Hourly earnings take a hit

Real average hourly earnings fell 0.1 percent from August to September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. This decline stemmed from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), up by 0.2 percent, outpacing 0.1 percent growth in average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers.

Real average weekly earnings fell 0.4 percent over the month, as a result of the decrease in real average hourly earnings and a 0.3 percent decrease in the average work week. Since reaching a recent high point in Dec. 2008, real average weekly earnings have fallen by 1.9 percent.

Real average hourly earnings grew 4.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, from Sept. 2008 to Sept. 2009. A 1.8 percent decline in average weekly hours partly offset the increase in real average hourly earnings and resulted in a 2.5 percent increase in real average weekly earnings during this period.