In the first three months of 2003 alone , weekly earnings adjusted for inflation fell 1.5 % -- the biggest drop in more than a decade , " Lieberman said .

In the first quarter of this year , weekly earnings adjusted for inflation fell 1.5 percent - the biggest drop in more than a decade .

Select from the options at the end. Do the above sentences mean the same thing?
Options:
(a). no
(b). yes
(b).