Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202)  606-6378    USDL 99-96

                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 606-5902    Thursday, April 15, 1999


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 1999
   
   
   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 95.6 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $538 in the first quarter of 1999, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 
3.3 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.7 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 $468 a week,
or 76.5 percent of the $612 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios for blacks (84.5 percent) and for Hispanics (85.5 percent) were
higher than the ratio for whites (75.8 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $483 per
week, 76.8 percent of the median for white men ($629).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($408) were 85.5
percent of those for their white counterparts ($477).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($387) were lower than those of
blacks ($443) and whites ($560).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, those in the 45- to 54-year age group had the highest
median weekly earnings ($751), followed by 55- to 64-year-old men, with
median earnings of $735.  Among women, earnings also were highest for those
45-to-54 years old ($510), followed by 35- to 44-year olds, with a median
of $495.  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$939 for men and $662 for women--while men and women in
service and farm jobs had the lowest earnings.  (See table 3.)
   
   --Full-time workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma
had median weekly earnings of $342, compared with $481 for high school
graduates (no college) and $842 for college graduates.  Among college
graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and
above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned $2,181 or more,
compared with $1,465 or more for their female counterparts.  (See table 4.)
Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the Bureau of the Census from a
scientifically selected national sample of about 50,000 households, with
coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data
are collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and  salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).
     
     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

                                  - 2 -

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                               In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                 I          I                                                
                                                               1998       1999                                               
                                                                                       I          I          I          I    
                                                                                     1998       1999       1998       1999   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    93,183     95,648       $521       $538       $310       $315 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    52,791     54,054        596        612        355        358 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,560      5,888        337        360        201        211 
      25 years and over....................................    47,230     48,167        629        655        375        384 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    40,392     41,593        455        468        271        274 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,110      4,336        304        331        181        194 
      25 years and over....................................    36,283     37,257        480        488        286        286 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    77,526     79,295        543        560        323        329 
      Men..................................................    44,840     45,914        611        629        364        368 
      Women................................................    32,686     33,380        467        477        278        280 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    11,383     11,935        418        443        249        260 
      Men..................................................     5,579      5,735        452        483        269        283 
      Women................................................     5,803      6,201        395        408        235        239 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    10,183     10,620        364        387        217        227 
      Men..................................................     6,475      6,702        381        407        227        238 
      Women................................................     3,707      3,917        330        348        197        204 

      NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, first
 quarter 1999 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               Age, race, and Hispanic origin                 Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    95,648       $538     54,054       $612     41,593       $468 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,224        346      5,888        360      4,336        331 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,634        284      1,094        295        540        259 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,590        363      4,794        381      3,796        343 
   25 years and over.......................................    85,424        580     48,167        655     37,257        488 
     25 to 54 years........................................    75,415        579     42,439        649     32,976        490 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,178        511     14,391        562     10,787        465 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,416        598     16,271        689     12,145        495 
       45 to 54 years......................................    21,821        633     11,776        751     10,045        510 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,009        590      5,728        716      4,281        474 
       55 to 64 years......................................     8,930        605      5,120        735      3,810        486 
       65 years and over...................................     1,078        403        608        480        470        367 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    79,295        560     45,914        629     33,380        477 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     8,617        351      5,110        363      3,507        335 
   25 years and over.......................................    70,678        597     40,805        681     29,873        496 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,104        596     35,852        675     26,252        498 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,574        602      4,953        742      3,621        479 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,935        443      5,735        483      6,201        408 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,214        309        543        321        671        302 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,721        469      5,191        500      5,530        428 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,735        468      4,704        500      5,031        426 
     55 years and over.....................................       986        479        487        500        499        446 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    10,620        387      6,702        407      3,917        348 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,908        303      1,214        306        694        298 
   25 years and over.......................................     8,712        412      5,489        441      3,223        366 
     25 to 54 years........................................     7,932        414      4,978        439      2,953        371 
     55 years and over.....................................       780        385        510        477        270        330 


      NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not
  seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I               I               I      
                                                                   1998            1999            1998            1999     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      28,748          30,209             $741            $776   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,026          14,846              730             768   
     Professional specialty.................................      14,721          15,362              750             784   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      26,602          26,629              476             483   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,414           3,391              597             615   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,285           9,235              505             524   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      13,904          14,003              435             441   
   Service occupations......................................      10,415          10,725              323             341   
     Private household......................................         382             399              214             235   
     Protective service.....................................       2,197           2,135              595             571   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       7,836           8,191              301             315   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,535          11,804              567             588   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,127           4,419              596             619   
     Construction trades....................................       3,788           3,954              535             554   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,620           3,431              552             580   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      14,755          15,015              409             421   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,057           7,116              405             414   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,228           4,237              505             497   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,469           3,662              342             361   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,128           1,267              302             320   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,516          15,268              865             939   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,384           7,799              864             949   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,132           7,470              865             929   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,222          10,194              606             618   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,751           1,680              697             706   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,179           5,205              619             646   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,292           3,309              522             524   
   Service occupations......................................       5,243           5,227              388             406   
     Private household......................................          15              20           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,854           1,810              604             589   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,374           3,397              317             335   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,564          10,810              585             603   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       3,943           4,246              598             621   
     Construction trades....................................       3,720           3,891              539             557   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,901           2,674              613             634   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,309          11,476              452             460   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,591           4,592              475             479   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,865           3,898              515             508   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       2,853           2,985              350             370   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         936           1,079              303             337   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,231          14,940              647             662   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,642           7,048              620             633   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,589           7,893              671             694   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,381          16,435              418             427   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,663           1,711              512             520   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,106           4,030              386             404   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,612          10,694              414             421   
   Service occupations......................................       5,172           5,498              290             306   
     Private household......................................         367             379              211             230   
     Protective service.....................................         343             325              492             495   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,462           4,794              288             304   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         971             994              404             413   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         184             173              508             544   
     Construction trades....................................          68              63           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         719             758              385             381   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,445           3,539              321             329   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,466           2,523              323             331   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         363             338              325             367   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         616             677              308             312   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         193             188              297             261   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, first quarter 1999 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                of                                                           
                       Characteristic                         workers                                                        
                                                                (in       First      First     Second      Third      Ninth  
                                                            thousands)   decile    quartile   quartile   quartile    decile  
                                                                                              (median)                       
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    95,648       $269       $365       $538       $810     $1,175 
   Men.....................................................    54,054        290        406        612        922      1,336 
   Women...................................................    41,593        246        322        468        678        956 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    79,295        275        377        560        839      1,223 
     Men...................................................    45,914        295        418        629        945      1,363 
     Women.................................................    33,380        249        331        477        693        972 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    11,935        243        311        443        645        914 
     Men...................................................     5,735        260        336        483        704        999 
     Women.................................................     6,201        235        295        408        600        802 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    10,620        226        279        387        581        840 
     Men...................................................     6,702        239        294        407        611        898 
     Women.................................................     3,917        202        254        348        515        732 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    85,424        283        389        580        853      1,230 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,376        213        266        342        490        653 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    26,976        270        346        481        670        908 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,060        299        403        571        786      1,059 
     College graduates, total..............................    26,012        423        596        842      1,208      1,652 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    17,350        402        558        770      1,127      1,521 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,662        497        698        978      1,371      1,906 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,167        310        444        655        962      1,375 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,285        238        295        393        532        720 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,249        298        400        567        768      1,005 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,929        342        475        660        907      1,204 
       College graduates, total............................    14,704        479        665        964      1,368      1,897 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,787        454        617        894      1,262      1,728 
         Advanced degree...................................     4,917        579        799      1,132      1,554      2,181 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    37,257        256        338        488        709        985 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     3,091        187        234        289        373        503 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,726        241        305        402        529        699 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,131        277        355        484        649        865 
       College graduates, total............................    11,308        384        526        730        986      1,325 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,564       $365       $495       $674        915      1,227 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,745        448        616        834      1,126      1,465 

      NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
 for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. 
 Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers             Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I               I               I      
                                                                   1998            1999            1998            1999     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,705          21,671             $152            $158   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,797           6,672              142             149   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,746           3,619              114             117   
       25 years and over....................................       3,051           3,052              198             206   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,908          14,999              155             163   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,845           4,818              111             113   
       25 years and over....................................      10,062          10,180              184             197   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,646          18,710              152             160   
       Men..................................................       5,799           5,628              140             149   
       Women................................................      12,847          13,082              157             164   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,165           2,119              147             149   
       Men..................................................         659             731              149             146   
       Women................................................       1,506           1,388              147             150   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,869           1,939              155             157   
       Men..................................................         680             667              167             154   
       Women................................................       1,190           1,272              150             158   

       NOTE:   Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other
  races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in
  January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.