Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6378          USDL 01-102

                                                For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902          Wednesday, April 18, 2001


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 2001
                                     

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 99.1 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $592 in the first quarter of 2001, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 3.0
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.4 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 first-quarter data
are:
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $508 per
week, or 76.0 percent of the $668 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics (88.9 percent) and blacks
(87.1 percent) than among whites (74.8 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $505 per
week, 72.7 percent of the median for white men ($695).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($440) were 84.6
percent of those for their white counterparts ($520).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($407) were lower than those of
blacks ($477) and whites ($610).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the $809 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 old ($570), while 55- to 64-year-olds had the
second-highest earnings ($549).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,029 for men and $731 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 $371, compared with $513 for high school grad-
uates (no college) and $922 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 $2,434 or more per week, compared
with $1,663 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).

                                  - 2 -

     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.

     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       
                                                                  I          I                                                
                                                                2000       2001                                               
                                                                                         I          I          I          I    
                                                                                       2000       2001       2000       2001   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    98,223     99,054       $575       $592       $327       $325 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    55,088     55,382        649        668        369        367 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,109      6,195        369        384        210        211 
      25 years and over....................................    48,979     49,187        697        718        396        394 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    43,135     43,673        488        508        277        279 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,659      4,831        341        358        194        197 
      25 years and over....................................    38,476     38,842        511        535        290        294 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    81,205     81,758        590        610        335        335 
      Men..................................................    46,579     46,862        672        695        382        381 
      Women................................................    34,625     34,896        497        520        282        286 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    12,331     12,527        459        477        261        262 
      Men..................................................     5,900      5,899        496        505        282        277 
      Women................................................     6,430      6,628        422        440        240        241 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    11,423     11,627        395        407        224        223 
      Men..................................................     7,096      7,083        419        424        238        233 
      Women................................................     4,328      4,543        355        377        202        207 

      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.






 Table 2.  Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, 
 first quarter 2001 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.........................................    99,054       $592     55,382       $668     43,673       $508 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,026        374      6,195        384      4,831        358 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,929        297      1,112        313        817        276 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,096        393      5,082        403      4,014        380 
   25 years and over.......................................    88,028        624     49,187        718     38,842        535 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,953        625     43,007        717     33,946        535 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,687        578     14,070        622     10,617        513 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,827        647     16,373        747     12,454        534 
       45 to 54 years......................................    23,439        683     12,564        809     10,874        570 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,076        613      6,180        725      4,896        534 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,633        627      5,349        743      4,285        549 
       65 years and over...................................     1,442        488        831        533        611        390 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    81,758        610     46,862        695     34,896        520 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,084        381      5,244        391      3,840        365 
   25 years and over.......................................    72,674        650     41,618        743     31,056        553 
     25 to 54 years........................................    63,174        651     36,231        742     26,943        553 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,500        639      5,387        752      4,113        556 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,527        477      5,899        505      6,628        440 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,477        328        700        327        777        330 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,050        500      5,199        526      5,851        467 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,890        501      4,612        524      5,278        472 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,160        483        587        540        573        423 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,627        407      7,083        424      4,543        377 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,086        316      1,337        319        749        307 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,541        439      5,746        478      3,795        397 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,671        441      5,179        480      3,492        395 
     55 years and over.....................................       870        423        567        428        303        418 

      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.






  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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I                 I               I      
                                                                   2000            2001              2000            2001     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      31,508          31,990             $827            $853   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      15,433          15,754              820             865   
     Professional specialty.................................      16,074          16,236              833             844   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      27,980          28,412              505             519   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,726           3,715              637             660   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,753          10,239              558             579   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,500          14,458              467             483   
   Service occupations......................................      10,529          11,025              357             367   
     Private household......................................         318             380              258             265   
     Protective service.....................................       1,976           2,101              619             613   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,235           8,544              329             330   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,945          12,120              608             622   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,160           4,143              660             654   
     Construction trades....................................       4,221           4,405              593             603   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,564           3,572              566             619   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      14,756          14,312              445             454   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,464           6,220              428             446   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,407           4,108              528             556   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,885           3,984              378             390   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,506           1,196              320             370   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,959          16,179              976           1,029   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,986           8,331              981           1,059   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,973           7,848              972           1,009   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,701          10,708              661             681   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,930           1,905              747             796   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,342           5,617              679             725   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,429           3,186              588             583   
   Service occupations......................................       5,143           5,420              418             429   
     Private household......................................          17              23           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,676           1,755              646             639   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,450           3,642              359             366   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,869          11,016              623             643   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,023           3,921              660             661   
     Construction trades....................................       4,128           4,324              595             605   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,717           2,771              624             684   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,144          11,022              488             491   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,087           4,030              495             504   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,028           3,731              548             576   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,029           3,261              395             405   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,273           1,036              329             376   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,549          15,811              702             731   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,447           7,423              674             710   
     Professional specialty.................................       8,102           8,387              725             745   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,279          17,704              446             469   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,796           1,810              524             556   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,412           4,622              410             423   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      11,071          11,272              443             464   
   Service occupations......................................       5,386           5,605              317             319   
     Private household......................................         301             357              251             269   
     Protective service.....................................         300             346              507             483   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,785           4,902              314             317   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,076           1,104              421             466   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         137             222              644             556   
     Construction trades....................................          92              81           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         847             801              402             432   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,612           3,290              348             361   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,377           2,190              349             368   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         379             377              399             412   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         855             723              320             317   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         233             159              279             344   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.






 Table 4.  Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, first quarter 2001 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..................................    99,054       $287       $392       $592       $894     $1,332 
   Men.....................................................    55,382        309        434        668      1,012      1,502 
   Women...................................................    43,673        267        350        508        748      1,062 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    81,758        293        404        610        922      1,364 
     Men...................................................    46,862        315        456        695      1,041      1,537 
     Women.................................................    34,896        274        364        520        761      1,088 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,527        257        328        477        686        997 
     Men...................................................     5,899        281        359        505        732      1,077 
     Women.................................................     6,628        241        308        440        643        928 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,627        241        295        407        609        884 
     Men...................................................     7,083        252        307        424        659        947 
     Women.................................................     4,543        229        275        377        538        778 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    88,028        301        417        624        940      1,384 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     7,784        232        284        371        505        704 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,571        286        375        513        732        993 
     Some college or associate degree......................    25,012        318        433        613        862      1,164 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,661        455        640        922      1,357      1,893 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,183        419        602        857      1,248      1,750 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,478        562        743      1,058      1,552      2,161 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    49,187        336        483        718      1,071      1,559 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     4,873        254        309        417        569        782 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,645        322        427        597        838      1,112 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,287        364        501        714        980      1,315 
       College graduates, total............................    15,382        508        736      1,086      1,559      2,141 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,064        483        688        989      1,441      1,914 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,318        605        841      1,248      1,817      2,434 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,842        278        371        535        773      1,107 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,911        211        253        306        404        511 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,926        256        323        426        591        771 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,725        293        387        522        716        958 
       College graduates, total............................    12,279        407        584        774      1,072      1,498 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,120        380        534        731        999      1,386 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,160        518        667        897      1,191      1,663 

      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.






  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                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I                 I               I      
                                                                   2000            2001              2000            2001     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,222          21,431             $164            $175   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,824           6,799              153             163   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,867           3,696              123             129   
       25 years and over....................................       2,957           3,103              207             221   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,398          14,632              170             181   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,633           4,752              123             127   
       25 years and over....................................       9,765           9,880              200             214   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,301          18,488              165             175   
       Men..................................................       5,724           5,654              152             163   
       Women................................................      12,576          12,835              171             182   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,997           1,959              158             170   
       Men..................................................         711             737              150             151   
       Women................................................       1,286           1,222              163             181   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,896           2,027              175             175   
       Men..................................................         640             716              183             174   
       Women................................................       1,256           1,310              170             176   

       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.