Hourly Earnings for Employees Trend Up

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that real average hourly earnings for all employees increased by 0.2 percent between November and December 2011. Over the same period, real average weekly earnings received a 0.5 percent boost thanks to the combined real average hourly increase and a 0.3 percent gain in the length of the real average work week. Since peaking in October 2010, real average weekly earnings have dropped 1.1 percent. Similarly, real average hourly earnings fell by 0.9 percent, over the year.

Production and non-supervisory employees saw no change in real average hourly earnings between November and December 2011.  However, real average weekly earnings rose 0.3 percent over the same period due to a 0.3 percent growth in the length of the average work week.  Production and non-supervisory employees experienced an even deeper drop in real average hourly earnings over the year, falling 1.6 percent between December 2010 and December 2011. The drop was a direct result of a combination of falling real average hourly earnings, an over-the-year 0.6 percent increase in the average work week length, and a 1 percent decline in real average weekly earnings.

For all employees, real average hourly earnings from $10.34 in December 2010 to $10.25 in December 2011. Real average weekly earnings dropped from $353.67 to $352.58 over the year. Average weekly hours rose slightly from 34.2 hours to 34.4 hours, over the year. Production and non-supervisory employees experienced a decline in real average hourly earnings from $8.89 in December 2010 to $8.75 in December 2011. Real average weekly earnings for the group fell from $297.74 to 294.83, over the year. And Average weekly hours increased from 33.5 hours to 33.7 hours, during the same period.