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                                        For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902  Thursday, October 19, 2000
                                     
                                     
             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            THIRD QUARTER 2000


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 101.5 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $575 in the third quarter of 2000, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 5.3
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.5 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 (CPS), 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 third-quarter data
are:

   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $491 per
week, or 76.7 percent of the $640 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics (90.6 percent) and blacks (88.2
percent) than among whites (74.8 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $492 per
week, 74.1 percent of the median for white men ($664).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($434) were 87.3
percent of those for their white counterparts ($497).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($402) were lower than those of
blacks ($463) and whites ($590).
   
   --Among men, the $761 median weekly earnings level of 45- to 54-year-
olds was the highest of any age group.  Among women, earnings also were
highest for those 45 to 54 years ($580).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$994 for men and $706 for women.  Men and women in service
and farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
   
   --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $358, compared with $509 for high school
graduates (no college) and $900 for college graduates.  Among college
graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and
above), the highest-earning 10 percent of male workers made $2,404 or more
per week, compared with $1,655 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 U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically 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:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral 
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
     
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(1)     
                                                                 III        III                                               
                                                                1999       2000                                               
                                                                                        III        III        III        III   
                                                                                       1999       2000       1999       2000   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    99,052    101,462       $546       $575       $315       $321 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    56,199     57,430        614        640        354        356 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     7,296      7,719        347        378        200        211 
      25 years and over....................................    48,903     49,711        668        700        386        390 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    42,853     44,031        474        491        273        273 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,433      5,872        323        335        186        187 
      25 years and over....................................    37,421     38,160        500        519        289        289 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    81,874     83,623        569        590        328        329 
      Men..................................................    47,670     48,505        632        664        365        370 
      Women................................................    34,204     35,117        483        497        278        277 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    12,496     12,776        454        463        262        258 
      Men..................................................     5,972      6,143        492        492        284        274 
      Women................................................     6,524      6,633        416        434        240        242 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    11,087     11,767        392        402        226        224 
      Men..................................................     6,841      7,271        410        416        237        232 
      Women................................................     4,246      4,496        356        377        205        210 

   1 Corrections to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January through August 2000 resulted in minor changes to a few median
 weekly earnings figures expressed in constant (1982) dollars for the first and second quarters of 2000. The constant dollar
 median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers age 16 and over for the first quarter of 2000 has been revised
 to $326, down $1 from what was originally published.  In addition, the first quarter figures for all men age 16 and over and
 for black men were revised down by $1 to $368 and $281, respectively.  In the second quarter, the figures for all women 16
 and over and for all black workers were revised down by $1 to $272 and $262, respectively.  For analytical purposes, the
 effect of the corrections in the CPI on the adjusted median weekly earnings figures is negligible.
   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
 2000, 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, 
 third quarter 2000 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.........................................   101,462       $575     57,430       $640     44,031       $491 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    13,591        360      7,719        378      5,872        335 
     16 to 19 years........................................     3,110        293      1,811        301      1,299        280 
     20 to 24 years........................................    10,481        388      5,908        403      4,573        364 
   25 years and over.......................................    87,871        615     49,711        700     38,160        519 
     25 to 54 years........................................    77,023        616     43,562        698     33,460        523 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,163        569     14,534        610     10,629        500 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,988        629     16,582        735     12,406        514 
       45 to 54 years......................................    22,872        673     12,446        761     10,426        580 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,848        605      6,149        715      4,699        497 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,451        619      5,301        729      4,151        510 
       65 years and over...................................     1,397        477        848        588        549        382 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    83,623        590     48,505        664     35,117        497 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,470        362      6,694        379      4,775        337 
   25 years and over.......................................    72,153        634     41,811        725     30,342        530 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,931        636     36,492        723     26,439        536 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,222        619      5,319        735      3,903        505 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,776        463      6,143        492      6,633        434 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,607        338        778        359        829        323 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,169        494      5,365        522      5,804        464 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,040        496      4,807        521      5,233        470 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,129        463        558        526        571        402 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,767        402      7,271        416      4,496        377 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,176        316      1,369        318        808        309 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,590        429      5,902        459      3,688        395 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,798        431      5,395        459      3,403        399 
     55 years and over.....................................       793        402        507        463        286        343 

      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
 2000, 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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   1999            2000              1999            2000     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      30,779          31,849             $806            $833   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,792          15,482              796             850   
     Professional specialty.................................      15,988          16,367              812             817   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      27,749          28,620              485             504   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,634           3,780              608             654   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,860          10,237              515             557   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,255          14,603              449             463   
   Service occupations......................................      11,302          11,035              336             352   
     Private household......................................         487             351              246             252   
     Protective service.....................................       2,191           2,147              587             638   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,624           8,537              313             324   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,914          12,336              598             612   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,383           4,287              622             648   
     Construction trades....................................       4,043           4,553              560             592   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,488           3,495              605             599   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,429          15,740              431             433   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,771           6,631              426             423   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,678           4,724              515             532   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,980           4,386              351             380   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,879           1,881              331             345   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,635          16,144              955             994   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,998           8,319              963           1,026   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,637           7,824              948             962   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,664          11,072              620             651   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,863           1,941              708             766   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,491           5,564              683             691   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,310           3,567              527             545   
   Service occupations......................................       5,422           5,230              394             411   
     Private household......................................          25               6              (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,804           1,796              614             678   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,593           3,427              331             347   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,863          11,285              608             621   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,182           4,082              621             645   
     Construction trades....................................       3,941           4,461              566             595   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,740           2,741              651             639   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,996          12,130              475             475   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,418           4,205              483             480   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,391           4,341              521             552   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,186           3,584              365             394   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,620           1,570              335             362   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,145          15,705              690             706   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,794           7,163              665             682   
     Professional specialty.................................       8,351           8,543              709             725   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,085          17,548              430             449   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,771           1,839              533             539   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,370           4,673              385             413   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,944          11,036              432             443   
   Service occupations......................................       5,879           5,805              304             316   
     Private household......................................         462             345              244             251   
     Protective service.....................................         388             351              488             502   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       5,030           5,110              304             316   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,051           1,051              464             466   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         202             205              677             695   
     Construction trades....................................         101              92              436             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         748             754              435             423   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,434           3,611              335             355   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,353           2,426              336             363   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         287             383              398             382   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         794             802              316             321   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         260             311              316             291   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 2000, 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, third quarter 2000 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..................................   101,462       $277       $377       $575       $859     $1,287 
   Men.....................................................    57,430        296        415        640        972      1,459 
   Women...................................................    44,031        253        335        491        723      1,036 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    83,623        281        387        590        888      1,340 
     Men...................................................    48,505        301        431        664      1,000      1,490 
     Women.................................................    35,117        256        343        497        734      1,058 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,776        249        323        463        680        923 
     Men...................................................     6,143        264        349        492        707        979 
     Women.................................................     6,633        239        307        434        645        872 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,767        236        295        402        604        866 
     Men...................................................     7,271        248        306        416        630        942 
     Women.................................................     4,496        220        278        377        550        771 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    87,871        294        408        615        914      1,369 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,372        226        279        358        502        701 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,172        278        366        509        722        972 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,979        314        424        603        839      1,138 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,348        445        624        900      1,357      1,885 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,193        414        593        836      1,252      1,753 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,155        535        727      1,028      1,519      2,085 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    49,711        323        474        700      1,026      1,532 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,404        245        303        406        580        762 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,374        308        414        595        812      1,070 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,445        360        504        703        964      1,280 
       College graduates, total............................    15,488        495        701      1,028      1,519      2,088 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,309        478        668        957      1,432      1,908 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,178        562        779      1,188      1,728      2,404 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,160        270        360        519        756      1,092 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,967        195        246        303        388        502 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,798        251        319        429        590        759 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,534        288        376        505        694        904 
       College graduates, total............................    11,861        393        573        765      1,100      1,511 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,884        360        517        713      1,017      1,397 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,977        510        665        896      1,245      1,655 

      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 2000, 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                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   1999            2000              1999            2000     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      19,996          19,103             $171            $174   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,135           5,721              162             159   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,383           3,169              137             137   
       25 years and over....................................       2,752           2,552              209             211   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      13,861          13,382              175             183   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,330           4,168              130             140   
       25 years and over....................................       9,531           9,214              208             210   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,316          16,578              171             176   
       Men..................................................       5,222           4,871              162             159   
       Women................................................      12,094          11,707              177             185   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,915           1,747              164             160   
       Men..................................................         626             576              157             158   
       Women................................................       1,289           1,171              167             161   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,793           1,634              161             159   
       Men..................................................         711             483              180             161   
       Women................................................       1,081           1,151              150             159   

       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 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.