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Real average weekly earnings down 2.2 percent from May 2020 to May 2021
June 17, 2021
Real (adjusted for inflation) average weekly earnings decreased 2.2 percent from May 2020 to May 2021. The change in real average weekly earnings resulted from real average hourly earnings decreasing 2.8 percent from May 2020 to May 2021. The change in real average hourly earnings, combined with an increase of 0.6 percent in the average workweek, resulted in the 2.2-percent decrease in real average weekly earnings over this period.
Earnings of all employees, private sector, January 2011–May 2021
Month
Nominal earnings
Real earnings
Average weekly earnings of all employees
12-month percent change in average weekly earnings of all employees
Real average weekly earnings of all employees, 1982-1984 dollars
12-month percent change in real average weekly earnings of all employees
Jan 2011
$781.47
2.3%
$353.31
0.6%
Feb 2011
784.44
3.4
353.51
1.2
Mar 2011
784.44
2.8
351.69
0.1
Apr 2011
788.45
2.8
351.84
-0.3
May 2011
788.56
2.6
350.77
-0.8
Jun 2011
789.24
2.7
351.08
-0.7
Jul 2011
794.64
2.9
352.55
-0.7
Aug 2011
791.30
2.3
349.97
-1.4
Sep 2011
794.98
2.2
350.83
-1.5
Oct 2011
798.08
2.3
351.96
-1.2
Nov 2011
797.39
2.6
351.01
-0.8
Dec 2011
798.42
2.3
351.38
-0.8
Jan 2012
801.78
2.6
351.90
-0.4
Feb 2012
802.82
2.3
351.61
-0.5
Mar 2012
803.58
2.4
351.20
-0.1
Apr 2012
806.96
2.3
352.10
0.1
May 2012
804.62
2.0
351.80
0.3
Jun 2012
807.02
2.3
353.14
0.6
Jul 2012
808.74
1.8
353.80
0.4
Aug 2012
808.06
2.1
351.46
0.4
Sep 2012
810.81
2.0
350.98
0.0
Oct 2012
810.46
1.6
349.88
-0.6
Nov 2012
812.87
1.9
351.51
0.1
Dec 2012
818.69
2.5
354.07
0.8
Jan 2013
817.34
1.9
352.79
0.3
Feb 2013
820.07
2.1
352.06
0.1
Mar 2013
821.45
2.2
353.64
0.7
Apr 2013
821.13
1.8
354.25
0.6
May 2013
824.21
2.4
355.43
1.0
Jun 2013
826.97
2.5
355.77
0.7
Jul 2013
824.91
2.0
354.19
0.1
Aug 2013
829.04
2.6
355.12
1.0
Sep 2013
827.66
2.1
354.39
1.0
Oct 2013
828.70
2.3
354.65
1.4
Nov 2013
833.52
2.5
356.05
1.3
Dec 2013
831.45
1.6
354.23
0.0
Jan 2014
832.82
1.9
353.96
0.3
Feb 2014
834.18
1.7
354.15
0.6
Mar 2014
838.70
2.1
355.34
0.5
Apr 2014
839.73
2.3
355.11
0.2
May 2014
841.80
2.1
355.31
0.0
Jun 2014
843.53
2.0
355.57
-0.1
Jul 2014
844.56
2.4
355.61
0.4
Aug 2014
849.78
2.5
357.86
0.8
Sep 2014
847.32
2.4
356.80
0.7
Oct 2014
850.47
2.6
358.20
1.0
Nov 2014
852.89
2.3
359.90
1.1
Dec 2014
852.89
2.6
361.01
1.9
Jan 2015
853.19
2.4
363.45
2.7
Feb 2015
857.39
2.8
364.32
2.9
Mar 2015
856.98
2.2
363.16
2.2
Apr 2015
858.71
2.3
363.52
2.4
May 2015
861.12
2.3
363.34
2.3
Jun 2015
861.81
2.2
362.63
2.0
Jul 2015
862.85
2.2
362.49
1.9
Aug 2015
865.95
1.9
363.79
1.7
Sep 2015
866.30
2.2
364.76
2.2
Oct 2015
871.92
2.5
366.76
2.4
Nov 2015
870.78
2.1
365.85
1.7
Dec 2015
871.82
2.2
366.68
1.6
Jan 2016
877.46
2.8
369.22
1.6
Feb 2016
873.42
1.9
368.01
1.0
Mar 2016
875.48
2.2
367.73
1.3
Apr 2016
878.23
2.3
367.47
1.1
May 2016
879.61
2.1
367.18
1.1
Jun 2016
881.67
2.3
367.02
1.2
Jul 2016
883.74
2.4
368.07
1.5
Aug 2016
882.20
1.9
366.75
0.8
Sep 2016
886.49
2.3
367.57
0.8
Oct 2016
890.27
2.1
368.27
0.4
Nov 2016
891.30
2.4
368.27
0.7
Dec 2016
892.34
2.4
367.77
0.3
Jan 2017
895.09
2.0
367.41
-0.5
Feb 2017
894.54
2.4
366.81
-0.3
Mar 2017
895.23
2.3
367.25
-0.1
Apr 2017
900.59
2.5
368.68
0.3
May 2017
899.35
2.2
368.48
0.4
Jun 2017
903.69
2.5
370.03
0.8
Jul 2017
906.78
2.6
371.21
0.9
Aug 2017
907.47
2.9
370.09
0.9
Sep 2017
911.60
2.8
369.74
0.6
Oct 2017
910.91
2.3
369.30
0.3
Nov 2017
915.63
2.7
370.13
0.5
Dec 2017
919.08
3.0
370.99
0.9
Jan 2018
919.17
2.7
369.56
0.6
Feb 2018
922.88
3.2
370.19
0.9
Mar 2018
925.64
3.4
370.97
1.0
Apr 2018
928.40
3.1
370.95
0.6
May 2018
931.16
3.5
371.30
0.8
Jun 2018
932.88
3.2
371.44
0.4
Jul 2018
935.64
3.2
372.25
0.3
Aug 2018
939.09
3.5
373.05
0.8
Sep 2018
939.46
3.1
372.53
0.8
Oct 2018
943.92
3.6
373.24
1.1
Nov 2018
943.59
3.1
373.22
0.8
Dec 2018
950.48
3.4
376.44
1.5
Jan 2019
951.86
3.6
377.06
2.0
Feb 2019
952.19
3.2
376.41
1.7
Mar 2019
957.72
3.5
376.84
1.6
Apr 2019
956.32
3.0
374.55
1.0
May 2019
959.07
3.0
375.56
1.1
Jun 2019
961.82
3.1
376.56
1.4
Jul 2019
961.77
2.8
375.80
1.0
Aug 2019
968.70
3.2
378.22
1.4
Sep 2019
968.36
3.1
377.48
1.3
Oct 2019
971.46
2.9
377.43
1.1
Nov 2019
971.72
3.0
376.65
0.9
Dec 2019
972.75
2.3
376.74
0.1
Jan 2020
975.15
2.4
376.96
0.0
Feb 2020
980.74
3.0
378.92
0.7
Mar 2020
980.03
2.3
379.87
0.8
Apr 2020
1028.39
7.5
401.41
7.2
May 2020
1031.98
7.6
403.21
7.4
Jun 2020
1015.51
5.6
394.71
4.8
Jul 2020
1016.20
5.7
392.96
4.6
Aug 2020
1022.61
5.6
394.05
4.2
Sep 2020
1026.60
6.0
394.62
4.5
Oct 2020
1027.30
5.7
394.41
4.5
Nov 2020
1030.43
6.0
394.91
4.8
Dec 2020
1037.88
6.7
396.80
5.3
Jan 2021
1047.20
7.4
399.34
5.9
Feb 2021
1038.00
5.8
394.44
4.1
Mar 2021
1045.95
6.7
395.01
4.0
Apr 2021
1053.28
2.4
394.74
-1.7
May 2021
1058.52
2.6
394.16
-2.2
Nominal (not adjusted for inflation) average weekly wages increased from $1,031.98 in May 2020 to $1,058.52 in May 2021, an increase of 2.6 percent. Inflation-adjusted wages, expressed in constant 1982–84 dollars, decreased from $403.21 to $394.16 over this 12-month period.
Since January 2011, while nominal average weekly wages have increased from $781.47 to $1,058.52, real average weekly wages (in 1982–84 dollars) have increased from $353.31 to $394.16.
These data are from the Current Employment Statistics survey and are seasonally adjusted. Earnings for the most recent 2 months are preliminary. For more information, see "Real Earnings — May 2021." The Consumer Price Index is used to adjust earnings for inflation.
United States Department of Labor
