Real average weekly earnings higher in November

December 18, 2003

Real average weekly earnings increased by 0.6 percent from October to November after seasonal adjustment.

[Chart data—TXT]

This was the result of a 0.1-percent increase in average hourly earnings, a 0.3-percent rise in average weekly hours, and a 0.3-percent decrease in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Average weekly earnings rose by 2.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, from November 2002 to November 2003. After deflation by the CPI-W, average weekly earnings increased by 0.8 percent over the year.

These earnings data are from the Current Employment Statistics Program. These data are for production and nonsupervisory workers in private nonfarm establishments. Earnings data are preliminary and subject to revision. Find out more in "Real Earnings in November 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-887.