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Real average hourly earnings increased 0.3 percent from March 2025 to March 2026

April 15, 2026

Real (adjusted for inflation) average hourly earnings increased 0.3 percent from March 2025 to March 2026, seasonally adjusted, after increasing 1.3 percent over the year ended February 2026. The change in real hourly earnings resulted from a 3.5-percent increase in average hourly earnings and a 3.3-percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

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12-month percent change in average and real average hourly earnings of all private sector employees, and the Consumer Price Index
Month	Average hourly earnings	CPI	Real average hourly earnings
Mar 2021	4.5	2.7	1.8
Apr 2021	0.6	4.1	-3.4
May 2021	2.3	4.9	-2.5
Jun 2021	3.9	5.3	-1.3
Jul 2021	4.3	5.2	-0.9
Aug 2021	4.4	5.2	-0.7
Sep 2021	5.0	5.4	-0.4
Oct 2021	5.4	6.2	-0.8
Nov 2021	5.4	6.9	-1.4
Dec 2021	4.9	7.2	-2.0
Jan 2022	5.6	7.6	-1.8
Feb 2022	5.3	7.9	-2.5
Mar 2022	5.9	8.6	-2.5
Apr 2022	5.8	8.2	-2.2
May 2022	5.6	8.5	-2.7
Jun 2022	5.4	9.0	-3.3
Jul 2022	5.5	8.5	-2.7
Aug 2022	5.4	8.2	-2.7
Sep 2022	5.1	8.2	-2.8
Oct 2022	5.0	7.8	-2.6
Nov 2022	5.1	7.1	-2.0
Dec 2022	4.9	6.4	-1.4
Jan 2023	4.5	6.3	-1.7
Feb 2023	4.8	6.0	-1.1
Mar 2023	4.6	4.9	-0.3
Apr 2023	4.6	5.0	-0.4
May 2023	4.4	4.1	0.2
Jun 2023	4.7	3.1	1.6
Jul 2023	4.7	3.3	1.3
Aug 2023	4.5	3.7	0.7
Sep 2023	4.4	3.7	0.7
Oct 2023	4.2	3.3	1.0
Nov 2023	4.1	3.1	1.0
Dec 2023	4.1	3.3	0.8
Jan 2024	4.4	3.1	1.3
Feb 2024	4.1	3.2	0.9
Mar 2024	4.1	3.5	0.6
Apr 2024	4.0	3.4	0.5
May 2024	4.1	3.2	0.9
Jun 2024	3.9	3.0	0.9
Jul 2024	3.6	2.9	0.7
Aug 2024	3.9	2.6	1.3
Sep 2024	3.9	2.4	1.4
Oct 2024	4.0	2.6	1.4
Nov 2024	4.2	2.7	1.4
Dec 2024	4.1	2.9	1.2
Jan 2025	4.0	3.0	1.0
Feb 2025	4.1	2.8	1.3
Mar 2025	4.2	2.4	1.8
Apr 2025	3.9	2.3	1.6
May 2025	4.0	2.4	1.6
Jun 2025	3.9	2.7	1.2
Jul 2025	4.0	2.7	1.2
Aug 2025	4.0	2.9	1.1
Sep 2025	3.8	3.0	0.8
Oct 2025	3.9
Nov 2025	3.9	2.7	1.2
Dec 2025	3.7	2.7	1.0
Jan 2026	3.7	2.4	1.2
Feb 2026	3.8	2.4	1.3
Mar 2026	3.5	3.3	0.3
Note: Data are seasonally adjusted and the most recent two months of earnings data are preliminary. Some data for October 2025 are unavailable due to the lapse in appropriations.

Over the past 5 years, the 12-month change in real average hourly earnings has ranged from −3.4 percent in April 2021 to 1.8 percent in March 2025.

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 — March 2026." The Consumer Price Index is used to adjust earnings for inflation.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Real average hourly earnings increased 0.3 percent from March 2025 to March 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/real-average-hourly-earnings-increased-0-3-percent-from-march-2025-to-march-2026.htm (visited April 16, 2026).

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