TEXT
Table A.    Composition of change in real earnings of production or
Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
Table 2.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private


 
Technical information: (202) 606-6555     USDL 96-30
Media contact:               606-5902
 
                                          WIRE EMBARGO UNTIL
                                          10:00 A.M. (EST) TUESDAY,
                                          FEBRUARY 6, 1996
 
 
 
                     REAL EARNINGS IN DECEMBER 1995
 
    Real average weekly earnings fell 0.2 percent from November to
December after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data
released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
of Labor.  The decline stemmed from a 0.3 percent rise in the Consumer
Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
This was partly offset by a 0.1 percent increase in average weekly
earnings which resulted from an increase of 0.3 percent in average
hourly earnings and a decrease of 0.3 percent in average weekly
hours.
 
    Data on average weekly earnings are collected from the payroll
reports of private nonfarm establishments.  Earnings of both full-time
and part-time workers holding production or nonsupervisory jobs are
included.  Real average weekly earnings are calculated by adjusting
earnings in current dollars for changes in the CPI-W.
 
    Average weekly earnings rose by 2.2 percent between December
of 1994 and 1995 as a result of a 3.1 percent increase in average
hourly earnings which was partially offset by a 0.9 percent decline in
average weekly hours.  After adjustment for a 2.5 percent gain in the
CPI-W over the same period, real average weekly earnings fell by 0.3
percent.  Before adjustment for seasonal change and deflation by
the CPI-W, average weekly earnings were $401.24 in December 1995,
compared with $392.54 a year earlier.
 
 
                   _____________________________
 
 
    Real Earnings for January 1996, originally scheduled for release
on February 14, 1996, is scheduled to be released on Wednesday,
February 28, 1996.
 
******************************************************************
*  The Real Earnings release for January 1996 will present       *
*  the revised seasonally adjusted constant dollar series        *
*  based on new seasonal adjustment factors calculated for the   *
*  CPI-W, reflecting experience through 1995.  The revision      *
*  will affect constant dollar series from January 1991          *
*  through December 1995.                                        *
******************************************************************
 
 
 
 
 
Table A.    Composition of change in real earnings of production or
nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls
______________________________________________________________________________
             |            |            |            |            |
             |   Average  |   Average  |   Average  |     The    |    Real
             |   hourly   |   weekly   |   weekly   |  Consumer  |   average
    Year     |  earnings  |    hours   |  earnings  |    Price   |   weekly
     and     |            |            |            |   Index1/  |  earnings
    month    |____________|____________|____________|____________|____________
             |
             |    Percent change from preceding month, seasonally adjusted
_____________|________________________________________________________________
             |            |            |            |            |
1994:        |            |            |            |            |
    Dec.     |     0.3    |     0.3    |     0.6    |     0.2    |     0.4
1995:        |            |            |            |            |
    Jan.     |      .2    |      .3    |      .5    |      .3    |      .1
    Feb.     |      .3    |     -.6    |     -.3    |      .3    |     -.6
    Mar.     |      .2    |      .0    |      .2    |      .3    |     -.2
    Apr.     |      .5    |      .0    |      .5    |      .3    |      .2
    May      |     -.3    |    -1.2    |    -1.4    |      .2    |    -1.6
    June     |      .5    |      .6    |     1.1    |      .1    |     1.0
    July     |      .6    |      .6    |     1.2    |      .1    |     1.1
    Aug.     |     -.2    |     -.6    |     -.8    |      .1    |     -.9
    Sept.    |      .5    |      .3    |      .8    |      .2    |      .6
    Oct.     |      .4    |      .3    |      .7    |      .3    |      .5
    Nov.     |     -.1    |     -.6    |     -.7    |      .0    |     -.7
    Dec.p    |      .3    |     -.3    |      .1    |      .3    |     -.2
             |________________________________________________________________
             |
             |            Percent change from same month a year ago
             |________________________________________________________________
             |            |            |            |            |
1994:        |            |            |            |            |
    Dec.     |     2.8    |     0.3    |     3.1    |     2.7    |     0.4
1995:        |            |            |            |            |
    Jan.     |     2.7    |      .0    |     2.7    |     2.9    |     -.2
    Feb.     |     2.7    |      .6    |     3.3    |     3.0    |      .3
    Mar.     |     2.9    |     -.3    |     2.6    |     3.0    |     -.4
    Apr.     |     3.1    |     -.6    |     2.5    |     3.2    |     -.7
    May      |     2.6    |    -1.4    |     1.1    |     3.2    |    -2.1
    June     |     3.0    |     -.6    |     2.4    |     3.1    |     -.6
    July     |     3.3    |     -.3    |     3.0    |     2.8    |      .2
    Aug.     |     3.1    |     -.6    |     2.5    |     2.5    |     (2)
    Sept.    |     3.1    |     -.6    |     2.5    |     2.5    |     (2)
    Oct.     |     2.9    |     -.9    |     2.0    |     2.7    |     -.6
    Nov.     |     2.9    |     -.6    |     2.3    |     2.4    |     -.1
    Dec.p    |     3.1    |     -.9    |     2.2    |     2.5    |     -.3
_____________|____________|____________|____________|____________|____________
 
 1/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is
the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
  2  Less than 0.05 percent.
  p = preliminary.
 
 
 
    Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
       private nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by
       industry
       ____________________________________________________________________
                                 |
                                 |         Average hourly earnings
                                 |_________________________________________
                                 |        |        |        |
                Industry         |        |        |        |    Percent
                                 |   Dec. |   Nov. |   Dec. |    change
                                 |   1994 |   1995 |   1995p|  Dec. 1994 -
                                 |        |        |        |  Dec. 1995
       __________________________|________|________|________|______________
                                 |        |        |        |
       Total private:2/          |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| $11.28 | $11.60 | $11.63 |      3.1
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.43 |   7.45 |   7.47 |       .5
                                 |        |        |        |
       Goods-producing:          |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  12.88 |  13.17 |  13.21 |      2.6
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   8.48 |   8.46 |   8.48 |       .0
                                 |        |        |        |
       Mining:                   |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  15.09 |  15.38 |  15.56 |      3.1
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   9.93 |   9.88 |   9.99 |       .6
                                 |        |        |        |
       Construction:             |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  14.83 |  15.20 |  15.09 |      1.8
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   9.76 |   9.76 |   9.69 |      -.7
                                 |        |        |        |
       Manufacturing:            |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  12.26 |  12.47 |  12.58 |      2.6
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   8.07 |   8.01 |   8.08 |       .1
                                 |        |        |        |
       Service-producing:        |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  10.72 |  11.06 |  11.10 |      3.5
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.06 |   7.10 |   7.13 |      1.0
                                 |        |        |        |
       Transportation and public |        |        |        |
            utilities:           |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  14.04 |  14.44 |  14.41 |      2.6
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   9.24 |   9.27 |   9.25 |       .1
                                 |        |        |        |
       Wholesale trade:          |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  12.21 |  12.50 |  12.60 |      3.2
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   8.04 |   8.03 |   8.09 |       .6
                                 |        |        |        |
       Retail trade:             |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|   7.59 |   7.79 |   7.81 |      2.9
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   5.00 |   5.00 |   5.02 |       .4
                                 |        |        |        |
       Finance, insurance,       |        |        |        |
            and real estate:     |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  12.05 |  12.50 |  12.59 |      4.5
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.93 |   8.03 |   8.09 |      2.0
                                 |        |        |        |
       Services:                 |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|  11.29 |  11.60 |  11.69 |      3.5
        Constant (1982) dollars..|   7.43 |   7.45 |   7.51 |      1.1
       __________________________|________|________|________|______________
 
       See footnotes at end of table.
 
 
 
    Table 1.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
       private nonfarm payrolls in current and constant dollars1/ by
       industry - Continued
       ____________________________________________________________________
                                 |
                                 |         Average weekly earnings
                                 |_________________________________________
                                 |        |        |        |
                Industry         |        |        |        |    Percent
                                 |   Dec. |   Nov. |   Dec. |    change
                                 |   1994 |   1995 |   1995p|  Dec. 1994 -
                                 |        |        |        |  Dec. 1995
       __________________________|________|________|________|______________
                                 |        |        |        |
       Total private:2/          |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........|$392.54 |$399.04 |$401.24 |      2.2
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 258.42 | 256.29 | 257.70 |      -.3
                                 |        |        |        |
       Goods-producing:          |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 540.96 | 542.60 | 542.93 |       .4
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 356.13 | 348.49 | 348.70 |     -2.1
                                 |        |        |        |
       Mining:                   |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 680.56 | 689.02 | 697.09 |      2.4
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 448.03 | 442.53 | 447.71 |      -.1
                                 |        |        |        |
       Construction:             |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 573.92 | 585.20 | 573.42 |      -.1
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 377.83 | 375.85 | 368.29 |     -2.5
                                 |        |        |        |
       Manufacturing:            |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 525.95 | 522.49 | 528.36 |       .5
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 346.25 | 335.57 | 339.34 |     -2.0
                                 |        |        |        |
       Service-producing:        |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 351.62 | 360.56 | 362.97 |      3.2
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 231.48 | 231.57 | 233.12 |       .7
                                 |        |        |        |
       Transportation and public |        |        |        |
            utilities:           |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 555.98 | 570.38 | 569.20 |      2.4
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 366.02 | 366.33 | 365.57 |      -.1
                                 |        |        |        |
       Wholesale trade:          |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 470.09 | 477.50 | 481.32 |      2.4
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 309.47 | 306.68 | 309.13 |      -.1
                                 |        |        |        |
       Retail trade:             |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 222.39 | 222.79 | 226.49 |      1.8
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 146.41 | 143.09 | 145.47 |      -.6
                                 |        |        |        |
       Finance, insurance,       |        |        |        |
            and real estate:     |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 430.19 | 445.00 | 450.72 |      4.8
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 283.21 | 285.81 | 289.48 |      2.2
                                 |        |        |        |
       Services:                 |        |        |        |
        Current dollars..........| 365.80 | 374.68 | 377.59 |      3.2
        Constant (1982) dollars..| 240.82 | 240.64 | 242.51 |       .7
       __________________________|________|________|________|______________
 
        1/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this
       release is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and
       Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
        2/ Data relate to production and related workers in mining and
       manufacturing; construction workers in construction; and
       nonsupervisory workers in transportation and public utilities,
       trade, finance, insurance, and real estate, and services. Included
       in this group are approximately four-fifths of all jobs on private
       industry payrolls.
         p = preliminary.
 
 
 
    Table 2.   Earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private
  nonfarm payrolls1/, seasonally adjusted
  _____________________________________________________________________________
               |                               |
               |                               |
               |         Average hourly        |         Average weekly
               |            earnings           |            earnings
               |                               |
      Year     |_______________________________|_______________________________
       and     |               |               |               |
      month    |               |               |               |
               |    Current    |    Constant   |    Current    |    Constant
               |    dollars    |     (1982)    |    dollars    |     (1982)
               |               |   dollars2/   |               |   dollars2/
               |               |               |               |
  _____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________
               |               |               |               |
  1994:        |               |               |               |
      Dec.     |     $11.27    |      $7.40    |    $391.07    |    $256.94
  1995:        |               |               |               |
      Jan.     |      11.29    |       7.39    |     392.89    |     257.30
      Feb.     |      11.32    |       7.39    |     391.67    |     255.83
      Mar.     |      11.34    |       7.38    |     392.36    |     255.44
      Apr.     |      11.40    |       7.40    |     394.44    |     255.96
      May      |      11.37    |       7.36    |     388.85    |     251.85
      June     |      11.43    |       7.39    |     393.19    |     254.33
      July     |      11.50    |       7.43    |     397.90    |     257.21
      Aug.     |      11.48    |       7.41    |     394.91    |     254.95
      Sept.    |      11.54    |       7.44    |     398.13    |     256.53
      Oct.     |      11.59    |       7.45    |     401.01    |     257.72
      Nov.     |      11.58    |       7.44    |     398.35    |     256.01
      Dec.p    |      11.62    |       7.45    |     398.57    |     255.49
  _____________|_______________|_______________|_______________|_______________
 
   1/ See footnote 2, table 1.
   2/ The deflator for the constant-dollar series presented in this release is
  the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
    p = preliminary.