Real Earnings

Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until	USDL-21-0025
8:30 a.m. (ET), Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Technical Information:	(202)	691-6555	•	[e-mail] •	www.bls.gov/ces
Media Contact:	(202)	691-5902	•	[e-mail]

REAL EARNINGS - DECEMBER 2020

All employees

Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.4 percent from November to December, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from an increase of 0.8 percent in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.4 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Real average weekly earnings increased 0.1 percent over the month due to the change in real average hourly earnings combined with a decrease of 0.3 percent in the average workweek.

Chart 1: Over-the-month percent change in real average hourly earnings for all employees, seasonally adjusted, December 2019-December 2020

Percent Change

7.0
											5.5
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0									1.0
1.0						0.3																						0.4
0.0																		0.0			0.0		0.1
0.0
-0.1																									-0.1
-1.0
																		-0.5
														-1.0
-2.0
																	-1.8
-3.0
Dec'19 Jan		Feb			Mar			Apr			May			Jun			Jul		Aug	Sep		Oct	Nov Dec'20

Real average hourly earnings increased 3.7 percent, seasonally adjusted, from December 2019 to December 2020. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 1.2 percent in the average workweek resulted in a 4.9-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.

Production and nonsupervisory employees

Real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees increased 0.4 percent from November to December, seasonally adjusted. This result stems from a 0.8-percent increase in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.4 percent in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Real average weekly earnings increased 0.4 percent over the month due to the change in real average hourly earnings combined with no change in average weekly hours.

Chart 2: Over-the-month percent change in real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees, seasonally adjusted, December 2019-December 2020

Percent Change

6.0	5.2

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0													1.1
1.0																																															0.4
0.1	0.2																					0.1							0.2	0.1
0.0
-1.0	-0.1																																		-0.3
																	-0.6
																								-1.0
-2.0
																								-1.6
-3.0
Dec'19 Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug					Sep				Oct				Nov Dec'20

From December 2019 to December 2020, real average hourly earnings increased 3.8 percent, seasonally adjusted. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with a 1.8-percent increase in the average workweek resulted in a 5.7-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact on December 2020 Establishment Survey Data

Earnings data from the establishment survey for December reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. Question 1 of the "Frequently asked questions" at www.bls.gov/covid19/employment- situation-covid19-faq-December-2020.htm#ques1 addresses the impact of the pandemic on the establishment survey (Current Employment Statistics, or CES) for December 2020.

_____________

Real Earnings for January 2021 is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Table A-1. Current and real (constant 1982-1984 dollars) earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted

	Dec.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
	2019	2020	2020p	2020p
Real average hourly earnings1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$10.98	$11.33	$11.34	$11.39
Real average weekly earnings1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$376.52	$394.22	$394.68	$395.15
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	258.444	260.325	260.817	261.775
Average hourly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$28.37	$29.49	$29.58	$29.81
Average weekly hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	34.3	34.8	34.8	34.7
Average weekly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$973.09	$1,026.25	$1,029.38	$1,034.41
OVER-THE-MONTH PERCENT CHANGE
Real average hourly earnings1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	-0.1	0.0	0.1	0.4
Real average weekly earnings1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	-0.1	0.0	0.1	0.1
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.4
Average hourly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.8
Average weekly hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.0	0.0	0.0	-0.3
Average weekly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.5
OVER-THE-YEAR PERCENT CHANGE
Real average hourly earnings1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.7	3.2	3.2	3.7
Real average weekly earnings1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.1	4.4	4.7	4.9
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2.3	1.2	1.2	1.3
Average hourly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3.0	4.4	4.4	5.1
Average weekly hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	-0.6	1.2	1.5	1.2
Average weekly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2.4	5.6	5.9	6.3

• The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is used to deflate the earnings series for all employees. p Preliminary

Table A-2. Current and real (constant 1982-1984 dollars) earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted1

	Dec.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
	2019	2020	2020p	2020p
Real average hourly earnings2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$9.46	$9.77	$9.78	$9.82
Real average weekly earnings2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$317.83	$334.17	$334.53	$335.91
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. . . . . . . . . . .	252.030	254.012	254.457	255.452
Average hourly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$23.84	$24.82	$24.89	$25.09
Average weekly hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	33.6	34.2	34.2	34.2
Average weekly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	$801.02	$848.84	$851.24	$858.08
OVER-THE-MONTH PERCENT CHANGE
Real average hourly earnings2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	-0.1	0.2	0.1	0.4
Real average weekly earnings2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.4
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. . . . . . . . . . .	0.3	0.0	0.2	0.4
Average hourly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.8
Average weekly hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Average weekly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.4	0.5	0.3	0.8
OVER-THE-YEAR PERCENT CHANGE
Real average hourly earnings2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.9	3.2	3.3	3.8
Real average weekly earnings2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	0.6	5.0	5.4	5.7
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. . . . . . . . . . .	2.3	1.3	1.3	1.4
Average hourly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3.2	4.5	4.5	5.2
Average weekly hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	-0.3	1.8	2.1	1.8
Average weekly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2.9	6.3	6.7	7.1

• Data relate to production employees in mining and logging and manufacturing, construction employees in construction, and nonsupervisory employees in the service-providing industries. These groups account for approximately four-fifths of the total employment on private nonfarm payrolls.

• The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is used to deflate the earnings series for production and nonsupervisory employees.

p Preliminary