TEXT
Table A.  Composition of change in real earnings (production or
Table 1.  Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private

Table 2. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls1/, seasonally adjusted


 
 
 Technical information: (202) 606-6555     USDL 94-125
 Media contact:               606-5902
 
                                           WIRE EMBARGO UNTIL
                                           10:00 A.M. (EST) WEDNESDAY,
                                           MARCH 16, 1994
 
 
 
                      REAL EARNINGS IN FEBRUARY 1994
 
     Real average weekly earnings fell 1.5 percent from January
 to February after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data
 released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
 of Labor.  This drop stemmed from a 1.4 percent decline in average
 weekly hours coupled with a 0.2 percent rise in the Consumer Price
 Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).  These
 movements were partially offset by a 0.2 percent increase in average
 hourly earnings.
 
     Data on average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll
 reports of private nonfarm establishments.  Earnings of both full-time
 and part-time workers holding production or nonsupervisory jobs are
 included.  Real average weekly earnings are calculated by adjusting
 earnings in current dollars for changes in the CPI-W.
 
     Average weekly earnings rose by 2.3 percent between February
 of 1993 and 1994 as a result of a 2.6 percent increase in average hourly
 earnings and a 0.3 percent decline in average weekly hours.
 After adjustment for a 2.3 percent gain in the CPI-W over the
 same period, real average weekly earnings were unchanged.
 Before adjustment for seasonal change and deflation by the CPI-W,
 average weekly earnings were $375.70 in February 1994, compared
 with $367.26 a year earlier.
 
 
                    _____________________________
 
 
      Real Earnings for March 1994 will be released on Wednesday,
 April 13, 1994.
 
 
Table A.  Composition of change in real earnings (production or
nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls)
________________________________________________________________
             |         |         |         |   The   |  Real
      Year   |Average  | Average |Average  |Consumer |average
      and    | hourly  |  weekly | weekly  |  Price  | weekly
     month   |earnings |  hours  |earnings |Index 1/ |earnings
             |         |         |         |         |
 
    Percent change from preceding month, seasonally adjusted
 
1993:        |         |         |         |         |
   Feb.      |   0.1   |  -0.3   |  -0.2   |   0.3   |  -0.5
   Mar.      |    .4   |   -.6   |   -.2   |    .2   |   -.4
   Apr.      |   -.1   |    .6   |    .5   |    .3   |    .2
   May       |    .5   |    .9   |   1.3   |    .3   |   1.1
   June      |   -.1   |   -.9   |  -1.0   |    .1   |  -1.0
   July      |    .0   |    .3   |    .3   |    .1   |    .2
   Aug.      |    .5   |    .6   |   1.0   |    .1   |    .8
   Sept.     |    .0   |  -1.2   |  -1.2   |    .1   |  -1.2
   Oct.      |    .6   |    .6   |   1.1   |    .4   |    .7
   Nov.      |    .1   |    .0   |    .1   |    .2   |   -.1
   Dec.      |    .2   |    .0   |    .2   |    .1   |   (2)
1994:        |         |         |         |         |
   Jan. p    |    .5   |    .9   |   1.4   |    .1   |   1.4
   Feb. p    |    .2   |  -1.4   |  -1.3   |    .2   |  -1.5
             |         |         |         |         |
 
           Percent change from same month a year ago
 
1993:        |         |         |         |         |
   Feb.      |   2.5   |  -0.3   |   2.2   |   3.2   |  -0.9
   Mar.      |   2.6   |   -.6   |   2.0   |   3.0   |  -1.0
   Apr.      |   2.5   |    .3   |   2.8   |   3.1   |   -.3
   May       |   2.8   |    .6   |   3.4   |   3.1   |    .2
   June      |   2.3   |    .3   |   2.6   |   2.8   |   -.2
   July      |   2.3   |    .6   |   2.9   |   2.7   |    .2
   Aug.      |   2.2   |    .6   |   2.8   |   2.6   |    .1
   Sept.     |   2.4   |    .6   |   3.0   |   2.5   |    .5
   Oct.      |   2.4   |    .6   |   3.0   |   2.7   |    .4
   Nov.      |   2.2   |    .0   |   2.2   |   2.6   |   -.3
   Dec.      |   2.5   |    .6   |   3.1   |   2.5   |    .6
1994:        |         |         |         |         |
   Jan. p    |   2.7   |   1.2   |   3.9   |   2.4   |   1.5
   Feb. p    |   2.6   |   -.3   |   2.3   |   2.3   |   (2)
             |         |         |         |         |
  1/ The deflator for the           for Urban Wage Earners and
constant dollar series present-     Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
ed in this release is derived         2/ Less than 0.05 percent.
from the Consumer Price Index         p = preliminary.
 
 
 
 
 
Table 1.  Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private
      nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by industry
_______________________________________________________________________
                             |                                        |
                             |                 Average                |
 
                             |             hourly earnings            |
         Industry            |                                        |
                             | Feb.  | Jan.  | Feb.  |Percent change  |
                             | 1993  | 1994p | 1994p |Feb. 1993 -     |
                             |       |       |       |Feb. 1994       |
                             |       |       |       |                |
Total private: 2/            |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............|$10.77 |$11.06 |$11.05 |       2.6      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  7.42 |  7.46 |  7.44 |        .3      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Mining:                     |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 14.60 | 15.02 | 14.93 |       2.3      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 10.06 | 10.13 | 10.05 |       -.1      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Construction:               |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 14.11 | 14.38 | 14.42 |       2.2      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  9.72 |  9.70 |  9.70 |       -.2      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Manufacturing:              |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 11.62 | 11.97 | 12.03 |       3.5      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  8.00 |  8.08 |  8.10 |       1.3      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Transportation and          |       |       |       |                |
    public utilities:        |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 13.60 | 13.79 | 13.80 |       1.5      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  9.37 |  9.30 |  9.29 |       -.9      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Wholesale trade:            |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 11.61 | 11.93 | 11.91 |       2.6      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  8.00 |  8.05 |  8.01 |        .1      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Retail trade:               |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............|  7.26 |  7.45 |  7.44 |       2.5      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  5.00 |  5.03 |  5.01 |        .2      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Finance, insurance,         |       |       |       |                |
    and real estate:         |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 11.19 | 11.76 | 11.74 |       4.9      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  7.71 |  7.94 |  7.90 |       2.5      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 Services:                   |       |       |       |                |
  Current dollars............| 10.83 | 11.09 | 11.07 |       2.2      |
  Constant (1982) dollars....|  7.46 |  7.48 |  7.45 |       -.1      |
                             |       |       |       |                |
                             |       |       |       |                |
 
 
_________________________________________________________________________
                             |
                             |                  Average
 
                             |              weekly earnings
         Industry            |
                             | Feb.   | Jan.   | Feb.   |Percent change
                             | 1993   | 1994p  | 1994p  |Feb. 1993 -
                             |        |        |        |Feb. 1994
                             |        |        |        |
Total private: 2/            |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............|$367.26 |$380.46 |$375.70 |       2.3
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 252.93 | 256.72 | 252.83 |       (3)
                             |        |        |        |
 Mining:                     |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 635.10 | 659.38 | 650.95 |       2.5
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 437.40 | 444.93 | 438.06 |        .2
                             |        |        |        |
 Construction:               |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 517.84 | 532.06 | 519.12 |        .2
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 356.64 | 359.01 | 349.34 |      -2.0
                             |        |        |        |
 Manufacturing:              |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 477.58 | 496.76 | 490.82 |       2.8
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 328.91 | 335.20 | 330.30 |        .4
                             |        |        |        |
 Transportation and          |        |        |        |
    public utilities:        |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 531.76 | 554.36 | 556.14 |       4.6
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 366.23 | 374.06 | 374.25 |       2.2
                             |        |        |        |
 Wholesale trade:            |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 440.02 | 455.73 | 450.20 |       2.3
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 303.04 | 307.51 | 302.96 |       (3)
                             |        |        |        |
 Retail trade:               |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 204.73 | 210.09 | 209.81 |       2.5
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 141.00 | 141.76 | 141.19 |        .1
                             |        |        |        |
 Finance, insurance,         |        |        |        |
    and real estate:         |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 399.48 | 426.89 | 417.94 |       4.6
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 275.12 | 288.05 | 281.25 |       2.2
                             |        |        |        |
 Services:                   |        |        |        |
  Current dollars............| 349.81 | 360.43 | 356.45 |       1.9
  Constant (1982) dollars....| 240.92 | 243.21 | 239.87 |       -.4
                             |        |        |        |
                             |        |        |        |
 
 
     1/ The deflator for the constant dollar series presented     and public utilities, trade, finance, insurance,
in this release is derivedfrom the Consumer Price Index for      and real estate, and services.  Included in this
Urban Wage Earners and Cleical Workers (CPI-W).                  group are approximately four-fifths of all jobs
     2/ Data relate to theearnings of production and related     on private industry payrolls.
workers in mining and manuacturing; construction workers in           3/ Less than 0.05 percent.
construction; and nonsuperisory workers in transportation             p = preliminary.
 
Table 2. Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls1/, seasonally adjusted
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                            |                                                                                       |
                            |                                         1993                                          |     1994
         Earnings           |                                                                                       |
                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
                            | Feb.  | Mar.  | Apr.  | May   | June  | July  | Aug.  | Sept. | Oct.  | Nov.  | Dec.  |Jan. p |Feb. p
                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
Average hourly earnings:    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
  Current dollars...........| $10.74| $10.78| $10.77| $10.82| $10.81| $10.81| $10.86| $10.86| $10.92| $10.93| $10.95| $11.01| $11.03
  Constant (1982) dollars2/.|   7.39|   7.40|   7.38|   7.39|   7.38|   7.37|   7.39|   7.38|   7.39|   7.39|   7.39|   7.42|   7.42
                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
Average weekly earnings:    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
  Current dollars...........| 369.46| 368.68| 370.49| 375.45| 371.86| 372.95| 376.84| 372.50| 376.74| 377.09| 377.78| 383.15| 378.33
  Constant (1982) dollars2/.| 254.27| 253.21| 253.76| 256.45| 253.83| 254.23| 256.35| 253.23| 255.07| 254.79| 254.91| 258.36| 254.60
                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 
     1/ See footnote 2, table 1.                                     Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
     2/ The deflator for the constant dollar series presented             p = preliminary.
in this release is derived from the Consumer Price Index for