Average earnings outpaced by rising prices

WASHINGTON — Real average hourly earnings for all U.S. employees fell 0.4 percent from November to December, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. A 0.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings was more than offset by a 0.5 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Real average weekly earnings fell 0.4 percent over the month, as the average workweek remained unchanged and combined with the decline in real average hourly earnings.

Real average hourly earnings rose 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, from Dec. 2009 to Dec. 2010. A 1.5 percent increase in average weekly hours, combined with the increase in real average hourly earnings, resulted in a 1.9 percent increase in real average weekly earnings during this period.

Real average hourly earnings for production and non-supervisory employees fell 0.6 percent from November to December, seasonally adjusted. A 0.1 percent increase in average hourly earnings was more than offset by a 0.6 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Real average weekly earnings fell 0.2 percent over the month, as a result of a 0.3 percent increase in the average workweek combined with the decrease in real average hourly earnings.

Real average hourly earnings rose 0.2 percent, seasonally adjusted, from Dec. 2009 to Dec. 2010. The increase in real average hourly earnings combined with a 1.2 percent increase in the average workweek, resulted in a 1.5 percent increase in real average weekly earnings during this period.