US: Real average hourly earnings increased 0.5% from February to March

Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.5 percent from February to March, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from a 0.2-percent increase in average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3-percent decrease in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Real average weekly earnings increased 0.5 percent over the month due to the increase in real average hourly earnings combined with no change in the average workweek. Real average hourly earnings increased 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, from March 2016 to March 2017. The increase in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3-percent decrease in the average workweek resulted in no change in real average weekly earnings over this period.