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Real average weekly earnings increase 1.1 percent, September 2017 to September 2018

October 17, 2018

Average hourly earnings increased 2.8 percent, seasonally adjusted, from September 2017 to September 2018. The increase in average hourly earnings combined with a 0.6-percent increase in the average workweek and a 2.3-percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) resulted in a 1.1-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this 12-month period.

12-month percent change in real average weekly earnings, average hourly earnings, and average weekly hours for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, and CPI-U, seasonally adjusted, January 2008–September 2018
Month Real average
weekly earnings
Average
hourly earnings
Average
weekly hours
     CPI-U     

Jan 2008

-1.0% 2.9% 0.3% 4.3%

Feb 2008

-1.0 2.9 0.3 4.1

Mar 2008

-0.9 3.0 0.0 4.0

Apr 2008

-1.3 2.9 -0.3 3.9

May 2008

-1.0 3.1 0.0 4.1

Jun 2008

-2.4 2.7 -0.3 4.9

Jul 2008

-2.6 3.1 -0.3 5.5

Aug 2008

-2.2 3.3 -0.3 5.3

Sep 2008

-2.2 3.3 -0.6 5.0

Oct 2008

-0.7 3.3 -0.3 3.7

Nov 2008

1.5 3.5 -0.9 1.1

Dec 2008

2.1 3.6 -1.5 0.0

Jan 2009

2.5 3.6 -1.2 -0.1

Feb 2009

2.5 3.4 -0.9 0.0

Mar 2009

1.9 3.3 -1.7 -0.4

Apr 2009

2.5 3.4 -1.5 -0.6

May 2009

2.2 2.9 -1.7 -1.0

Jun 2009

2.0 2.9 -2.0 -1.2

Jul 2009

3.2 2.7 -1.5 -2.0

Aug 2009

2.5 2.4 -1.5 -1.5

Sep 2009

3.0 2.4 -0.9 -1.4

Oct 2009

1.6 2.5 -1.2 -0.2

Nov 2009

-0.4 2.1 -0.6 1.9

Dec 2009

-0.8 2.0 0.0 2.8

Jan 2010

-0.5 2.1 0.0 2.6

Feb 2010

-0.9 2.1 -0.9 2.2

Mar 2010

0.1 1.8 0.6 2.3

Apr 2010

0.5 1.8 0.9 2.2

May 2010

0.8 1.9 0.9 2.0

Jun 2010

1.8 1.8 1.2 1.1

Jul 2010

1.7 1.8 1.2 1.3

Aug 2010

1.8 1.8 1.2 1.2

Sep 2010

1.9 1.8 1.2 1.1

Oct 2010

2.2 1.9 1.5 1.2

Nov 2010

1.6 1.8 0.9 1.1

Dec 2010

1.5 1.8 1.2 1.4

Jan 2011

0.8 2.0 0.6 1.7

Feb 2011

1.2 1.8 1.5 2.1

Mar 2011

0.1 1.8 0.9 2.6

Apr 2011

-0.3 1.9 0.9 3.1

May 2011

-0.5 2.0 0.9 3.5

Jun 2011

-0.7 2.1 0.6 3.5

Jul 2011

-0.7 2.3 0.6 3.6

Aug 2011

-1.5 1.9 0.3 3.8

Sep 2011

-1.5 1.9 0.3 3.8

Oct 2011

-1.1 2.1 0.3 3.5

Nov 2011

-0.8 2.0 0.6 3.5

Dec 2011

-0.7 2.0 0.3 3.1

Jan 2012

-0.4 1.7 0.9 3.0

Feb 2012

-0.5 1.8 0.6 2.9

Mar 2012

0.2 2.1 0.6 2.6

Apr 2012

0.1 2.1 0.3 2.3

May 2012

-0.3 1.7 -0.3 1.7

Jun 2012

0.6 2.0 0.3 1.7

Jul 2012

0.3 1.7 0.0 1.4

Aug 2012

0.5 1.9 0.3 1.7

Sep 2012

0.0 2.0 0.0 1.9

Oct 2012

-0.6 1.5 0.0 2.2

Nov 2012

0.1 1.9 0.0 1.8

Dec 2012

0.6 2.1 0.3 1.8

Jan 2013

0.1 2.1 -0.3 1.7

Feb 2013

0.2 2.2 0.0 2.0

Mar 2013

0.7 1.9 0.3 1.5

Apr 2013

0.6 2.0 -0.3 1.1

May 2013

1.0 2.1 0.3 1.4

Jun 2013

0.7 2.1 0.3 1.7

Jul 2013

0.2 2.1 0.0 1.9

Aug 2013

1.0 2.3 0.3 1.5

Sep 2013

0.9 2.0 0.0 1.1

Oct 2013

1.4 2.2 0.0 0.9

Nov 2013

1.0 2.2 0.0 1.2

Dec 2013

-0.2 1.9 -0.6 1.5

Jan 2014

0.4 2.0 0.0 1.6

Feb 2014

0.5 2.2 -0.6 1.1

Mar 2014

0.5 2.1 0.0 1.6

Apr 2014

0.2 2.0 0.3 2.0

May 2014

0.3 2.1 0.3 2.1

Jun 2014

0.0 2.0 0.0 2.0

Jul 2014

0.4 2.1 0.3 2.0

Aug 2014

0.8 2.2 0.3 1.7

Sep 2014

0.8 2.2 0.3 1.7

Oct 2014

0.7 2.0 0.3 1.6

Nov 2014

1.3 2.0 0.6 1.3

Dec 2014

2.2 2.0 0.9 0.7

Jan 2015

3.0 2.2 0.6 -0.2

Feb 2015

2.6 1.9 0.6 -0.1

Mar 2015

1.9 2.2 -0.3 0.0

Apr 2015

2.3 2.2 0.0 -0.1

May 2015

2.3 2.3 0.0 0.0

Jun 2015

2.0 2.2 0.0 0.2

Jul 2015

1.9 2.1 0.0 0.2

Aug 2015

2.0 2.2 0.0 0.2

Sep 2015

2.5 2.2 0.3 0.0

Oct 2015

2.4 2.5 0.0 0.1

Nov 2015

1.7 2.4 -0.3 0.4

Dec 2015

1.9 2.6 0.0 0.7

Jan 2016

1.2 2.5 0.0 1.3

Feb 2016

1.4 2.4 0.0 1.0

Mar 2016

1.3 2.5 -0.3 0.9

Apr 2016

1.2 2.6 -0.3 1.1

May 2016

1.1 2.4 -0.3 1.0

Jun 2016

1.2 2.6 -0.3 1.0

Jul 2016

1.6 2.8 -0.3 0.9

Aug 2016

0.5 2.5 -0.9 1.1

Sep 2016

0.5 2.6 -0.6 1.5

Oct 2016

0.7 2.7 -0.3 1.6

Nov 2016

0.3 2.6 -0.6 1.7

Dec 2016

0.0 2.7 -0.6 2.1

Jan 2017

-0.7 2.4 -0.6 2.5

Feb 2017

-0.3 2.7 -0.3 2.8

Mar 2017

-0.1 2.6 -0.3 2.4

Apr 2017

0.3 2.5 0.0 2.2

May 2017

0.6 2.5 0.0 1.9

Jun 2017

0.8 2.5 0.0 1.6

Jul 2017

0.7 2.5 0.0 1.7

Aug 2017

0.9 2.6 0.3 2.0

Sep 2017

0.3 2.8 -0.3 2.2

Oct 2017

0.2 2.3 0.0 2.0

Nov 2017

0.8 2.5 0.6 2.2

Dec 2017

0.8 2.7 0.3 2.1

Jan 2018

0.6 2.8 0.0 2.1

Feb 2018

0.6 2.6 0.3 2.3

Mar 2018

0.9 2.6 0.6 2.4

Apr 2018

0.5 2.6 0.3 2.4

May 2018

0.4 2.8 0.3 2.7

Jun 2018

0.6 2.8 0.6 2.8

Jul 2018

0.2 2.8 0.3 2.9

Aug 2018

0.5 2.9 0.3 2.7

Sep 2018

1.1 2.8 0.6 2.3

Note: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is used to deflate the earnings data. Data for the most recent 2 months are preliminary.

The 1.1 percent change in September 2018 was the first time since July 2016 that the 12-month change in real average weekly earnings has been above 1.0 percent.

Since 2008, the 12-month change in real average weekly earnings has ranged from −2.6 percent to 3.2 percent.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. For more information, see "Real Earnings — September 2018." The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, from the Consumer Price Index program, is used to adjust earnings for all employees for inflation. Data for the most recent 2 months are preliminary.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Real average weekly earnings increase 1.1 percent, September 2017 to September 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/real-average-weekly-earnings-increase-1-point-1-percent-september-2017-to-september-2018.htm (visited March 19, 2024).

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