Average earnings remained flat last year

Real average hourly earnings was unchanged from Dec. 2009 to Jan. 2010, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. A 0.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was offset by a 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings for all employees.

Real average weekly earnings grew 0.3 percent over the month, as a result of a 0.3 percent increase in the average workweek and no change in real average hourly earnings. Over the past six months, real average weekly earnings are essentially unchanged.

Real average hourly earnings fell 0.6 percent, seasonally adjusted, from Jan. 2009 to Jan. 2010.

A 0.9 percent decline in average weekly hours combined with the decrease in real average hourly earnings resulted in a 1.5 percent decrease in real average weekly earnings during this period.