Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
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                                          For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902   Wednesday, April 19, 2000


             USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
                            FIRST QUARTER 2000

   Median weekly earnings of the nation's 98.2 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $575 in the first quarter of 2000, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This was
6.9 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.2 percent
in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
   
   Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns.  (See the explanatory note.)  Highlights from the first-quarter
data are:
   
   --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $488 per
week, or 75.2 percent of the $649 median for men.  The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among blacks (85.1 percent) and Hispanics
(84.7 percent) than among whites (74.0 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $496 per
week, 73.8 percent of the median for white men ($672).  The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($422) were
84.9 percent of those for their white counterparts ($497).  Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($395) were lower than those of
blacks ($459) and whites ($590).  (See table 1.)
   
   --Among men, the $784 median weekly earnings level of 45- to 54-year-
olds was the highest of any age group.  Men age 55 to 64 had the second-
highest earnings level ($731).  Among women, earnings also were highest
for those 45 to 54 years ($554), while 35- to 44-year-olds had the second-
highest earnings ($520).  (See table 2.)
   
   --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$976 for men and $702 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 $502 for high school graduates
(no college) and $891 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 $2,413 or more per week, compared
with $1,536 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       
                                                                  I          I                                                
                                                                1999       2000                                               
                                                                                         I          I          I          I    
                                                                                       1999       2000       1999       2000   
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
                        SEX AND AGE                                                                                          
                                                                                                                             
 Total, 16 years and over..................................    95,648     98,223       $538       $575       $315       $327 
                                                                                                                             
    Men, 16 years and over.................................    54,054     55,088        612        649        358        369 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     5,888      6,109        360        369        211        210 
      25 years and over....................................    48,167     48,979        655        697        384        396 
                                                                                                                             
    Women, 16 years and over...............................    41,593     43,135        468        488        274        277 
      16 to 24 years.......................................     4,336      4,659        331        341        194        194 
      25 years and over....................................    37,257     38,476        488        511        286        290 
                                                                                                                             
               RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                                
                                                                                                                             
    White..................................................    79,295     81,205        560        590        329        335 
      Men..................................................    45,914     46,579        629        672        368        382 
      Women................................................    33,380     34,625        477        497        280        282 
                                                                                                                             
    Black..................................................    11,935     12,331        443        459        260        261 
      Men..................................................     5,735      5,900        483        496        283        282 
      Women................................................     6,201      6,430        408        422        239        240 
                                                                                                                             
    Hispanic origin........................................    10,620     11,423        387        395        227        224 
      Men..................................................     6,702      7,096        407        419        238        238 
      Women................................................     3,917      4,328        348        355        204        202 

      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, 
 first 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.........................................    98,223       $575     55,088       $649     43,135       $488 
   16 to 24 years..........................................    10,768        357      6,109        369      4,659        341 
     16 to 19 years........................................     1,843        291      1,148        302        696        276 
     20 to 24 years........................................     8,924        373      4,961        386      3,963        357 
   25 years and over.......................................    87,456        607     48,979        697     38,476        511 
     25 to 54 years........................................    76,852        607     42,932        695     33,920        515 
       25 to 34 years......................................    25,182        544     14,299        602     10,883        490 
       35 to 44 years......................................    28,822        624     16,397        723     12,425        520 
       45 to 54 years......................................    22,849        667     12,237        784     10,612        554 
     55 years and over.....................................    10,603        605      6,047        712      4,556        483 
       55 to 64 years......................................     9,301        618      5,262        731      4,039        494 
       65 years and over...................................     1,302        453        785        519        517        386 
                                                                                                                             
                           White                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    81,205        590     46,579        672     34,625        497 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     8,956        362      5,196        378      3,760        340 
   25 years and over.......................................    72,249        623     41,384        719     30,865        520 
     25 to 54 years........................................    63,158        623     36,129        717     27,029        523 
     55 years and over.....................................     9,090        622      5,255        734      3,836        497 
                                                                                                                             
                           Black                                                                                             
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    12,331        459      5,900        496      6,430        422 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,408        327        685        322        723        334 
   25 years and over.......................................    10,922        488      5,215        530      5,707        448 
     25 to 54 years........................................     9,884        492      4,698        532      5,186        458 
     55 years and over.....................................     1,038        450        518        517        521        383 
                                                                                                                             
                      Hispanic origin                                                                                        
                                                                                                                             
 16 years and over.........................................    11,423        395      7,096        419      4,328        355 
   16 to 24 years..........................................     1,942        309      1,285        316        657        292 
   25 years and over.......................................     9,481        420      5,811        476      3,670        371 
     25 to 54 years........................................     8,691        421      5,275        478      3,416        373 
     55 years and over.....................................       790        407        536        449        254        353 


      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                                                                                    
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I                 I               I      
                                                                   1999            2000              1999            2000     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                            TOTAL                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      30,209          31,508             $776            $827   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............      14,846          15,433              768             820   
     Professional specialty.................................      15,362          16,074              784             833   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      26,629          27,980              483             505   
     Technicians and related support........................       3,391           3,726              615             637   
     Sales occupations......................................       9,235           9,753              524             558   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      14,003          14,500              441             467   
   Service occupations......................................      10,725          10,529              341             357   
     Private household......................................         399             318              235             258   
     Protective service.....................................       2,135           1,976              571             619   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       8,191           8,235              315             329   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      11,804          11,945              588             608   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,419           4,160              619             660   
     Construction trades....................................       3,954           4,221              554             593   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       3,431           3,564              580             566   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      15,015          14,756              421             445   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       7,116           6,464              414             428   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       4,237           4,407              497             528   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       3,662           3,885              361             378   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,267           1,506              320             320   
                                                                                                                            
                             Men                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      15,268          15,959              939             976   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,799           7,986              949             981   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,470           7,973              929             972   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      10,194          10,701              618             661   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,680           1,930              706             747   
     Sales occupations......................................       5,205           5,342              646             679   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............       3,309           3,429              524             588   
   Service occupations......................................       5,227           5,143              406             418   
     Private household......................................          20              17           (1)             (1)      
     Protective service.....................................       1,810           1,676              589             646   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       3,397           3,450              335             359   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................      10,810          10,869              603             623   
     Mechanics and repairers................................       4,246           4,023              621             660   
     Construction trades....................................       3,891           4,128              557             595   
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........       2,674           2,717              634             624   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................      11,476          11,144              460             488   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       4,592           4,087              479             495   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........       3,898           4,028              508             548   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....       2,985           3,029              370             395   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................       1,079           1,273              337             329   
                                                                                                                            
                            Women                                                                                           
                                                                                                                            
   Managerial and professional specialty....................      14,940          15,549              662             702   
     Executive, administrative, and managerial..............       7,048           7,447              633             674   
     Professional specialty.................................       7,893           8,102              694             725   
   Technical, sales, and administrative support.............      16,435          17,279              427             446   
     Technicians and related support........................       1,711           1,796              520             524   
     Sales occupations......................................       4,030           4,412              404             410   
     Administrative support, including clerical.............      10,694          11,071              421             443   
   Service occupations......................................       5,498           5,386              306             317   
     Private household......................................         379             301              230             251   
     Protective service.....................................         325             300              495             507   
     Service, except private household and protective.......       4,794           4,785              304             314   
   Precision production, craft, and repair..................         994           1,076              413             421   
     Mechanics and repairers................................         173             137              544             644   
     Construction trades....................................          63              92           (1)             (1)      
     Other precision production, craft, and repair..........         758             847              381             402   
   Operators, fabricators, and laborers.....................       3,539           3,612              329             348   
     Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors..........       2,523           2,377              331             349   
     Transportation and material moving occupations.........         338             379              367             399   
     Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers....         677             855              312             320   
   Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................         188             233              261             279   

    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, first 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..................................    98,223       $280       $380       $575       $858     $1,249 
   Men.....................................................    55,088        301        423        649        969      1,434 
   Women...................................................    43,135        258        337        488        719      1,000 
                                                                                                                             
   White...................................................    81,205        284        391        590        882      1,285 
     Men...................................................    46,579        308        443        672        994      1,460 
     Women.................................................    34,625        259        343        497        731      1,017 
                                                                                                                             
   Black...................................................    12,331        257        326        459        686        953 
     Men...................................................     5,900        271        349        496        745      1,040 
     Women.................................................     6,430        249        313        422        626        870 
                                                                                                                             
   Hispanic................................................    11,423        232        289        395        611        890 
     Men...................................................     7,096        248        305        419        661        954 
     Women.................................................     4,328        209        262        355        524        758 
                                                                                                                             
                   EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
   Total, 25 years and over................................    87,456        293        406        607        899      1,312 
     Less than a high school diploma.......................     8,230        223        279        363        513        709 
     High school graduates, no college.....................    27,641        281        363        502        708        952 
     Some college or associate degree......................    24,343        307        416        592        825      1,114 
     College graduates, total..............................    27,242        449        621        891      1,264      1,808 
       Bachelor's degree only..............................    18,023        429        590        831      1,163      1,621 
       Advanced degree.....................................     9,220        522        731      1,016      1,450      2,081 
                                                                                                                             
     Men, 25 years and over................................    48,979        325        472        697      1,015      1,479 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     5,242        248        306        413        593        777 
       High school graduates, no college...................    15,427        313        422        590        811      1,068 
       Some college or associate degree....................    12,941        352        493        691        934      1,262 
       College graduates, total............................    15,370        490        713      1,016      1,450      2,019 
         Bachelor's degree only............................    10,101        468        662        953      1,352      1,873 
         Advanced degree...................................     5,269        588        828      1,168      1,734      2,413 
                                                                                                                             
     Women, 25 years and over..............................    38,476        269        357        511        747      1,031 
       Less than a high school diploma.....................     2,988        191        241        300        383        496 
       High school graduates, no college...................    12,214        254        315        418        573        752 
       Some college or associate degree....................    11,402        283        372        496        678        894 
       College graduates, total............................    11,873        413        564        759      1,022      1,381 
         Bachelor's degree only............................     7,922        398        521        714        952      1,255 
         Advanced degree...................................     3,951        485        640        886      1,160      1,536 

      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                                                                                      
                                                                                                                            
                                                                     I               I                 I               I      
                                                                   1999            2000              1999            2000     
                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                            
                         SEX AND AGE                                                                                        
                                                                                                                            
  Total, 16 years and over..................................      21,671          21,222             $158            $164   
                                                                                                                            
     Men, 16 years and over.................................       6,672           6,824              149             153   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       3,619           3,867              117             123   
       25 years and over....................................       3,052           2,957              206             207   
                                                                                                                            
     Women, 16 years and over...............................      14,999          14,398              163             170   
       16 to 24 years.......................................       4,818           4,633              113             123   
       25 years and over....................................      10,180           9,765              197             200   
                                                                                                                            
                RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX                                                                              
                                                                                                                            
     White..................................................      18,710          18,301              160             165   
       Men..................................................       5,628           5,724              149             152   
       Women................................................      13,082          12,576              164             171   
                                                                                                                            
     Black..................................................       2,119           1,997              149             158   
       Men..................................................         731             711              146             150   
       Women................................................       1,388           1,286              150             163   
                                                                                                                            
     Hispanic origin........................................       1,939           1,896              157             175   
       Men..................................................         667             640              154             183   
       Women................................................       1,272           1,256              158             170   

       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.