Chart: Average hourly earnings for U.S. workers

Real average hourly earnings for all employees was unchanged from July to August, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This result stems from a 0.3 percent increase in average hourly earnings, which was offset by a 0.3 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

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Real average weekly earnings was about unchanged over the month, as a result of no change in both the average work week and real average hourly earnings. Since reaching a recent low in October 2009, real average weekly earnings have risen 2.0 percent.

From August 2009 to August 2010, real average hourly earnings rose 0.5 percent, seasonally adjusted. A 1.2-percent increase in average weekly hours, combined with the increase in real average hourly earnings resulted in a 1.7-percent increase in real average weekly earnings during this period.

This earnings data is from the Current Employment Statistics program. Earnings data for July and August is preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "Real Earnings — August 2010" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-10-1282.