Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 691-6378     USDL 00-203

                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Thursday, July 20, 2000


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 2000

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 100.2 million full-time wage 
and salary workers were $566 in the second quarter of 2000, the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was
4.2 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.3 percent
in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
   
   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See the explanatory note.)  Highlights from the second-quarter
data are:
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $485 per
week, or 75.8 percent of the $640 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics (85.3 percent) and blacks
(80.9 percent) than among whites (74.8 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $514 per
week, 77.9 percent of the median for white men ($660).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($416) were 84.2 
percent of those for their white counterparts ($494).  Overall, median 
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($388) were lower than those of
blacks ($467) and whites ($584).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the $787 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 ($557).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$999 for men and $697 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 $363, compared with $504 for high school
graduates (no college) and $892 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 $2,381 or
more per week, compared with $1,537 or more for their female counterparts.
(See table 4.)
Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically selected national sample of about 50,000 households, with coverage
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data are 
collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired 
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral 
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).
     
     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

                                  - 2 -

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                                 In current dollars   In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                               dollars       
                                                                 II         II                                                
                                                                1999       2000                                               
                                                                                        II         II         II         II    
                                                                                       1999       2000       1999       2000   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    97,585    100,220       $543       $566       $315       $318 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    55,185     56,472        617        640        359        360 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,328      6,852        344        371        199        209 
      25 years and over....................................    48,858     49,620        665        694        386        390 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    42,400     43,748        467        485        271        273 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,902      5,167        316        333        183        187 
      25 years and over....................................    37,498     38,581        494        508        287        285 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    80,928     82,937        569        584        331        328 
      Men..................................................    46,858     47,939        638        660        370        371 
      Women................................................    34,070     34,997        480        494        279        278 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    12,116     12,603        432        467        251        263 
      Men..................................................     5,822      5,950        481        514        280        289 
      Women................................................     6,295      6,652        402        416        234        234 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    10,835     11,932        375        388        218        218 
      Men..................................................     6,734      7,427        399        409        232        230 
      Women................................................     4,101      4,505        343        349        199        196 

      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, 
 second quarter 2000 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               Age, race, and Hispanic origin                 Number                Number                Number             
                                                                of       Median       of       Median       of       Median  
                                                              workers    weekly     workers    weekly     workers    weekly  
                                                                (in     earnings      (in     earnings      (in     earnings 
                                                            thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................   100,220       $566     56,472       $640     43,748       $485 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    12,020        352      6,852        371      5,167        333 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,349        291      1,422        304        928        270 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,670        377      5,431        391      4,240        359 
   25 years and over.......................................    88,200        604     49,620        694     38,581        508 
     25 to 54 years........................................    77,446        607     43,622        693     33,823        511 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,401        528     14,488        592     10,913        482 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,964        629     16,628        726     12,335        516 
       45 to 54 years......................................    23,081        671     12,506        787     10,576        557 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,755        589      5,998        704      4,757        484 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,394        602      5,229        724      4,165        500 
       65 years and over...................................     1,361        420        769        546        592        377 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    82,937        584     47,939        660     34,997        494 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,058        360      5,944        377      4,114        340 
   25 years and over.......................................    72,879        621     41,995        717     30,883        518 
     25 to 54 years........................................    63,541        624     36,722        717     26,819        523 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,337        599      5,273        724      4,064        490 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,603        467      5,950        514      6,652        416 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,525        315        668        319        857        310 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,078        492      5,282        550      5,796        436 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,094        493      4,789        549      5,304        439 
     55 years and over.....................................       984        476        493        559        491        409 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,932        388      7,427        409      4,505        349 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     2,037        310      1,323        315        715        299 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,895        412      6,104        451      3,790        369 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,972        414      5,499        457      3,473        370 
     55 years and over.....................................       922        384        605        404        317        355 


      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in January
 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, 
  not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers               Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   1999            2000              1999            2000     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      30,475          30,856             $790            $828   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,986          15,274              793             835   
     Professional specialty.................................      15,489          15,582              788             821   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      27,691          28,554              488             504   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,466           3,652              620             641   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,877          10,254              524             532   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,348          14,648              446             474   
   Service occupations......................................      10,817          11,446              333             349   
     Private household......................................         345             447              204             264   
     Protective service.....................................       2,139           2,180              589             605   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,334           8,819              312             324   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      12,011          12,145              583             607   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,289           4,254              611             641   
     Construction trades....................................       4,163           4,421              559             588   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,559           3,471              562             585   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,003          15,611              422             454   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,724           7,019              416             446   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,168           4,447              514             540   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       4,111           4,145              365             385   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,588           1,609              328             325   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,513          15,658              943             999   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       8,051           8,293              954             995   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,462           7,365              929           1,001   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,697          10,874              631             653   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,859           1,829              751             754   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,550           5,724              666             683   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,288           3,322              546             552   
   Service occupations......................................       5,101           5,475              400             405   
     Private household......................................          20              28           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,800           1,845              611             636   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,280           3,602              328             351   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,901          10,991              598             622   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,065           4,001              614             645   
     Construction trades....................................       4,068           4,339              562             590   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,768           2,651              613             649   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,606          12,111              473             492   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,343           4,611              484             498   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,895           4,122              526             555   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,368           3,378              382             401   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,367           1,363              335             342   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,962          15,198              675             697   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,935           6,980              659             684   
     Professional specialty.................................       8,027           8,217              690             708   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,994          17,679              430             451   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,607           1,823              516             539   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,327           4,530              403             379   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      11,060          11,326              426             455   
   Service occupations......................................       5,716           5,971              305             313   
     Private household......................................         324             419              199             263   
     Protective service.....................................         339             334              490             470   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       5,053           5,218              304             311   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,110           1,154              410             439   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         224             253              526             588   
     Construction trades....................................          95              81           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         791             820              385             409   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,397           3,500              332             353   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,381           2,408              338             353   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         273             325              352             421   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         743             767              318             329   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         221             245              300             288   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
  Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, second quarter 2000 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                of                                                           
                       Characteristic                         workers                                                        
                                                                (in       First      First     Second      Third      Ninth  
                                                            thousands)   decile    quartile   quartile   quartile    decile  
                                                                                              (median)                       
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   100,220       $278       $374       $566       $854     $1,251 
   Men.....................................................    56,472        298        414        640        965      1,426 
   Women...................................................    43,748        254        330        485        705      1,014 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    82,937        282        383        584        879      1,273 
     Men...................................................    47,939        301        422        660        988      1,456 
     Women.................................................    34,997        258        339        494        719      1,033 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,603        253        324        467        673        962 
     Men...................................................     5,950        276        363        514        738      1,019 
     Women.................................................     6,652        238        304        416        609        857 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,932        234        288        388        590        889 
     Men...................................................     7,427        247        302        409        619        929 
     Women.................................................     4,505        216        266        349        514        799 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    88,200        292        401        604        903      1,326 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,832        222        277        363        509        709 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    28,120        279        359        504        714        962 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,105        309        414        593        821      1,135 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,143        441        619        892      1,304      1,842 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,099        412        586        823      1,181      1,704 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,044        528        729      1,050      1,475      2,015 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    49,620        323        468        694      1,014      1,487 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,693        241        303        410        572        768 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,830        312        416        594        817      1,055 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,849        358        487        691        938      1,260 
       College graduates, total............................    15,248        499        711      1,022      1,503      2,013 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,058        474        673        951      1,386      1,896 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,189        592        840      1,229      1,664      2,381 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,581        267        351        508        739      1,064 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     3,139        196        244        302        393        514 
       High school graduates, no college...................    12,290        248        313        414        569        747 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,256        283        371        501        676        901 
       College graduates, total............................    11,896        389        548        746      1,055      1,414 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,041        367        507        694        969      1,342 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,855        486        652        868      1,173      1,537 

      NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
 for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. 
 Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers              Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   1999            2000              1999            2000     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      20,964          20,538             $161            $171   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,716           6,458              151             158   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,807           3,718              121             132   
       25 years and over....................................       2,909           2,741              210             205   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,248          14,080              166             178   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,648           4,549              122             136   
       25 years and over....................................       9,600           9,531              199             210   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,832          17,709              162             172   
       Men..................................................       5,633           5,414              150             159   
       Women................................................      12,199          12,295              167             179   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,231           1,911              156             161   
       Men..................................................         782             703              151             146   
       Women................................................       1,449           1,208              159             168   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,874           1,879              158             166   
       Men..................................................         679             644              158             172   
       Women................................................       1,194           1,235              158             163   

       NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other
  races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.  Beginning in
  January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.