Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information:  (202) 606-6378  USDL 99-301

                                        For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                606-5902  Thursday, October 21, 1999


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            THIRD QUARTER 1999
   

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 99.1 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $546 in the third quarter of 1999, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was 5.0
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.4 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 third quarter data
are:

   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $474 a week,
or 77.2 percent of the $614 median for men.  The female-to-male earnings
ratios were higher among blacks (84.6 percent) and Hispanics (86.8 percent)
than among whites (76.4 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $492 per
week, 77.8 percent of the median for white men ($632).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($416) were 86.1
percent of those for their white counterparts ($483).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($392) were lower than those of
blacks ($454) and whites ($569).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, those in the 45- to 54-year age group had the highest median
weekly earnings ($764), followed by 55- to 64-year-old men, with median
earnings of $721.  Among women, earnings also were highest for those 45-to-
54 years old, who had a median of $550.  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$955 for men and $690 for women--while men and women in
service and farm jobs earned the least.  (See table 3.)
   
   --Full-time workers age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma
had median weekly earnings of $348, compared with $495 for high school
graduates (no college) and $867 for college graduates.  Among college
graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and
above), the highest 10 percent of male workers earned $2,281 or more,
compared with $1,562 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       
                                                                 III        III                                               
                                                                1998       1999                                               
                                                                                        III        III        III        III   
                                                                                       1998       1999       1998       1999   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    97,437     99,052       $520       $546       $307       $315 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    55,378     56,199        593        614        350        354 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     7,086      7,296        323        347        191        200 
      25 years and over....................................    48,292     48,903        639        668        378        386 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    42,059     42,853        455        474        269        273 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,346      5,433        299        323        177        186 
      25 years and over....................................    36,713     37,421        489        500        289        289 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    81,096     81,874        540        569        319        328 
      Men..................................................    47,142     47,670        610        632        361        365 
      Women................................................    33,954     34,204        464        483        274        278 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    11,880     12,496        430        454        254        262 
      Men..................................................     5,727      5,972        462        492        273        284 
      Women................................................     6,153      6,524        407        416        241        240 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    10,582     11,087        382        392        225        226 
      Men..................................................     6,720      6,841        398        410        235        237 
      Women................................................     3,863      4,246        348        356        205        205 

      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, 
 third 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.........................................    99,052       $546     56,199       $614     42,853       $474 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    12,729        336      7,296        347      5,433        323 
     16 to 19 years........................................     2,965        277      1,781        284      1,183        268 
     20 to 24 years........................................     9,765        365      5,515        374      4,249        351 
   25 years and over.......................................    86,323        595     48,903        668     37,421        500 
     25 to 54 years........................................    75,993        595     43,007        664     32,986        503 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,430        518     14,607        571     10,823        471 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,741        612     16,439        702     12,302        504 
       45 to 54 years......................................    21,822        662     11,962        764      9,860        550 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,330        592      5,895        699      4,435        480 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,028        608      5,081        721      3,947        501 
       65 years and over...................................     1,302        395        814        499        488        342 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    81,874        569     47,670        632     34,204        483 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,624        340      6,269        350      4,356        323 
   25 years and over.......................................    71,250        610     41,402        693     29,848        510 
     25 to 54 years........................................    62,338        611     36,223        690     26,115        512 
     55 years and over.....................................     8,912        602      5,179        718      3,733        491 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,496        454      5,972        492      6,524        416 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,611        319        766        315        845        322 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,885        481      5,207        516      5,679        439 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,888        483      4,727        516      5,161        444 
     55 years and over.....................................       997        455        480        526        517        401 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,087        392      6,841        410      4,246        356 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,933        310      1,251        312        682        307 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,154        413      5,589        444      3,565        374 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,466        415      5,192        447      3,274        377 
     55 years and over.....................................       688        383        398        413        290        346 


      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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   1998            1999              1998            1999     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      28,996          30,779             $766            $806   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,666          14,792              763             796   
     Professional specialty.................................      14,330          15,988              769             812   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      28,258          27,749              477             485   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,598           3,634              589             608   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,941           9,860              498             515   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,719          14,255              439             449   
   Service occupations......................................      11,062          11,302              329             336   
     Private household......................................         379             487              219             246   
     Protective service.....................................       2,210           2,191              576             587   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,472           8,624              309             313   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      12,243          11,914              560             598   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,322           4,383              590             622   
     Construction trades....................................       4,228           4,043              528             560   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,693           3,488              546             605   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,221          15,429              414             431   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       6,848           6,771              398             426   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,372           4,678              505             515   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       4,000           3,980              358             351   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,658           1,879              303             331   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,806          15,635              910             955   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,912           7,998              924             963   
     Professional specialty.................................       6,894           7,637              894             948   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,781          10,664              602             620   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,748           1,863              683             708   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,533           5,491              614             683   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,499           3,310              519             527   
   Service occupations......................................       5,459           5,422              381             394   
     Private household......................................          12              25              (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,889           1,804              603             614   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,557           3,593              331             331   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,190          10,863              579             608   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,164           4,182              592             621   
     Construction trades....................................       4,136           3,941              533             566   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,890           2,740              607             651   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,702          11,996              457             475   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,348           4,418              465             483   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,066           4,391              513             521   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,288           3,186              372             365   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,441           1,620              304             335   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,190          15,145              664             690   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       6,754           6,794              631             665   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,436           8,351              705             709   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      17,477          17,085              419             430   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,849           1,771              507             533   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,408           4,370              362             385   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      11,220          10,944              421             432   
   Service occupations......................................       5,603           5,879              297             304   
     Private household......................................         367             462              219             244   
     Protective service.....................................         321             388              445             488   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,915           5,030              296             304   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................       1,053           1,051              404             464   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         158             202              510             677   
     Construction trades....................................          92             101              (1)             436   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         803             748              393             435   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,519           3,434              323             335   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,501           2,353              320             336   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         306             287              407             398   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         712             794              323             316   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         217             260              291             316   

    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, third 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..................................    99,052       $265       $363       $546       $827     $1,211 
   Men.....................................................    56,199        285        400        614        931      1,360 
   Women...................................................    42,853        246        323        474        698        993 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    81,874        270        373        569        851      1,240 
     Men...................................................    47,670        289        409        632        954      1,388 
     Women.................................................    34,204        249        330        483        710      1,004 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,496        244        315        454        658        957 
     Men...................................................     5,972        256        344        492        699        982 
     Women.................................................     6,524        237        300        416        622        924 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,087        229        282        392        586        859 
     Men...................................................     6,841        237        296        410        619        927 
     Women.................................................     4,246        212        263        356        523        742 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    86,323        284        395        595        880      1,263 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,288        219        265        348        497        689 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,109        266        352        495        704        945 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,286        302        404        576        794      1,089 
     College graduates, total..............................    26,641        428        606        867      1,238      1,749 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    17,552        403        572        789      1,139      1,574 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,089        525        729      1,013      1,435      1,968 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,903        313        449        668        983      1,430 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,454        235        292        395        554        744 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,484        304        409        586        793      1,051 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,936        339        475        660        916      1,189 
       College graduates, total............................    15,028        475        673        975      1,417      1,921 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     9,763        438        626        912      1,294      1,856 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,266        578        797      1,148      1,588      2,281 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    37,421        258        346        500        735      1,037 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,834        192        238        287        371        492 
       High school graduates, no college...................    11,624        236        301        409        558        740 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,349        281        362        486        664        887 
       College graduates, total............................    11,613        397        546        746      1,029      1,374 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,789        375        502        679        936      1,231 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,823        491        656        884      1,183      1,562 

      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                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                    III             III               III             III     
                                                                   1998            1999              1998            1999     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      19,588          19,996             $161            $171   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,101           6,135              153             162   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,352           3,383              130             137   
       25 years and over....................................       2,749           2,752              203             209   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      13,487          13,861              165             175   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,186           4,330              130             130   
       25 years and over....................................       9,301           9,531              189             208   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      16,774          17,316              162             171   
       Men..................................................       5,055           5,222              154             162   
       Women................................................      11,720          12,094              167             177   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,012           1,915              150             164   
       Men..................................................         740             626              142             157   
       Women................................................       1,271           1,289              155             167   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,756           1,793              154             161   
       Men..................................................         626             711              164             180   
       Women................................................       1,130           1,081              149             150   

       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.