |  Consumer  |   average
    Year     |  earnings  |    hours   |  earnings  |    Price   |   weekly
     and     |            |            |            |   Index1/  |  earnings
    month    |____________|____________|____________|____________|____________
             |
             |    Percent change from preceding month, seasonally adjusted
_____________|________________________________________________________________
             |            |            |            |            |
1995:        |            |            |            |            |
    June     |     0.6    |     0.6    |     1.2    |     0.2    |     1.0
    July     |      .3    |      .3    |      .6    |      .0    |      .6
    Aug.     |     -.1    |     -.3    |     -.4    |      .2    |     -.6
    Sept.    |      .5    |      .0    |      .5    |      .1    |      .4
    Oct.     |      .3    |      .3    |      .6    |      .3    |      .2
    Nov.     |      .3    |     -.3    |      .1    |      .1    |     (2)
    Dec.     |      .2    |     -.3    |     -.1    |      .2    |     -.3
1996:        |            |            |            |            |
    Jan.     |      .1    |    -1.5    |    -1.4    |      .4    |    -1.8
    Feb.     |      .3    |     2.1    |     2.3    |      .2    |     2.1
    Mar.     |      .3    |      .0    |      .3    |      .5    |     -.2
    Apr.     |      .3    |     -.6    |     -.2    |      .4    |     -.6
    Mayp     |      .1    |     -.3    |     -.2    |      .3    |     -.5
    Junep    |      .8    |     1.5    |     2.2    |      .1    |     2.2
             |________________________________________________________________
             |
             |            Percent change from same month a year ago
             |________________________________________________________________
             |            |            |            |            |
1995:        |            |            |            |            |
    June     |     2.8    |    -0.6    |     2.2    |     3.1    |    -0.8
    July     |     3.1    |     -.3    |     2.8    |     2.8    |     (2)
    Aug.     |     3.0    |     -.6    |     2.4    |     2.5    |     -.1
    Sept.    |     3.0    |     -.6    |     2.4    |     2.5    |     -.1
    Oct.     |     2.9    |     -.9    |     2.0    |     2.7    |     -.6
    Nov.     |     2.9    |     -.6    |     2.3    |     2.4    |     -.1
    Dec.     |     3.0    |     -.9    |     2.1    |     2.5    |     -.4
1996:        |            |            |            |            |
    Jan.     |     3.2    |    -2.9    |      .2    |     2.6    |    -2.5
    Feb.     |     3.0    |     -.3    |     2.7    |     2.6    |     (2)
    Mar.     |     3.1    |      .0    |     3.1    |     2.8    |      .3
    Apr.     |     3.2    |     -.6    |     2.6    |     2.9    |     -.3
    Mayp     |     3.3    |      .3    |     3.6    |     2.9    |      .6
    Junep    |     3.6    |      .9    |     4.5    |     2.8    |     1.7
_____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________
  1/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is
the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
  2  Less than 0.05 percent.
  p = preliminary.
 
 
 Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
private nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by
industry
____________________________________________________________________
                          |
                          |         Average hourly earnings
                          |_________________________________________
                          |        |        |        |
         Industry         |        |        |        |    Percent
                          |   June |   May  |   June |    change
                          |   1995 |   1996p|   1996p|  June 1995 -
                          |        |        |        |  June 1996
__________________________|________|________|________|______________
                          |        |        |        |
Total private:2/          |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| $11.34 | $11.73 | $11.75 |      3.6
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.33 |   7.38 |   7.39 |       .8
                          |        |        |        |
Goods-producing:          |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  13.02 |  13.38 |  13.45 |      3.3
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   8.42 |   8.42 |   8.46 |       .5
                          |        |        |        |
Mining:                   |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  15.23 |  15.45 |  15.62 |      2.6
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   9.84 |   9.72 |   9.82 |      -.2
                          |        |        |        |
Construction:             |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  15.03 |  15.27 |  15.32 |      1.9
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   9.72 |   9.61 |   9.64 |      -.8
                          |        |        |        |
Manufacturing:            |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  12.32 |  12.71 |  12.75 |      3.5
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.96 |   8.00 |   8.02 |       .8
                          |        |        |        |
Service-producing:        |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  10.76 |  11.17 |  11.18 |      3.9
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   6.96 |   7.03 |   7.03 |      1.0
                          |        |        |        |
Transportation and public |        |        |        |
     utilities:           |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  14.11 |  14.40 |  14.46 |      2.5
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   9.12 |   9.06 |   9.09 |      -.3
                          |        |        |        |
Wholesale trade:          |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  12.34 |  12.73 |  12.85 |      4.1
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.98 |   8.01 |   8.08 |      1.3
                          |        |        |        |
Retail trade:             |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|   7.65 |   7.92 |   7.93 |      3.7
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   4.95 |   4.98 |   4.99 |       .8
                          |        |        |        |
Finance, insurance,       |        |        |        |
     and real estate:     |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  12.19 |  12.75 |  12.80 |      5.0
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.88 |   8.02 |   8.05 |      2.2
                          |        |        |        |
Services:                 |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|  11.22 |  11.68 |  11.66 |      3.9
 Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.25 |   7.35 |   7.33 |      1.1
__________________________|________|________|________|______________
 See footnotes at end of table.
 Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
private nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by
industry - Continued
____________________________________________________________________
                          |
                          |         Average weekly earnings
                          |_________________________________________
                          |        |        |        |
         Industry         |        |        |        |    Percent
                          |   June |   May  |   June |    change
                          |   1995 |   1996p|   1996p|  June 1995 -
                          |        |        |        |  June 1996
__________________________|________|________|________|______________
                          |        |        |        |
Total private:2/          |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........|$392.36 |$402.34 |$410.08 |      4.5
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 253.63 | 253.20 | 257.91 |      1.7
                          |        |        |        |
Goods-producing:          |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 536.42 | 548.58 | 556.83 |      3.8
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 346.75 | 345.24 | 350.21 |      1.0
                          |        |        |        |
Mining:                   |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 685.35 | 698.34 | 720.08 |      5.1
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 443.02 | 439.48 | 452.88 |      2.2
                          |        |        |        |
Construction:             |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 595.19 | 592.48 | 608.20 |      2.2
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 384.74 | 372.86 | 382.52 |      -.6
                          |        |        |        |
Manufacturing:            |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 512.51 | 528.74 | 534.23 |      4.2
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 331.29 | 332.75 | 335.99 |      1.4
                          |        |        |        |
Service-producing:        |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 352.93 | 363.03 | 371.18 |      5.2
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 228.14 | 228.46 | 233.45 |      2.3
                          |        |        |        |
Transportation and public |        |        |        |
     utilities:           |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 558.76 | 565.92 | 581.29 |      4.0
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 361.19 | 356.15 | 365.59 |      1.2
                          |        |        |        |
Wholesale trade:          |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 472.62 | 486.29 | 499.87 |      5.8
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 305.51 | 306.04 | 314.38 |      2.9
                          |        |        |        |
Retail trade:             |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 222.62 | 227.30 | 233.14 |      4.7
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 143.90 | 143.05 | 146.63 |      1.9
                          |        |        |        |
Finance, insurance,       |        |        |        |
     and real estate:     |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 433.96 | 453.90 | 464.64 |      7.1
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 280.52 | 285.65 | 292.23 |      4.2
                          |        |        |        |
Services:                 |        |        |        |
 Current dollars..........| 364.65 | 376.10 | 382.45 |      4.9
 Constant (1982) dollars..| 235.71 | 236.69 | 240.53 |      2.0
__________________________|________|________|________|______________
  1/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this
release is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and
Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
2/ Data relate to production and related workers in mining and
manufacturing; construction workers in construction; and
nonsupervisory workers in transportation and public utilities,
trade, finance, insurance, and real estate, and services. Included
in this group are approximately four-fifths of all jobs on private
industry payrolls.
 p = preliminary.
 
 
 Table 2.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private
nonfarm payrolls1/, seasonally adjusted
_____________________________________________________________________________
             |                               |
             |                               |
             |         Average hourly        |         Average weekly
             |            earnings           |            earnings
             |                               |
    Year     |_______________________________|_______________________________
     and     |               |               |               |
    month    |               |               |               |
             |    Current    |    Constant   |    Current    |    Constant
             |    dollars    |     (1982)    |    dollars    |     (1982)
             |               |   dollars2/   |               |   dollars2/
             |               |               |               |
_____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________
             |               |               |               |
1995:        |               |               |               |
    June     |     $11.43    |      $7.39    |    $393.19    |    $254.16
    July     |      11.47    |       7.41    |     395.72    |     255.80
    Aug.     |      11.46    |       7.39    |     394.22    |     254.34
    Sept.    |      11.52    |       7.42    |     396.29    |     255.34
    Oct.     |      11.55    |       7.42    |     398.48    |     255.93
    Nov.     |      11.59    |       7.44    |     398.70    |     255.91
    Dec.     |      11.61    |       7.44    |     398.22    |     255.11
1996:        |               |               |               |
    Jan.     |      11.62    |       7.41    |     392.76    |     250.48
    Feb.     |      11.65    |       7.42    |     401.93    |     255.84
    Mar.     |      11.68    |       7.40    |     402.96    |     255.36
    Apr.     |      11.72    |       7.40    |     402.00    |     253.79
    Mayp     |      11.73    |       7.38    |     401.17    |     252.47
    Junep    |      11.82    |       7.43    |     410.15    |     257.96
_____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________
  1/ See footnote 2, table 1.
 2/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is
the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
  p = preliminary.