Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 606-6378  USDL 99-197

                                        For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                606-5902  Tuesday, July 20, 1999


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 1999
   

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 97.6 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $543 in the second quarter of 1999, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 5.4
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.1 percent
in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
   
   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See the explanatory note.)  Highlights from the second quarter
data are:
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $467 a week,
or 75.7 percent of the $617 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (83.6 percent) and Hispanics (86.0 percent)
than among whites (75.2 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $481 per
week, 75.4 percent of the median for white men ($638).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($402) were 83.8
percent of those for their white counterparts ($480).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($375) were lower than those of
blacks ($432) and whites ($569).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, those in the 45- to 54-year age group had the highest
median weekly earnings ($757), followed by 55- to 64-year-old men, with
median earnings of $715.  Among women, earnings also were highest for those
45-to-54 years old ($530), followed by 35- to 44-year olds, with a median
of $502.  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$943 for men and $675 for women--while men and women in
farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)

                                  - 2 -

   --Full-time workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma
had median weekly earnings of $345, compared with $489 for high school
graduates (no college) and $851 for college graduates.  Among college
graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and
above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned $2,499 or more,
compared with $1,522 or more for their female counterparts.  (See table 4.)
Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Bureau of the Census from a
scientifically selected national sample of about 50,000 households, with
coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data
are collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and  salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).
     
     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

                                  - 2 -

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                 II         II                                                
                                                                1998       1999                                               
                                                                                        II         II         II         II    
                                                                                       1998       1999       1998       1999   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    95,548     97,585       $515       $543       $306       $315 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    54,625     55,185        590        617        350        359 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,409      6,328        335        344        199        199 
      25 years and over....................................    48,216     48,858        627        665        372        386 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    40,923     42,400        446        467        264        271 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,866      4,902        305        316        181        183 
      25 years and over....................................    36,057     37,498        474        494        281        287 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    79,361     80,928        532        569        315        331 
      Men..................................................    46,237     46,858        606        638        359        370 
      Women................................................    33,124     34,070        458        480        271        279 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    11,827     12,116        420        432        249        251 
      Men..................................................     5,890      5,822        471        481        279        280 
      Women................................................     5,937      6,295        390        402        231        234 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    10,552     10,835        365        375        216        218 
      Men..................................................     6,793      6,734        381        399        226        232 
      Women................................................     3,759      4,101        333        343        198        199 

      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, second
 quarter 1999 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               Age, race, and Hispanic origin                 Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    97,585       $543     55,185       $617     42,400       $467 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,229        329      6,328        344      4,902        316 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,122        272      1,290        277        832        265 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,107        350      5,038        368      4,069        330 
   25 years and over.......................................    86,356        590     48,858        665     37,498        494 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,160        590     43,105        663     33,054        496 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,344        513     14,585        573     10,759        466 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,812        612     16,556        706     12,256        502 
       45 to 54 years......................................    22,004        642     11,964        757     10,040        530 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,196        587      5,752        685      4,444        475 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,926        605      5,020        715      3,906        491 
       65 years and over...................................     1,271        402        733        421        538        376 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    80,928        569     46,858        638     34,070        480 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,447        332      5,506        347      3,941        317 
   25 years and over.......................................    71,481        606     41,352        689     30,129        506 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,665        607     36,311        687     26,353        508 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,816        600      5,040        710      3,776        488 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,116        432      5,822        481      6,295        402 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,339        304        585        311        754        298 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,777        461      5,236        504      5,540        419 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,819        461      4,787        503      5,031        421 
     55 years and over.....................................       958        468        449        520        509        403 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    10,835        375      6,734        399      4,101        343 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,809        293      1,148        293        661        293 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,026        405      5,586        433      3,440        363 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,222        410      5,092        438      3,130        366 
     55 years and over.....................................       804        360        494        370        310        344 


      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
  seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   1998            1999              1998            1999     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      29,076          30,475             $746            $790   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,079          14,986              748             793   
     Professional specialty.................................      14,997          15,489              745             788   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      27,404          27,691              473             488   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,666           3,466              602             620   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,586           9,877              494             524   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,151          14,348              436             446   
   Service occupations......................................      10,421          10,817              330             333   
     Private household......................................         352             345              229             204   
     Protective service.....................................       2,082           2,139              603             589   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,987           8,334              312             312   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,740          12,011              572             583   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,070           4,289              596             611   
     Construction trades....................................       4,150           4,163              543             559   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,520           3,559              562             562   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,194          15,003              412             422   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,056           6,724              401             416   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,338           4,168              511             514   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,800           4,111              348             365   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,714           1,588              302             328   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,863          15,513              888             943   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,577           8,051              903             954   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,286           7,462              876             929   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,405          10,697              603             631   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,893           1,859              686             751   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,245           5,550              625             666   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,266           3,288              507             546   
   Service occupations......................................       5,222           5,101              392             400   
     Private household......................................          19              20           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,784           1,800             $623            $611   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,419           3,280              336             328   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,894          10,901              586             598   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,918           4,065              601             614   
     Construction trades....................................       4,116           4,068              543             562   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,860           2,768              609             613   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,744          11,606              450             473   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,499           4,343              460             484   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,000           3,895              519             526   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,245           3,368              359             382   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,498           1,367              306             335   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,212          14,962              640             675   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,501           6,935              613             659   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,711           8,027              660             690   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,999          16,994              417             430   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,773           1,607              506             516   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,341           4,327              365             403   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,885          11,060              418             426   
   Service occupations......................................       5,199           5,716              300             305   
     Private household......................................         333             324              225             199   
     Protective service.....................................         298             339              416             490   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,569           5,053              299             304   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         847           1,110              389             410   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         152             224              473             526   
     Construction trades....................................          34              95           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         660             791             $371            $385   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,450           3,397              324             332   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,558           2,381              327             338   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         339             273              393             352   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         554             743              294             318   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         215             221              266             300   

    1  Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, second quarter 1999 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                of                                                           
                       Characteristic                         workers                                                        
                                                                (in       First      First     Second      Third      Ninth  
                                                            thousands)   decile    quartile   quartile   quartile    decile  
                                                                                              (median)                       
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    97,585       $266       $359       $543       $821     $1,200 
   Men.....................................................    55,185        288        402        617        929      1,368 
   Women...................................................    42,400        245        319        467        685        971 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    80,928        272        371        569        846      1,245 
     Men...................................................    46,858        293        414        638        953      1,412 
     Women.................................................    34,070        248        326        480        700        985 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,116        239        306        432        650        934 
     Men...................................................     5,822        256        325        481        725        993 
     Women.................................................     6,295        228        291        402        599        875 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    10,835        227        277        375        589        861 
     Men...................................................     6,734        237        289        399        608        939 
     Women.................................................     4,101        205        258        343        536        758 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    86,356        284        390        590        867      1,255 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,643        216        265        345        496        690 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,897        270        347        489        690        937 
     Some college or associate degree......................    23,323        299        403        581        797      1,069 
     College graduates, total..............................    26,493        425        605        851      1,242      1,772 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    17,740        401        576        781      1,145      1,590 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,753        508        707        978      1,433      1,946 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,858        312        446        665        974      1,429 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,570        235        290        392        551        767 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,738        303        405        576        779      1,019 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,561        335        470        663        915      1,200 
       College graduates, total............................    14,989        486        682        968      1,435      1,980 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,988        456        637        898      1,327      1,881 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,001        580        793      1,142      1,662      2,499 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    37,498        257        339        494        721      1,008 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     3,073        191        238        292        383        509 
       High school graduates, no college...................    12,159        240        303        402        551        740 
       Some college or associate degree....................    10,761        277        358        485        660        870 
       College graduates, total............................    11,505        389        537        733      1,003      1,359 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,752        364        499        677        942      1,253 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,752        462        624        855      1,140      1,522 

      NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
 for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. 
 Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   1998            1999              1998            1999     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      20,832          20,964             $156            $161   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,367           6,716              146             151   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,607           3,807              122             121   
       25 years and over....................................       2,759           2,909              192             210   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,466          14,248              160             166   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,355           4,648              115             122   
       25 years and over....................................      10,111           9,600              190             199   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,813          17,832              156             162   
       Men..................................................       5,386           5,633              145             150   
       Women................................................      12,427          12,199              162             167   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,035           2,231              152             156   
       Men..................................................         618             782              153             151   
       Women................................................       1,417           1,449              151             159   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,936           1,874              145             158   
       Men..................................................         637             679              148             158   
       Women................................................       1,299           1,194              144             158   

       NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other
  races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in
  January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.