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Technical information:(202) 691-6378 USDL 08-0507 http://www.bls.gov/cps/ For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT) Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Thursday, April 17, 2008 USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS: FIRST QUARTER 2008 Median weekly earnings of the nation's 106.5 million full-time wage and salary workers were $719 in the first quarter of 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This was 3.8 per- cent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 4.1 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period. Data on usual weekly earnings are collected as part of the Current Popula- tion Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually earns. (See the Technical Note.) Highlights from the first-quarter data are: --Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $637 per week, or 80.6 percent of the $790 median for men. The female-to- male earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics (93.1 percent) and blacks (92.1 percent) than among whites (79.3 percent) or Asians (80.3 percent). (See table 1.) --Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $604 per week, 73.5 percent of the median for white men ($822). The dif- ference was less among women, as black women's median earnings ($556) were 85.3 percent of those for their white counterparts ($652). Over- all, median earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($520) were lower than those of blacks ($582), whites ($742), and Asians ($842). (See table 1.) --Among men, those age 45 to 54 and age 55 to 64 had the highest median weekly earnings, $927 and $957, respectively. Among women, weekly earnings also were highest for those age 45 to 54 and age 55 to 64, $700 and $702, respectively. (See table 2.) --Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in managerial, professional, and related occupations had the highest median weekly earnings--$1,236 for men and $890 for women. Men and women employed in service jobs earned the least. (See table 3.) --Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $435, compared with $615 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,108 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree. Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest 10 percent of male workers made $3,080 or more per week, compared with $1,988 or more for their female counterparts. (See table 4.)
- 2 - Technical Note The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 households, with coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The earnings data are collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wages and salaries. The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339. Reliability Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies de- pending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and informa- tion on estimating standard errors, see the Household Data section of the "Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error" at http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_ methods.pdf. Definitions The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series are described briefly below. Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.) Prior to 1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week. Since January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly, annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time period. Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a weekly equivalent. The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent. If the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or 5 months. - 3 - Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median and the other having earnings below the median. Ten percent of a given distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90 percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings). The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples of $50. The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of the interval in which the quantile boundary lies. Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries) for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements estimated for the overall quantile boundary. The most common reasons for this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative weights of the subgroups. For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to- 24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile boundary. This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered at rounded values, such as $250, $300, $400. An estimate lying in a $50-wide centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more slowly than one in other intervals. Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries, commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates. The group includes employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of whether or not their busi- nesses are incorporated. Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job. Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job. Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified themselves in the enumeration process as being Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted Number of workers Median weekly earnings (in thousands) Characteristic In current dollars In constant (1982) dollars I I 2007 2008 I I I I 2007 2008 2007 2008 SEX AND AGE Total, 16 years and over....................................... 105,888 106,507 $693 $719 $328 $327 Men, 16 years and over....................................... 59,052 59,324 759 790 359 360 16 to 24 years............................................. 6,102 5,888 451 466 214 212 25 years and over.......................................... 52,951 53,436 811 848 384 386 Women, 16 years and over..................................... 46,836 47,182 615 637 291 290 16 to 24 years............................................. 4,632 4,531 414 419 196 191 25 years and over.......................................... 42,203 42,652 646 666 306 303 RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX White........................................................ 85,359 85,721 714 742 338 338 Men........................................................ 48,802 48,810 783 822 371 374 Women...................................................... 36,557 36,911 625 652 296 297 Black or African American.................................... 13,007 12,922 561 582 266 265 Men........................................................ 6,135 6,101 585 604 277 275 Women...................................................... 6,872 6,821 540 556 256 253 Asian........................................................ 5,146 5,297 798 842 378 383 Men........................................................ 2,845 2,981 864 939 409 427 Women...................................................... 2,301 2,316 743 754 352 343 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................................. 16,037 15,588 502 520 238 237 Men........................................................ 10,092 9,819 520 538 246 245 Women...................................................... 5,946 5,769 471 501 223 228 NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex, first quarter 2008 averages, not seasonally adjusted Total Men Women Age, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Number of Number of Number of workers Median workers Median workers Median (in weekly (in weekly (in weekly thousands) earnings thousands) earnings thousands) earnings TOTAL 16 years and over........................................... 106,507 $719 59,324 $790 47,182 $637 16 to 24 years............................................ 10,419 445 5,888 466 4,531 419 16 to 19 years.......................................... 1,381 343 832 370 548 316 20 to 24 years.......................................... 9,038 469 5,056 483 3,982 443 25 years and over......................................... 96,088 757 53,436 848 42,652 666 25 to 54 years.......................................... 78,799 751 44,142 834 34,657 664 25 to 34 years........................................ 25,469 659 14,532 701 10,938 618 35 to 44 years........................................ 26,559 805 15,086 915 11,474 688 45 to 54 years........................................ 26,770 809 14,524 927 12,246 700 55 years and over....................................... 17,289 781 9,295 932 7,995 674 55 to 64 years........................................ 14,746 819 7,898 957 6,848 702 65 years and over..................................... 2,543 643 1,396 751 1,146 530 White 16 years and over........................................... 85,721 742 48,810 822 36,911 652 16 to 24 years............................................ 8,376 453 4,790 475 3,585 422 25 years and over......................................... 77,345 780 44,019 881 33,326 683 25 to 54 years.......................................... 62,740 774 35,997 864 26,743 680 55 years and over....................................... 14,605 816 8,023 960 6,583 693 Black or African American 16 years and over........................................... 12,922 582 6,101 604 6,821 556 16 to 24 years............................................ 1,277 390 665 402 612 380 25 years and over......................................... 11,645 602 5,436 632 6,209 581 25 to 54 years.......................................... 9,941 599 4,694 621 5,247 581 55 years and over....................................... 1,704 639 742 726 962 584 Asian 16 years and over........................................... 5,297 842 2,981 939 2,316 754 16 to 24 years............................................ 384 557 193 520 191 604 25 years and over......................................... 4,913 875 2,788 974 2,125 769 25 to 54 years.......................................... 4,188 914 2,396 1,027 1,791 781 55 years and over....................................... 726 696 391 694 334 700 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 16 years and over........................................... 15,588 520 9,819 538 5,769 501 16 to 24 years............................................ 2,016 408 1,279 417 737 392 25 years and over......................................... 13,572 555 8,540 577 5,032 519 25 to 54 years.......................................... 12,163 554 7,682 576 4,482 520 55 years and over....................................... 1,409 563 858 582 550 516 NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted Number of workers Median weekly earnings (in thousands) Occupation and sex I I I I 2007 2008 2007 2008 TOTAL Management, professional, and related occupations................... 39,139 39,815 $976 $1,018 Management, business, and financial operations occupations........ 16,389 16,313 1,042 1,127 Professional and related occupations.............................. 22,750 23,502 936 967 Service occupations................................................. 14,050 14,227 451 464 Sales and office occupations........................................ 25,748 25,574 597 614 Sales and related occupations..................................... 10,717 10,320 645 650 Office and administrative support occupations..................... 15,031 15,253 577 601 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations........ 12,180 11,633 672 699 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations........................ 657 688 341 400 Construction and extraction occupations........................... 7,164 6,374 659 676 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations................. 4,359 4,571 730 772 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations......... 14,772 15,259 563 595 Production occupations............................................ 7,933 8,369 568 594 Transportation and material moving occupations.................... 6,839 6,890 558 596 Men Management, professional, and related occupations................... 18,855 19,388 1,162 1,236 Management, business, and financial operations occupations........ 8,829 8,810 1,244 1,341 Professional and related occupations.............................. 10,026 10,578 1,135 1,170 Service occupations................................................. 7,054 7,141 516 529 Sales and office occupations........................................ 9,946 9,651 715 737 Sales and related occupations..................................... 6,025 5,645 769 788 Office and administrative support occupations..................... 3,921 4,006 635 651 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations........ 11,741 11,138 677 701 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations........................ 548 560 340 407 Construction and extraction occupations........................... 7,028 6,209 662 675 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations................. 4,165 4,369 732 772 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations......... 11,457 12,007 606 632 Production occupations............................................ 5,627 5,908 630 660 Transportation and material moving occupations.................... 5,830 6,099 584 612 Women Management, professional, and related occupations................... 20,284 20,427 846 890 Management, business, and financial operations occupations........ 7,561 7,503 872 954 Professional and related occupations.............................. 12,724 12,924 832 859 Service occupations................................................. 6,996 7,086 395 408 Sales and office occupations........................................ 15,802 15,923 539 578 Sales and related occupations..................................... 4,692 4,675 494 508 Office and administrative support occupations..................... 11,110 11,248 557 591 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations........ 439 495 512 609 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations........................ 109 128 346 363 Construction and extraction occupations........................... 136 165 497 740 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations................. 194 202 708 774 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations......... 3,315 3,252 431 469 Production occupations............................................ 2,306 2,461 434 462 Transportation and material moving occupations.................... 1,009 791 423 486 NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, first quarter 2008 averages, not seasonally adjusted Number of Upper limit of: workers Characteristic (in thousands) First First Second Third Ninth decile quartile quartile quartile decile (median) SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY Total, 16 years and over....................................... 106,507 $344 $481 $719 $1,112 $1,653 Men.......................................................... 59,324 371 515 790 1,240 1,875 Women........................................................ 47,182 321 436 637 955 1,386 White........................................................ 85,721 354 494 742 1,138 1,694 Men........................................................ 48,810 381 538 822 1,264 1,886 Women...................................................... 36,911 328 449 652 965 1,402 Black or African American.................................... 12,922 307 402 582 857 1,254 Men........................................................ 6,101 319 419 604 896 1,328 Women...................................................... 6,821 299 389 556 822 1,200 Asian........................................................ 5,297 360 521 842 1,368 1,921 Men........................................................ 2,981 390 550 939 1,523 2,173 Women...................................................... 2,316 319 491 754 1,148 1,686 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................................. 15,588 297 379 520 777 1,174 Men........................................................ 9,819 307 389 538 814 1,273 Women...................................................... 5,769 282 358 501 719 1,037 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Total, 25 years and over....................................... 96,088 366 507 757 1,156 1,734 Less than a high school diploma.............................. 7,998 281 338 435 597 821 High school graduates, no college (1)........................ 27,866 331 433 615 873 1,196 Some college or associate degree............................. 26,207 381 510 715 1,017 1,416 Bachelor's degree and higher (2)............................. 34,017 558 761 1,108 1,617 2,297 Bachelor's degree only..................................... 22,033 516 714 1,012 1,495 2,081 Advanced degree............................................ 11,984 642 890 1,259 1,865 2,659 Men, 25 years and over....................................... 53,436 392 567 848 1,302 1,903 Less than a high school diploma............................ 5,520 293 366 479 637 898 High school graduates, no college (1)...................... 15,986 375 497 701 988 1,336 Some college or associate degree........................... 13,843 422 588 819 1,162 1,563 Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........................... 18,087 609 874 1,274 1,883 2,698 Bachelor's degree only................................... 11,681 582 801 1,170 1,730 2,402 Advanced degree.......................................... 6,406 732 1,000 1,493 2,116 3,080 Women, 25 years and over..................................... 42,652 338 464 666 989 1,438 Less than a high school diploma............................ 2,478 250 303 375 496 633 High school graduates, no college (1)...................... 11,880 302 388 518 713 963 Some college or associate degree........................... 12,364 351 459 624 876 1,163 Bachelor's degree and higher (2)........................... 15,930 509 682 950 1,340 1,838 Bachelor's degree only................................... 10,352 484 634 886 1,238 1,733 Advanced degree.......................................... 5,578 603 807 1,081 1,487 1,988 1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees. NOTE: Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25 percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the upper limit of the ninth decile. Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted Number of workers Median weekly earnings (in thousands) Characteristic I I I I 2007 2008 2007 2008 SEX AND AGE Total, 16 years and over............................................ 22,369 22,195 $211 $216 Men, 16 years and over............................................ 7,172 6,975 199 207 16 to 24 years.................................................. 3,572 3,375 150 161 25 years and over............................................... 3,600 3,600 273 272 Women, 16 years and over.......................................... 15,197 15,220 216 221 16 to 24 years.................................................. 4,637 4,412 152 156 25 years and over............................................... 10,560 10,808 259 258 RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY, AND SEX White............................................................. 18,896 18,638 211 218 Men............................................................. 5,987 5,800 198 208 Women........................................................... 12,909 12,838 217 223 Black or African American......................................... 2,071 2,111 206 207 Men............................................................. 685 710 199 209 Women........................................................... 1,386 1,401 209 206 Asian............................................................. 815 879 237 220 Men............................................................. 281 283 233 211 Women........................................................... 534 596 240 225 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity...................................... 2,581 2,647 203 212 Men............................................................. 954 995 221 222 Women........................................................... 1,627 1,652 195 206 NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.