Technical information:       (202) 691-6378     USDL 01-228
             http://www.bls.gov/cpshome.htm
                                                For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                     691-5902     Thursday, July 19, 2001


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            SECOND QUARTER 2001


   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 99.9 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $595 in the second quarter of 2001, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 5.1
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.4 percent in
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
   
   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See the explanatory note.)  Highlights from the second-quarter
data are:
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $514 per
week, or 77.1 percent of the $667 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics (86.1 percent) and blacks (85.7
percent) than among whites (76.0 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $537 per
week, 78.2 percent of the median for white men ($687).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($460) were 88.1
percent of those for their white counterparts ($522).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($417) were lower than those of
blacks ($495) and whites ($609).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the $802 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 ($595).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,017 for men and $728 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 $384, compared with $521 for high school
graduates (no college) and $919 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 $2,391 or more
per week, compared with $1,731 or more for their female counterparts.  (See
table 4.)
Explanatory Note
     
     
     The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment.  The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically selected national sample of about 50,000 households, with coverage
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The earnings data are 
collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and salaries.  The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
     
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired 
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral 
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
     
Reliability
     
     Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error.  When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error.  BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.

     The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

     For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
     
Definitions
     
     The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
     
     Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.)  Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week.  Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period.  Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent.  The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent.  If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
     
     Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median.  Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).

                                  - 2 -

     The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50.  The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
     
     Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary.  The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups.  For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary.  This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400.  An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
     
     Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates.  The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

     Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
     
     Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
     
     Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
     
     Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South  American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
 Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
 not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                              Number of workers              Median weekly earnings          
                                                                (in thousands)                                               
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                       Characteristic                                                 In current dollars    In constant (1982) 
                                                                                                                 dollars       
                                                                II          II                                                
                                                               2000        2001                                               
                                                                                        II         II         II         II    
                                                                                       2000       2001       2000       2001   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................   100,220     99,917       $566       $595       $318       $323 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    56,472     55,896        640        667        360        363 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     6,852      6,385        371        394        209        214 
      25 years and over....................................    49,620     49,511        694        716        390        389 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    43,748     44,021        485        514        273        280 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,167      5,240        333        348        187        189 
      25 years and over....................................    38,581     38,781        508        547        285        297 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    82,937     82,348        584        609        328        331 
      Men..................................................    47,939     47,292        660        687        371        374 
      Women................................................    34,997     35,056        494        522        278        284 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    12,603     12,635        467        495        263        269 
      Men..................................................     5,950      5,887        514        537        289        292 
      Women................................................     6,652      6,747        416        460        234        250 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    11,932     12,012        388        417        218        227 
      Men..................................................     7,427      7,375        409        445        230        242 
      Women................................................     4,505      4,637        349        383        196        208 

      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.






 Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex, 
 second quarter 2001 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                                      Total                  Men                  Women        
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               Age, race, and Hispanic origin                  Number                Number                Number             
                                                                 of        Median      of        Median      of        Median  
                                                               workers     weekly    workers     weekly    workers     weekly  
                                                                 (in      earnings     (in      earnings     (in      earnings 
                                                             thousands)            thousands)            thousands)           
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                           TOTAL                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    99,917       $595     55,896       $667     44,021       $514 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    11,625        375      6,385        394      5,240        348 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,119        298      1,209        316        910        283 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,506        395      5,175        413      4,330        371 
   25 years and over.......................................    88,293        627     49,511        716     38,781        547 
     25 to 54 years........................................    77,074        629     43,220        714     33,853        552 
       25 to 34 years......................................    24,697        572     14,087        611     10,609        515 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,668        652     16,342        747     12,326        550 
       45 to 54 years......................................    23,709        696     12,791        802     10,918        595 
     55 years and over.....................................    11,219        612      6,291        729      4,928        515 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,825        620      5,447        749      4,377        523 
       65 years and over...................................     1,394        513        843        624        551        397 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    82,348        609     47,292        687     35,056        522 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     9,728        378      5,521        395      4,207        353 
   25 years and over.......................................    72,620        650     41,771        735     30,849        563 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,996        654     36,293        734     26,702        572 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,624        623      5,478        754      4,147        517 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,635        495      5,887        537      6,747        460 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,428        333        608        381        820        312 
   25 years and over.......................................    11,206        517      5,279        572      5,927        486 
     25 to 54 years........................................    10,063        517      4,727        577      5,336        486 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,143        509        552        529        591        491 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,012        417      7,375        445      4,637        383 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,946        313      1,256        317        690        306 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,066        452      6,119        485      3,947        402 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,114        452      5,523        484      3,591        405 
     55 years and over.....................................       953        449        596        497        357        373 

      NOTE:  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
 group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.






  Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, 
  not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     Number of workers              Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                      Occupation and sex                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   2000            2001              2000            2001     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      30,856          32,209             $828            $846   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      15,274          15,891              835             846   
     Professional specialty.................................      15,582          16,318              821             845   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      28,554          28,116              504             523   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,652           3,673              641             659   
     Sales occupations......................................      10,254          10,212              532             576   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,648          14,231              474             489   
   Service occupations......................................      11,446          10,951              349             379   
     Private household......................................         447             328              264             245   
     Protective service.....................................       2,180           2,231              605             618   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,819           8,393              324             348   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      12,145          12,027              607             620   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,254           4,189              641             642   
     Construction trades....................................       4,421           4,334              588             606   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,471           3,504              585             620   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,611          14,983              454             476   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,019           6,341              446             464   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,447           4,631              540             583   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       4,145           4,011              385             396   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,609           1,631              325             346   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,658          16,174              999           1,017   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       8,293           8,334              995           1,009   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,365           7,840            1,001           1,025   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,874          10,502              653             665   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,829           1,853              754             750   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,724           5,616              683             704   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,322           3,032              552             574   
   Service occupations......................................       5,475           5,200              405             437   
     Private household......................................          28              10           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,845           1,834              636             655   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,602           3,355              351             374   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,991          11,111              622             636   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,001           4,043              645             650   
     Construction trades....................................       4,339           4,229              590             608   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,651           2,839              649             677   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      12,111          11,586              492             505   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,611           4,093              498             518   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,122           4,306              555             595   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,378           3,188              401             405   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,363           1,323              342             357   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,198          16,035              697             728   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,980           7,557              684             700   
     Professional specialty.................................       8,217           8,478              708             745   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,679          17,614              451             478   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,823           1,820              539             586   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,530           4,595              379             434   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      11,326          11,199              455             475   
   Service occupations......................................       5,971           5,751              313             332   
     Private household......................................         419             317              263             246   
     Protective service.....................................         334             396              470             517   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       5,218           5,038              311             327   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,154             915              439             477   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         253             146              588             528   
     Construction trades....................................          81             105           (1)                536   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         820             665              409             447   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,500           3,397              353             366   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,408           2,249              353             364   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         325             325              421             458   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         767             823              329             354   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         245             309              288             312   

    1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.






 Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
 characteristics, second quarter 2001 averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                                                               Number                       Upper limit of:                   
                                                                 of                                                           
                       Characteristic                          workers                                                        
                                                                 (in        First      First     Second      Third     Ninth  
                                                             thousands)    decile    quartile   quartile   quartile   decile  
                                                                                                (median)                       
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
               SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    99,917       $288       $396       $595       $893     $1,336 
   Men.....................................................    55,896        312        437        667      1,009      1,501 
   Women...................................................    44,021        267        356        514        745      1,063 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    82,348        293        405        609        919      1,370 
     Men...................................................    47,292        316        450        687      1,032      1,534 
     Women.................................................    35,056        272        366        522        761      1,104 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,635        263        342        495        702        976 
     Men...................................................     5,887        287        382        537        768      1,101 
     Women.................................................     6,747        247        315        460        636        868 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    12,012        243        301        417        623        948 
     Men...................................................     7,375        254        314        445        661      1,021 
     Women.................................................     4,637        232        283        383        576        823 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    88,293        305        424        627        939      1,386 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,657        235        292        384        529        719 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,660        287        380        521        739      1,008 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,504        329        441        619        858      1,173 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,472        471        643        919      1,360      1,892 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,494        442        602        854      1,246      1,765 
       Advanced degree.....................................     8,979        569        747      1,067      1,529      2,120 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    49,511        339        483        716      1,064      1,559 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,567        256        317        424        586        795 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,479        320        433        610        855      1,128 
       Some college or associate degree....................    13,008        376        505        720        985      1,356 
       College graduates, total............................    15,457        499        724      1,061      1,541      2,114 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,370        479        679        971      1,444      1,923 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,088        597        833      1,211      1,732      2,391 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,781        281        381        547        773      1,117 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     3,090        212        261        318        421        558 
       High school graduates, no college...................    12,181        259        330        446        600        790 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,496        296        397        534        709        940 
       College graduates, total............................    12,015        433        590        782      1,104      1,480 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     8,124        407        550        738      1,013      1,382 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,891        534        697        916      1,256      1,731 

      NOTE:  Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
 quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
 upper limit of the ninth decile.  Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
 for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.






  Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
  averages, not seasonally adjusted
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    Number of workers               Median weekly earnings    
                                                                      (in thousands)                                        
                        Characteristic                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    II              II                II              II      
                                                                   2000            2001              2000            2001     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      20,538          20,956             $171            $176   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,458           6,953              158             160   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,718           3,805              132             135   
       25 years and over....................................       2,741           3,147              205             215   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,080          14,003              178             186   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,549           4,441              136             134   
       25 years and over....................................       9,531           9,562              210             220   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      17,709          18,167              172             178   
       Men..................................................       5,414           5,855              159             161   
       Women................................................      12,295          12,312              179             188   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       1,911           1,924              161             162   
       Men..................................................         703             694              146             146   
       Women................................................       1,208           1,230              168             170   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,879           1,876              166             178   
       Men..................................................         644             765              172             180   
       Women................................................       1,235           1,111              163             177   

       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.