Average Earnings Down in March

April 19, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Real average weekly earnings fell by 0.3% from February to March after seasonal adjustment, according to preliminary data from the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

A BLS news release said a 0.2% increase in average hourly earnings was offset by a 0.5% increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

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Average weekly earnings rose by 3.7%, seasonally adjusted, from March 2005 to March 2006. After deflation by the CPI-W, average weekly earnings increased by 0.1%.

Before adjustment for seasonal change and inflation, average weekly earnings were $553.09 in March 2006, compared with $533.06 a year earlier.

Detailed BLS data can be found here .

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