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Monthly Labor Review”
In this issue:
Changes in available data in the 21st Century
Update on employment of Vietnam-era veterans
Diffusion indexes of employment change
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
April 1990
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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U.S. Department of Labor
Elizabeth Dole, Secretary
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Janet L. Norwood, Com m issioner
The Monthly Labor Review is published by the
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Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
Volume 113, Number 4
Henry Lowenstern, Editor-in-Chief
Robert W. Fisher, Executive Editor
Articles
3
Labor force data in the next century
BLS is exploring enhancements in data collection, analysis, and dissemination
as well as expansion of both household and establishment surveys
Thomas J. Plewes
9
A data user’s look back from 2015
An academic analyst steps 25 years into the future, where the kinds and amounts
of data and the technology for assessing them are greatly expanded
Daniel S. Hamermesh
13
Diffusion indexes: an economic barometer
BLS diffusion indexes measure the breadth of employment change across industries,
and are potential leading indicators of manufacturing employment levels
Patricia M. Getz and Mark G. Ulmer
22
Employment status of Vietnam-era veterans
Veterans who served in the Vietnam theater and those who incurred
service-connected disabilities continue to be at a labor market disadvantage
Sharon R. Cohany
30
Productivity in scrap and waste materials processing
Higher capacity machinery, growing demand, and industry consolidation
spurred gains in output per labor hour during 1977-87
Mark Scott Sieling
Reports
38
Employment Cost Index rebased to June 1989
Albert E. Schwenk
Departments
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2
38
40
42
47
49
Labor month in review
Technical note
Major agreements expiring next month
Developments in industrial relations
Book reviews
Current labor statistics
Labor
month
in review
KLEIN AWARD. The Lawrence R.
Klein Award trustees selected three au
thors of articles published in the Monthly
Labor Review in 1989 as winners of the 21st
annual Klein Award. The authors:
• Bruce W. Klein and Philip L. Rones,
economists in the Division of Labor Force
Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for
“A profile of the working poor,” which ap
peared in the October issue.
• Mark S. Littman, a sociologist in the
Poverty and Wealth Statistics Branch, Bu
reau of the Census, for “Poverty in the
1980’s: are the poor getting poorer?” pub
lished in June, and “Reasons for not
working: are the poor getting poorer?”,
which appeared in the August issue.
The 1989 Klein Award will be pre
sented at the Bureau of Labor Statistics
annual awards ceremony May 10 in the
GAO auditorium.
The Klein-Rones article focuses on
persons who are in the labor force but
who live in poor families. The authors
contrast the situation of these workers—
the working poor—with that of workers
who are not poor.
The working poor accounted for about
one-third of all persons aged 16 and older
who were impoverished in 1987. More
than 6 million of these workers had family
incomes below the official poverty level,
even though they worked or looked for
work at least half of the year.
Klein and Rones found that two- thirds
2 Monthly Labor Review April 1990
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■■SIiSIm
of the poor who worked full time fell
below a “low earnings” threshold. Un
married women maintaining families
were the workers with the greatest risk of
living in poverty, the authors note. Almost
one-fourth of single-earner families
headed by women were poor.
When a family had more than one
worker, the probability of poverty was
sharply reduced. In particular, poverty
was rare when both spouses were
employed, according to the authors.
In the first of his two articles, “Poverty
in the 1980’s: are the poor getting poor
er?”, Littman finds that poor persons
were no closer to their particular poverty
thresholds in 1986 than at the beginning of
the decade.
In fact, the aggregate income deficit of
the poor rose from $29.7 billion in 1980 to
$49.2 billion in 1986. The deficit, Littman
notes, is the amount of money needed “to
raise the money incomes of all poor familes and unrelated persons just above
the poverty level applicable to their fami
ly size in any given year.”
Littman also measures the average in
come deficit, the amount of money
“separating the income of a given family
or unrelated person from the appropriate
poverty threshold.” Adjusted for infla
tion, the deficit for families was $4,394 in
1986, unchanged from 1982.
In his second article, “Reasons for not
working: poor and nonpoor compared,”
Littman compares the work experience of
family household heads who are poor
(income below the poverty line) to the ex
perience of those who are not poor
(income above the poverty line).
The proportion of the working poor
was relatively unchanged in the 1980’s, af
ter falling “precipitously” in the 1970’s
and 1960’s, Littman observes. He finds
that the increase in the proportion of
poor families headed by women is the
largest factor explaining the decline in the
labor force participation of poor house
holders.
About the award. Trustees of the Klein
Award Fund are Lawrence R. Klein;
Charles D. Stewart, president; Ben Burdetsky, secretary-treasurer; Peter Henle;
Harold Goldstein; Howard Rosen; and
Henry Lowenstem. The award was es
tablished in 1968 in honor of Klein,
editor-in-chief of the Monthly Labor Re
view for 22 years until his retirement in
1968. Instead of accepting a retirement
gift, Klein donated it and matched the
amount collected to initiate the fund.
Since then, he has contributed regularly
to the fund, as have others. The purpose
of the award is to encourage Review ar
ticles that (1) exhibit originality of ideas or
method of analysis, (2) adhere to the prin
ciples of scientific inquiry, and (3) are well
written. Each winning article carries a
cash prize.
Tax-deductible contributions to the
fund may be sent to Ben Burdetsky, Se
cretary-Treasurer, Lawrence R. Klein
Fund, c/o School of Government and
Business Administration, The George
Washington University, Washington, DC
20052.
□
Labor force data
in the next century
A BLS manager envisages possible enhancements
in data collection, analysis, and dissemination,
with expansion of both household and establishment surveys
and much greater use of administrative data
To help mark the Monthly Labor Review ’ 5 75th
year, the editors asked both data users and data
producers to speculate about programs and
data needs in 2015, when the Review will mark
its centennial. This article and the article begin
ning on page 9 deal with the Bureau’s employ
ment programs.
Thomas J. Plewes
Thomas J. Plewes is
Associate Commissioner,
Office of Employment and
Unemployment Statistics,
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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ver the past 3 years, much attention has
been focused on the shape and composi
tion of the labor market in the year 2000.
The two sets of Bureau of Labor Statistics pro
jections to the year 20001 and the Hudson In
stitute’s Workforce 2000 report2 have received
media and academic attention far beyond the
usual labor market information audience.
The long-term projections are based primarily
on analysis of current labor force data. Among
their many valuable functions, these projections
permit us to respond to the challenges and op
portunities that lie in the future. In addition,
they have to be taken into account in managing
the programs that produce current labor force
statistics. Labor statistics, like the educational
and training institutions they serve, must be
fine-tuned to assure that adequate measures are
in place as the work force of the future evolves.
It is sometimes said that statistical programs
face a special challenge. To be useful, they must
stay ahead of the trends, for their function is to
identify events and measure those trends as they
happen. Staying ahead, in turn, means that the
O
programs must be in place before the projected
changes they measure occur. The challenge to
all statisticians who deal with projections— but
to b l s statisticians in particular, given the Bu
reau’s reputation for providing reliable, useful
statistics on a timely basis— is to pay close and
constant attention to the projections. While the
projections are based on the Bureau’s best
current data, it is recognized that those data are
themselves only as good as past projections and
resource investments have allowed them to be.
Timing of change
Statistical programs require long lead times be
fore fundamental changes in approach and
scope can be implemented. Hence, the likeliest
scenario for the turn of the century is that most
labor statistics programs will appear to their
users much as they do today. Change will be
evolutionary, rather than revolutionary.
The long horizon of change in major statisti
cal efforts is exemplified in the ongoing effort to
modernize the Current Population Survey (CPS),
the premier household survey in the labor force
field. A joint BLS-Census Bureau committee
has been meeting for more than 2 years to plan
for a post-1990 redesign of the survey. The op
portunity to redesign this household survey
comes just once each decade, because the infor
mation from the decennial census is needed for
the redesign. The planning and budget process
in the Federal Government is such that formal
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
3
Labor Force Data in the Next Century
plans for work that must take place this year
(fiscal year 1990) in preparation for the post1990 census redesign had to be included in
agency budget requests formulated back in
April 1988. Even though preparation begins in
earnest in 1990, the incorporation of decennial
census results into the sample redesign will
delay the completion of the redesign until
1995.3 From inception to implementation, the
modernization of the cps will require at least 6
years. The next opportunity to introduce a sig
nificantly revised survey will be in the year
2005, with planning required to be completed as
early as 1998.
We will see the
emergence of a
paperless
environment that
will bring about
vast changes in
data collection,
transmission,
editing, and
publication.
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Components of change
The scope and depth of changes in the labor
statistics programs will depend on the future
course of the three principal components of any
statistical program: methodology, technology,
and resources. In each of these, the exact direc
tion of change is uncertain. Accordingly, what
follows is a vision of the future; whether reality
will bear it out remains, of course, to be seen.
From today’s vantage point, a scenario of
quantum advancement in methodology and
technology is quite probable, while the limiting
factor will clearly be resources— both human
and financial.
expected to increase. At a minimum, innova
tions in methodology will be needed to maintain
a sound statistical base for the work of the Bu
reau in a resource-constrained environment.
Technology. As with methodology, the pace
of technology is fast increasing, and its impact
is only now becoming understood.5 Within the
next decade, we will see the emergence of a
paperless environment that will bring about vast
changes in data collection, transmission, edit
ing, and publication. At the same time, advances
in artificial intelligence and expert systems will
change forever the way statistical agencies
code, edit, and analyze data. These technolo
gies, for the most part, are available today. The
issue is not where the programs will go with
technology, but how far and how fast it will
carry them.
The Bureau’s relationship with its reporters
will be rethought. Because even the smallest
companies will computerize their work force
data, there will be mounting interest in direct
links between companies and the Bureau’s data
bases. Direct links to reporters will be only one
of a number of radical differences in the Bu
reau’s methods of data collection.
One of the most promising techniques for cut
ting down on the total amount of labor in data
collection and for reducing errors is computerassisted telephone interviewing. In a number of
Bureau surveys, interviewers call respondents,
asking questions that appear on computer
screens and entering the interviewees’ responses
into the computer. An extension of this facility
is touch-tone data entry, which more than 1,000
companies are currently using monthly to trans
mit data to b l s cooperating State agencies.
Talking to the computer is the next step. Though
still in the early stages of testing and develop
ment, with about 100 live cases under investiga
tion, the technology for voice collection— in
which a machine-generated voice can ask ques
tions, record responses, and convert voice an
swers into machine-readable text— is right
around the comer.
Distribution of data will be enhanced by the
evolution of standard data exchange formats.
The capabilities of optical disks and their stand
alone successors will permit wide distribution of
high-volume historical data. Even if there is no
expansion of the ability of statistical agencies to
electronically disseminate their data directly to
users, all users will benefit from the increasing
capability of b l s to produce master data bases in
formats that are widely useful.
Methodology. Methodological enhancements
are cascading into the Bureau’s statistical pro
grams as never before, driven by concerns over
quality, made possible by advancements in
computing technology, and sustained by inno
vative statistical design practices. The pioneer
ing work beginning to come from the Bureau’s
Cognitive Laboratory is an example. In this lab
oratory, an interdisciplinary team is testing the
cognitive aspects of questionnaires on individu
als and business respondents, challenging and
refining not only the questions, but also the
ways in which they are asked and the concepts
to which they pertain.
Model-based estimation techniques, intro
duced into the computation of State employ
ment and unemployment estimates just this past
year, hold promise for future applications. More
changes employing these techniques will come
as we learn to incorporate theoretical concepts
that found their first practical use in engineering
applications to the large, complex statistical op
erations that produce labor force information.
Innovations in methodology will change the
way that the Bureau develops and tests ques
tionnaires, draws survey panels, computes esti
mates, and measures reliability.4 The torrent of
methodological innovations that pours out of the Resources. Enhancements in methods and
minds of theoreticians practically daily is fully technology certainly promise to make operaApril 1990
tions more efficient, and to substitute capital for
some of the more labor-intensive statistical ac
tivities. However, the achievement of these
breakthroughs requires up-front investment,
which may not be possible in a period of tight
budget constraints and competing needs.
A sharper focus for demographic data
The projections to the year 2000 paint a portrait
of a labor force emerging over the next decade
that is quite different from the labor force of the
past. This new labor force will be increasingly
composed of minorities, women, and mature
workers. In other words, the groups that will
grow the most are those which customarily have
experienced the greatest difficulty in the labor
market, have suffered more labor marketrelated economic hardship, and presently are
most difficult to measure using current con
cepts, techniques, and procedures.
Despite the emergence of complementary
surveys, such as the Census Bureau’s Survey of
Income and Program Participation, the monthly
Current Population Survey, conducted by the
same Census Bureau for b l s , will continue to be
the primary analytical vehicle for understanding
these groups and their labor force trends. Like
other household surveys, the cps best illumi
nates information on the demographic composi
tion of the work force, the interaction between
the family and the work force, and the reasons
for the behavior of the work force. More than
other surveys, the cps provides the size, scope,
flexibility, and continuity needed to depict
changes in the status of groups of workers.
To the outside observer in the year 2015, the
basics of the cps will probably appear to have
stayed much the same. It will still be a monthly
survey using rotation panels in a 4 -8 —4 config
uration and pertaining to a reference week that
includes the 12th of the month. Yet, the survey
in the year 2015 will be substantially different
from the survey of 1989. This difference will be
the result of the earlier mentioned comprehen
sive redesign and modernization that will follow
the 1990 Decennial Census of Population and
Housing. Ideas already under consideration for
this major redesign of the survey include the
following:
• Modernizing the questionnaire to sharpen
measurements and improve information on
occupations and industries of workers.
• Redesigning the sample to incorporate up
dated materials from the decennial census,
thus increasing the efficiency of the survey.
• Enhancing the reliability of State estimates by
expanding the sample in mid-decade to per
mit sample-based estimates for all States on a
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monthly basis.
• Improving coverage of minorities.
• Automating data collection by wide
spread use of computer-assisted collection
technology.
• Extending the ability of the survey to focus
longitudinally on the labor force by improv
ing the basic coding of information from one
snapshot view of the labor force to another.
Plans are also under way to initiate a separate
longitudinal panel to follow persons continually
over long periods of time, perhaps 24 months.
The data on aggregate changes in labor force
status from one month to the next (gross flows),
which are now compiled but not generally used
in analysis, will be improved to allow for analy
sis of the causes of movements in the data. This
improvement should aid in understanding the
sometimes erratic movement in the over-themonth employment situation.6
To further assist in identifying the underlying
economic importance of month-to-month move
ments in the employment and unemployment
statistics, the process of adjusting for seasonal
ity of the data will be enhanced. The Bureau is
testing the concept of concurrent seasonal ad
justment— that is, revising seasonal adjustment
factors each month as new data become avail
able— and appending the test series to the Com
missioner’s monthly testimony before the Joint
Economic Committee.
The new processing environment also will
change the way in which cps data are used.
Building on current trends, the Bureau will
make cps microdata, which are now available in Advances in
public-use format (that is, purged of personal artificial
identifiers), more immediately available to all intelligence and
users on an ongoing basis. This enhancement in
expert systems
data access is expected to permit users to gen
will change
erate as much or as little detail as is desired.
forever
the way
Freed from the limitations imposed by restricted
statistical
data access, a flood of innovative analyses by
university and private-sector economists and agencies code,
statisticians will supplement the Federal Gov edit, and analyze
data.
ernment’s analytical efforts.
Even with this more elaborate household sur
vey data system, the scope of the surveys and
their coverage of the work force will continue to
be severely limited. Household surveys are ex
pensive to initiate and maintain; they impose a
considerable burden on their respondents and
require cadres of skilled enumerators, who are
expected to be increasingly difficult to hire
and retain. Thus, traditional surveys like the
cps have a constrained potential for further
expansion.
Less frequent, but more complete, enumera
tions are also difficult to justify. For example, a
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
5
Labor Force Data in the Next Century
mid-decade census, required by law for some
time, would fill the void in geographic detail
between decennial census years. However,
given the current budget climate, such a census
is not very likely. As a result, for the foresee
able future, labor force analysts will increas
ingly be forced to look to administrative data,
together with supplementary surveys of limited
scope and quick turnaround, to extend work
force information.
Extended use of administrative data
A powerful new
longitudinal data
base on
employers will be
available that will
support research
into the process
o f job creation.
Labor Review
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Despite the great promise of extended use of
administrative data for labor market analysis,
the United States has thus far seen mostly lim
ited direct use of administrative records in the
labor field. This stands in sharp contrast to prac
tices in the Scandinavian countries and much of
Europe, where extensive use has been made of
an elaborate set of administrative records for
functions that range from estimation of unem
ployment to time-use studies and analysis of
income distribution. In large measure, the lesser
use of administrative data in this country stems
from a perceived tension between the adminis
trative necessities of Government operations
and the statistical opportunities the data repre
sent. Statistical uses have been deemed an ex
pensive nuisance by managers of programs that
were established to pay benefits, collect taxes,
or perform other governmental functions.
Building on a carefully developed and firm
foundation laid only over the past few years,
that perception is changing in the work force
information field. Increasingly, the fit between
the information gathered by the States as they
manage the unemployment insurance system
and the needs of State and Federal agencies for
statistical data has come to be seen as symbiotic.
The unemployment insurance data system
(known as the e s -2 0 2 system, after the name of
the form used in aggregating the data) has
emerged over the past few years as a powerful
means of understanding the workings of the
labor market, identifying the process of job cre
ation, focusing on how businesses operate, and
detailing the labor force characteristics of per
sons. Improvements in the quality of informa
tion about establishments and persons served by
the States’ programs has strengthened both the
statistics and program management. Thus, while
many purely Federal sources of administrative
data have lost much of their utility, because of
both restrictions on their use for nonadministrative purposes and lack of investment in their
statistical infrastructure, the Federal-State un
employment insurance system holds the promise
of future potential.
Over the past several years, b l s and cooperat
April 1990
ing State agencies have devoted considerable
resources to expansion of the unemployment in
surance data base. These efforts began in the
1970’s with standardizing claims information
and improving the identification of the place of
residence of the unemployed for purposes of
improving local area unemployment statistics.
Later, the process of affixing current industrial
classification coding to business records was
enhanced when all States adopted a standard
3-year update cycle and converted to a b l s developed verification format for collecting the
desired information. More recently, the empha
sis has shifted to obtaining workplace informa
tion on all establishments, thus improving the
information on where business activity actually
takes place.
The potential for an ever more significant role
for these administrative data in the labor market
information portfolio is significant. Early in the
next decade, a powerful new longitudinal data
base on employers will be available that will
support research into the process of job cre
ation. Analysts will be able to trace the birth,
expansion, structural transformation, and demise
of American businesses as never before, and
survey designers will be able to incorporate this
information into more efficient sample designs.
The new power thereby gleaned to study the life
cycle of businesses using a broadly based list
with quarterly coverage of all industries and
sizes of establishments will transform the way
that analysts look at U.S. industry. The poten
tial of this data base for economic development
and other applications at the Federal, State, and
local levels is unbounded.
A number of steps will have been taken to
bring this transformation about, under the um
brella of the Bureau’s Business Establishment
List program. The ultimate objective of this pro
gram will be to provide the basis for a single
standard listing of nonagricultural businesses
for common use by Federal Government statisti
cal agencies. It is expected that the Bureau will
be able to begin sharing the enhanced data in
1992.7
Technical and procedural changes will foster
additional uses of the data. The processing envi
ronment will shift from a focus on maintaining
aggregates to maintaining microdata for the es
tablishments. Tape transmittals of input data
from the States and thence to users will be a
thing of the past, with new transmission media
allowing for better access to, and archiving of,
the data. These initiatives will also mean that
data will be available at least 2 months earlier
than today’s capabilities allow.
The classification system will, of course,
have to be modernized to match the potential of
the data system. Standard Industrial Classifica
tion (SIC) coding will be standardized and sim
plified. In this regard, the 1997 sic revision may
provide a new way to look at industrial coding
that could include both multiproduct and con
ventional means at a greater level of detail (5-7
digits), thus making it possible to better associ
ate product with place.
High technology in business surveys
Although improvements in the administrative
data base will increase the usefulness and speed
the inception of this census-type information,
the natural lag in administrative records proc
essing and the limitation on the kind of data
available in the administrative files suggest the
need for a continued monthly survey of busi
nesses to measure employment, hours, earn
ings, and other characteristics of economic
interest. The survey program that now serves
that role— the Current Employment Statistics
program— is a massive Federal-State operation
involving mail and telephone collection of data
from nearly 350,000 businesses each month,
generation of two preliminary estimates fol
lowed by a “final” estimate, and an annual bench
mark revision that reanchors the survey to the
administrative data base. Steps have already
been taken to prepare this survey to reflect tech
nological advancements, including computerassisted telephone interviewing, touch-tone data
entry, voice recognition, computer-assisted per
sonal interviewing for response analysis surveys,
and many more useful enhancements as they
come on line after testing and demonstration.
Data collection from business establishments
will be even more closely tied to the unemploy
ment insurance administrative data base and
share most concepts with it, particularly in the
earnings area. In the future, the survey could
provide current data for all metropolitan statisti
cal areas, expanding beyond the 180 areas for
which data are now available monthly. The 2
months of preliminary estimates now required
because of shortfalls in survey receipt when
estimates are prepared will be reduced and
perhaps even eliminated as technology and im
proved sample design allow bls and cooperat
ing States to focus on getting responses from
key firms in a timely manner.
The survey operation will be extended to in
clude more kinds of compensation and working
conditions of employees. Currently, the survey
collects only hourly earnings information, yet
bl s studies have shown that nonwage items are
an increasingly important part of workers’ com
pensation.8 A model for collection of these ad
ditional items exists in the Statistics Canada
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
program; a similar program could be imple
mented on an annual basis following a period of
testing and evaluation.
Occupational data with meaning
Although the pace of labor force and employ
ment growth over the next decade is expected to
slow, an analysis of the changing occu
pational structure of employment leads to the
inevitable conclusion that the combination of
industry employment trends, technological
change, and other factors will increase our need
to enlarge our understanding of occupations, in
cluding their skill requirements and demo
graphic profiles. Today, the major sources of
information about the occupational profile of
the work force and of the Nation’s employers
are, respectively, the Current Population Survey
and the Occupational Employment Survey.
Many of the general improvements to the c p s —
for example, better coding schemes and the
ability to compare information from previous
interviews with the current collection of inter
views— will enhance the occupational data col
lected from individuals, and updated Census
Bureau occupational classifications will in
crease the value of these data. But on the other
hand, occupational data collected from house
holds may be expected to continue to have noto
rious shortfalls. These data suffer from im
proper specification, skill level inflation,
underreporting, and imprecision. Accordingly,
for many purposes, occupational analysis, par
ticularly in an industrial context, will continue
to rely primarily on information collected from
establishments.
The Occupational Employment Survey of the
next century will be a more generalized survey,
serving additional users and permitting collec
tion of additional data elements, such as earn
ings and demographic characteristics. The
survey will be more precise, based on a com
pletely new Standard Occupational Classifica
tion system that will have been developed for
the Government in the early 1990’s by a group
under the leadership of the Office of Manage
ment and Budget. The Dictionary of Occu
pational Titles program, managed by the
Department of Labor’s Employment and Train
ing Administration, will be closely integrated
with this classification system. The Dictionary
provides a basis for reconciling worker skills
and traits, educational requirements, and occu
pational identification. With the vast changes in
the skills that will be required for the jobs of the
future, an upgraded Dictionary is a necessary
first step toward making the worlds of education
and work coincide more closely.
Analysts will be
able to trace the
birth, expansion,
structural
transformation,
and demise of
American
businesses as
never before.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
1
Labor Force Data in the Next Century
A depth of local detail
The likelihood of a continuation of areas of
plenty and of poverty within the United States,
within the States, and within local jurisdictions
makes high-quality collection, analysis, and
dissemination of State and local data para
mount. In cooperation with the State agencies,
the Bureau now produces unemployment statis
tics for some 5,000 subnational areas on a
monthly basis. It is difficult to contemplate ex
tending that detail further without a significant
improvement in the availability of raw data
about small-area labor markets. Therefore, any
improvements achieved will be in quality and
timeliness.
Current local area unemployment estimates
are based on a “handbook” procedure, which
assigns values to the local area based on those of
larger areas for which data are available. The
Local Area Unemployment Statistics program
will be modernized, with estimates for all areas
based on procedures akin to the model-based
estimation that has been used to compute esti
mates at the State level for the past 2 years.
The local estimates will be processed in a
multilevel environment using the next genera
tion of PC-based software the Bureau is provid
ing to its State partners in the State Systems
Project. This environment will enhance the
quality of the data and allow data production of
State and local estimates to be speeded up
significantly.
I n s u m m a r y , the labor force scenario for the
year 2015 and beyond envisions three core
sources of data with analytical and dissemina
tion programs built around them in a satellite
configuration:
• A monthly household survey.
• An unemployment insurance-covered wage
and employment data base at the establish-
ment level, designed to yield quarterly
aggregations of the universe of business es
tablishments and a current monthly survey of
establishments, to obtain employment linked
to the unemployment insurance universe to
gether with hours and earnings; an annual sur
vey of those same establishments to obtain
additional compensation items; a periodic oc
cupational employment survey in some detail;
and an annual occupational employment sur
vey to collect demographic data.
• An unemployment insurance individual-record
data base that will provide the basis for local
unemployment estimates and information on
layoffs, plant closings, and other actions of
public interest.
The labor force data programs of the future
will be much more oriented toward individual
records, utilizing the emerging power of the
computer to process those records on demand to
provide tailored aggregations of characteristics
of interest. This new power will simplify data
storage and the job of the analyst, but will re
quire artificial intelligence or other advanced
applications to reduce the nearly infinite number
of possible cross-tabulations to a manageable,
understandable few. The microdata orientation
will also place a new pressure on the Bureau and
other statistical agencies to develop new means
of making public-use files available while pro
tecting the confidentiality of the data.
Finally, the new environment in the year
2015 will have caused us, in the interim, to
reflect together on the fitness of our decentral
ized national and Federal-State cooperative
statistical systems to meet the challenges posed.
As we thus reflect on the strengths and weak
nesses of our administrative system in the light
of a long-term vision of the data for which we
are stewards, we stand assured that we can, and
will, provide for the coming expansion in the
availability of high-quality labor force data. □
Footnotes
1 The most recent bls projections to the year 2000 are
found in a series o f five articles in the November 1989
Monthly Labor Review.
2 William B. Johnston and Arnold E. Packer, Workforce
2000, Work and Workers for the Twenty-first Century (Indi
anapolis, The Hudson Institute, 1987).
3 William P. Butz and Thomas J. Plewes, “A Current
Population Survey for the 21st Century,” Proceedings, Fifth
Annual Research Conference (Washington, Bureau of the
Census, 1989), pp. 12-13.
4 George Werking, Alan Tupek, and Richard Clayton,
“ cati and Touchtone Self-Response Applications for Estab
lishment Surveys,” Journal o f Official Statistics, voi. 4,
8 Monthly Labor Review April 1990
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
no. 4, 1988, pp. 3 49-63.
5 Carl J. Lowe, “Statistical Processing in the Year
2015— What Can We Expect?” paper presented at Fourth
International Roundtable on Business Survey Frames, New
port, United Kingdom, November 1989.
6 Butz and Plewes, “A Current Population Survey,” p. 11.
7 Brian MacDonald, “Progress Report: Bureau of Labor
Statistics,” paper presented at Fourth International Round
table on Business Survey Frames, Newport, United King
dom, November 1989.
8 Employment Cost Indexes and Levels, 1975-1989, Bul
letin 2339 (Bureau o f Labor Statistics, October 1989).
A data user’s
look back from 2015
An academic analyst
of BLS employment programs
steps 25 years into the future ,
where the kinds and amounts of data
and the technology for assessing them
are greatly expanded
To mark the 75th year o f the Monthly Labor
Review, the editors invited several producers
and users o f BLS data to speculate on changes
they foresee in the next 25 years. The author of
this article looks back from an imaginary van
tage point in the year 2015.
Daniel S. Hamermesh
Daniel S. Hamermesh,
professor o f economics at
Michigan State University
and research associate,
National Bureau of
Economic Research,
expects to be retired from
regular teaching and
research in 2015.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
or someone like me, whose academic
career began in 1965, empirical research
on the labor market in 1989 was phe
nomenally easy. But by today’s (2015)
standards, our 1989 methods were primitive
technology. Today’s young labor economists
surely are as incapable of appreciating the diffi
culties, in the 1980’s, of conducting empirical
research using data tapes that had to be obtained
and manipulated with great effort as their young
counterparts in 1989 must have been of appreci
ating the difficulties of doing research on data
that, in the 1960’s, had to be hand-copied and
keypunched onto small cards. No doubt they
would be equally flabbergasted by the paucity
of data available in 1989. The dual revolution—
in the technology of using data and in the kind
and amount of data available— has, to some ex
tent, resulted from decisions made in b ls during
the 1990’s.
Perhaps the most important of these decisions
was the recognition that problems of confiden
tiality of establishment data could be overcome
F
and those data made readily available to re
searchers outside of Government. This obviated
the need for such worthy, but partial, ap
proaches as the Census Bureau’s Longitudinal
Employment Database, an annual panel of
manufacturing establishments that was only ac
cessible to researchers who became sworn Gov
ernment employees and who worked with the
data at the Census Bureau. The change was fa
cilitated by the development, in the late 1990’s,
of essentially error-free transmission mecha
nisms from b l s computers to individual users
around the country via fiber-optic methods. As
a result, researchers now can sit by their home
or office computer and operate on data files
located at b l s , extracting the data they desire or
performing statistical analyses on b l s data files.
b l s computers are programmed to prevent the
export of data or the calculation of summary
statistics that might violate promises of confi
dentiality. Blanket prohibitions on access are no
longer needed— restriction is on a case-by-case
basis, making access interactive and immediate.
We academic researchers pride ourselves on
working on timeless issues; but very little re
search in the social sciences is timeless (or even
very long-lasting). In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the
difficulties of obtaining data made it necessary
for us to do much of the testing of theories about
the labor market on data that were 10 or even 20
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
9
Data User’s Look Back from 2015
years old. Technological developments have
changed that and added a new currency to aca
demic research. The large sets of microeco
nomic data that we now can obtain usually
include information that is no more than 6
months old. Since 1996, Current Population
Survey enumerators have been able to code data
into their portable computers during their inter
views for transmission immediately after; and
establishments participating in employer-based
surveys have responded electronically since
1993. The only lag in the process is the brief
time needed to ensure the data are error-free
before b ls allows public access.
By 2015, the
monthly Current
Employment
Statistics survey
should be
enhanced to
obtain
information by
occupation and
by sex.
Establishment survey expanded
Naturally, the increasing ease of access to
nearly-contemporaneous data stirred users’ in
terest in the kinds of data that were accessible,
and no more so than with the previously ne
glected establishment data. The scope of these
data was greatly expanded, although the data
collection was mostly an extension and rational
ization of what already existed in 1989. The
monthly Current Employment Statistics survey
(B L S -790), which provided the published series
on weekly earnings, hours, and establishmentbased employment by industry, was enhanced
to obtain information by occupation and by sex.
With some encouragement and guidance, em
ployers have been willing to submit the required
data.
Most important, information on employee
benefits, training and other non wage labor
costs, on the output of each establishment, and
on job vacancies was included in the data. The
neglect of nonwage costs had made the B L S -790
data increasingly irrelevant for research on the
determinants of compensation and for studies of
employers’ decisions about hiring and firing.
With the collection of information on these
costs, researchers in 2015 are able to conduct
serious studies of how these costs affect em
ployers’ decisions about adjusting their work
forces. With the collection of data on output by
establishment, we now can explicitly link
shocks to product demand to the costs of chang
ing employment. The creation of a continuing
sample of job vacancy information has provided
a long-needed analog to the unemployment in
formation in the Current Population Survey and
has fulfilled the promise of the aborted jobvacancy programs of the late 1960’s. With all
these changes, immediate information on the
structure of employment in relation to wages
and product demand thus became available to
researchers.
In the 1980’s, economists realized that
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Labor Review April 1990
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employment change was largely a reflection
of plant openings and closings.1 With access
to these establishment-based data, researchers
have been able to identify the dynamics of em
ployment, both in continuing plants and in
those that opened or closed, in a systematic and
comprehensive way. Instead of merely charting
the sizes of flows of jobs, the inclusion of em
ployment cost and output data has enabled us to
measure the determinants of these flows as well.
We can now study worker displacement at the
appropriate level, that of the individual plant.
The stock-in-trade of labor economists has
always been the analysis of wage differentials.
The development of these accessible, largescale sets of establishment data has enabled us
to study wage differentials, or, more correctly,
compensation differentials, at the plant level
and to include the characteristics of the individ
ual establishments. This has allowed us to test
theories of macroeconomic adjustment based on
so-called efficiency wages that were in vogue in
the 1980’s and 1990’s. It has permitted us to
dispose of a variety of questions on the hoary
issue of compensating wage differentials (and,
given the nature of research, to create new ques
tions that cannot yet be answered by existing
data).
The excessive concentration of data on the
manufacturing sector has finally ended. With
fewer than 15 percent of jobs in the U.S. econ
omy remaining in manufacturing in 2015, this
broadening of information has been vital to under
standing trends in wages and wage differentials.
It has provided the chance to study questions
about the determinants of wage differentials,
flows of job opportunities and their causes, and
employment adjustment outside the narrow con
text of manufacturing. In short, these broader
data have enabled researchers to develop and
test theories of labor demand generally, not just
within manufacturing.
Household, establishment data linked
As crucial as these developments have been in
redressing the imbalances between householdand establishment-based data, they would not
by themselves have been revolutionary. What
has been revolutionary is their link to household
data. By allowing checks on individuals’ reports
of their earnings and hours, this link has enabled
b l s to develop programs that removed much of
the substantial measurement error that caused
some of us to question research on wage deter
mination using the household-based data of the
1970’s and 1980’s.2
Even more important than the enhanced qual
ity of the household data has been the ability this
linkage has given labor economists to study wage
and employment determination in a market
rather than merely from the employer’s or
worker’s side. With information on samples of
particular firms’ employees, we can examine
how changes in the demand for labor lead to
adjustments in behavior of the worker and mem
bers of the worker’s household. We finally have
been able to identify the relations that generate
wage differentials, so that we can actually
specify changes in a worker’s or employer’s
behavior and predict their impact on the struc
ture of wages. The development of data during
the 1970’s and 1980’s enabled us to produce
sophisticated tests of complex theories of labor
supply and demand that had their origins be
tween the 1930’s and 1960’s; the development
of linked establishment-household data in the
1990’s enabled us to test the contracting theo
ries that had their origins in the 1970’s and
1980’s.
The resources, both monetary and time,
devoted to expanding establishment surveys and
making them accessible were not, of course,
free. But there was sufficient political will to
spend resources in an area that loomed increas
ingly important. At the same time, enough re
sources still were available to finance the con
tinued expansion and refinement of the Current
Population Survey. Expansion of the cps en
abled researchers to examine the detailed struc
ture of labor force dynamics in a few of the
largest labor markets. Its increased size allowed
researchers to test hypotheses about the chang
ing structure of the labor force and of unemploy
ment within particular demographic groups which
the smaller sample sizes had previously not per
mitted. The enlarged sample even allowed us to
trace the impact on local labor markets of largescale plant closings, so that the cps data could
function like the European job registration data
in this regard. With a larger sample, we also had
sufficient observations to make the linkage with
the establishment data noted above.
Longitudinal CPS
Some of the longitudinal household data sets
financed by the Federal Government, but orga
nized and collected privately, continue to this
day; but much of the academic interest in them
has been supplanted by attention paid to the
Longitudinal cps that started in the mid-1990’s
when outgoing rotation groups began to be
interviewed systematically. Initially, these in
terviews were only for 2 years. That soon ex
panded; some of the households now have been
in the Longitudinal cps for 10 years. The obvi
ous advantages of a larger sample size engen
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
dered many new possibilities for studying
subgroups of the labor force. These data have
enabled researchers to examine the determinants
of transitions between labor force states with a
precision that was impossible using the earlier
longitudinal household data sets. No longer do
labor economists debate the purely “counting”
questions of the relative importance of inci
dence and duration of unemployment over the
cycle, or of the magnitude of transition proba
bilities by demographic group among employ
ment, unemployment, and nonparticipation.
These data have changed the focus of the debate
to allow us to construct and test economic theo
ries of the determinants of these probabilities
and of unemployment incidence and duration
within particular demographic groups.
The Current Population Survey has continued
to function as a vehicle to which supplements
that provide data to examine topics of current
interest can be attached. If anything, these have
increased in number, as researchers and civil
servants have recognized the ease of obtaining
data in this way. (The effect the supplements
have on the quality of the regular cps data is not
yet certain.) As examples, one supplement re
sponded to concerns about nonmonetary aspects
of employment by asking detailed questions
about working conditions, employees’ percep
tions of the nature of their work, and their
knowledge of conditions in the business. This
gave policy analysts the information necessary
to examine the incidence of various safety and
health problems that the old establishmentbased data could not disclose. It gave academics
the ability to formulate models based on work In 2015,
ers’ perceptions and expectations, thus allowing expansion of the
us to examine much better the intermediating CPS will enable
role of expectations in economic behavior. A researchers to
supplement in 2005 concentrated on workers examine the
between ages 45 and 55 and obtained informa detailed structure
tion about the economic status and demographic o f labor force
characteristics of the “baby-boom” generation dynamics in a few
in middle age.
We academics still pay too little attention to, o f the largest
and are still woefully ungrateful for, the quality labor markets.
of the data provided to us by government agen
cies. Particularly noteworthy were the improve
ments in the quality of data that have occurred
since 1990. Partly these have resulted from the
improved technology of data handling— the
substitution of direct data entry for most of the
paperwork has reduced error rates considerably.
Partly, too, these have occurred because of the
increased sophistication of the algorithms for
assigning values to missing data points. Perhaps
most important, though, they have been gener
ated by the increased concern of all data users
that the raw material of their analyses be as free
of error as is possible, and the recognition of
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
11
Data User’s Look Back from 2015
policymakers that the research that occasionally
informs their endeavors should not be based on
unnecessarily dirty data.
The burgeoning supply of data has improved
research in yet another way: less professional
payoff is acquired by those who obtain data and
perform a few simple analyses, and more is now
given to those who think and analyze carefully.
Admittedly, this was not true in the 1990’s
when the new wealth of data resources was a
novelty; but as the novelty wore off, and the
increased ease of doing research became ap
parent, ideas, not just manipulation of data,
became more heavily rewarded. This paralleled
the earlier moves away from the novel, but un
informed, “regression-running” of the 1960’s,
and from the excessive concern with the struc
ture of error terms by “laborometricians” in the
1980’s.
Looking ahead, 2015-40
The one constant among economists is our
desire for more data. New expectations and
hopes spring up as soon as our old requests are
satisfied. Just as the development of economic
theory stimulated and was stimulated by the
creation of new sets of data before 1990, and
between 1990 and 2015, no doubt that synergy
will affect the development of data during the
next 25 years. As before 1990, and as between
1990 and 2015, emerging social issues will fo
cus researchers’ attention on generating new
economic approaches to thinking about them,
and will create a demand for new types of data.
I doubt that the next generation of economists
will be any more satisfied with the data at thendisposal than we are with our data, or our prede
cessors were with theirs. Just as we are far more
fortunate in this regard than economists working
in the late 1980’s, though, I have no doubt that
our successors will look back at us and marvel
at the underdeveloped state of our analyses and
the data that underlie them.
□
Footnotes
1 For example, see Timothy Dunne, Mark Roberts, and
Larry Samuelson, “Plant Turnover and Gross Employment
Flows in the U .S. Manufacturing Sector,” Journal of Labor
Economics, January 1989, pp. 4 8 -7 1 .
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2 Greg J. Duncan and Daniel Hill, “An Investigation of
the Extent and Consequences of Measurement Error in
Labor-Economic Survey Data,” Journal of Labor Econom
ics, October 1985, pp. 5 08-32.
Diffusion indexes:
a barometer of the economy
BLS diffusion indexes measure the breadth
of employment change across industries,
which is helpful in assessing the overall state
of the economy, while also serving
as a potential leading indicator
of manufacturing employment levels
Patricia M. Getz
and
Mark G. Ulmer
Patricia M. Getz and
Mark G. Ulmer are
economists in the Division
o f Monthly Industry
Employment Statistics,
Bureau o f Labor Statistics.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
he Bureau of Labor Statistics has im
proved the diffusion index of employ
ment produced as part of the Bureau’s
Current Employment Statistics program.
old diffusion index, which included 185 indus
tries, was replaced with a broader-based index,
with 349 component industries.1 This expanded
index, which covers all nonagricultural indus
tries, is supplemented by a new 141-industry
diffusion index for manufacturing. Both diffu
sion indexes of employment are published each
month in table 18 of the Current Labor Statistics
section of the Monthly Labor Review.
A diffusion index is a measure of the dis
persion of change. A diffusion index of employ
ment provides insight into the breadth of
employment change, which can be important in
assessing overall economic trends. For exam
ple, increases of similar magnitude in total em
ployment may be caused by growth in a few
industries or growth in many industries. A sharp
overall employment increase caused by in
creases in only a few industries can have differ
ent economic and policy implications than one
caused by more widespread increases. The new
diffusion indexes for employment change im
prove the potential for analysis of employment
trends because they provide a broader-based
measure for all private nonagricultural indus
T
tries and a separate measure for the cyclically
sensitive manufacturing sector.
The previously published index was based on
the most comprehensive employment data avail
The
able at the time of its introduction in December
1974. The component industries were, for the
most part, 3-digit Standard Industrial Classifica
tion (Sic) levels in manufacturing and the less
detailed 2-digit sic levels for other industry
divisions. As a result, manufacturing industries
had a disproportionately large representation in
the index. However, because of the expansion
of data for the service-producing sector in re
cent years, 3-digit sic estimates in all industry
divisions now are available. This has allowed
employment diffusion index computation to
“catch up” with service sector expansion and to
be more analytically useful than it had been.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that the pres
ent sic structure still provides more detail for
manufacturing than for service sector industries.
Consequently, the 349-industry index still gives
greater weight to employment changes in manu
facturing than to those in services.
The addition of a diffusion index for manu
facturing provides more analytical possibilities.
Because the previous series was primarily com
posed of manufacturing industries, it was freMonthly Labor Review
April 1990
13
Diffusion Indexes
quently used to analyze factory employment
trends. With the broadening of the all-industry
measure, the Bureau has also introduced a
“pure” manufacturing index to fill this analyti
cal need.
Historical series beginning in January 1977
are available for both the manufacturing and
the new all-industry diffusion indexes for four
timespans: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and
12 months. These data are presented in tables
1 and 2. Table 3 compares the industry compo
sition of the old and new all-industry indexes. In
the new index, the representation of the manu
facturing component has dropped dramatically,
from nearly 75 percent of the total number of
industries to 40 percent, much more in line with
the proportion of private nonfarm employment
accounted for by manufacturing— 22 percent.
Services and retail trade have the most marked
increases in representation.
History of diffusion indexes
The original diffusion index concept was intro
duced as an aid in identifying business cycles
and business cycle turning points.2 Further de
tails on the purposes and properties of diffusion
indexes were developed over several years.
C hart
1.
Business Cycle Indicators, published in 1961,3
presented diffusion indexes for 21 economic in
dicators, including total nonagricultural em
ployment. Two principal uses for diffusion
indexes were suggested in that publication. The
first was as a measure of dispersion for the cor
responding aggregate economic activity. This
measure of breadth or diffusion of change was
considered important in determining when a
business cycle turning point had been reached.
The second proposed use of diffusion indexes
was as leading economic indicators. This pro
posal arose from a noted tendency in the series
studied for diffusion index turning points to lead
aggregate activity by 6 to 12 months. Predictive
value in anticipating business cycle turning
points was not claimed, but it was noted that the
indexes could provide auxiliary help in recog
nizing these events at the time they were occur
ring.
Diffusion indexes now are published for
many economic time series. The U.S. Depart
ment of Commerce publication Business Condi
tions Digest4 provides a compendium of the
major diffusion indexes currently produced,
presenting such indexes for more than 20 series,
including composite indexes for leading, coinci-
S easo n ally a djusted diffusion Indexes, 1 -m o n th span, 1 9 7 7 -8 9
NOTE: Shaded areas indicate recessionary periods as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
1 4 Monthly Labor Review April 1990
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Exhibit 1.
Turning points in employment levels versus diffusion indexes, using
the 1-month span
All-industry index
Total private employment
D a te
T u rn in g
p o in t
D ate
Trough
March 1978 .............................................
April 1980 ...............................................
April 1981 ................................................
June 1979 ..................................................
Iiilv 1Q 80
I n lv 10R 1
M a rrh
1 Q 8Q
T u rn in g
p o in t
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
D ate
May 1980 ..................................................
October 1980 ...........................................
December 1981 ......................................
October 1983 ...........................................
April 1985 ................................................
November 1987 ......................................
dent, and lagging economic indicators. Individ
ual diffusion index series include, in addition to
employment, average workweek in manufactur
ing, initial claims for unemployment insurance,
stock prices, net manufacturing profits, and in
dustrial production.
At the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the diffu
sion index was first published in 1974.5 Its
stated purposes were to serve as a measure of
dispersion of employment change and as a lead
ing indicator for employment levels. Currently,
however, the Bureau focuses on the diffusion
index only as a measure of dispersion, and not
as a leading indicator. As discussed in detail
later in this article, the leading indicator proper
ties of the all-industry diffusion index currently
appear to be tenuous.
Index computation and interpretation
The computation of a standard diffusion
index is straightforward. Each component series
is assigned a value of 0, 50, or 100 percent,
depending on whether its employment showed a
decrease, no change, or an increase over the
given timespan. (Assigning a value of 50 per
cent to the unchanged components effectively
counts one-half of them as rising and one-half as
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
R ela tio n to
to ta l p rivate
em p loym en t
(in m onth s)
_
led 5
led 12
_
_
_
Manufacturing index
Manufacturing employment
D a te
T u rn in g
p oin t
R ela tio n to
T u rn in g m an u fa ctu rin g
em p lo y m en t
p oin t
(in m on th s)
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
led
led
led
led
led
led
2
9
12
10
21
16
declining.) The average (mean) value is then
calculated, and this percent is the diffusion
index number.
Diffusion indexes are calculated for various
timespans. As indicated earlier, the employ
ment diffusion index is published for four timespans; seasonally adjusted data are used in the
1-, 3-, and 6-month series, and unadjusted data
are used for the 12-month series. The index is
reported for the center month of the span. For
example, the published diffusion index value
for the 6-month span for March 1989 measures
the diffusion of change over the 6-month period
from January 1989 to June 1989. It is calculated
by comparing employment for each component
industry in January 1989 with that in June 1989
to determine whether employment rose, fell, or
remained unchanged. For the 1-month span, the
diffusion index value is reported for the month
to which the change is calculated. Thus, the
published diffusion index for June 1989 repre
sents change from May 1989 to June 1989.
There are several different interpretations
possible, and useful, for diffusion index analy
sis. Diffusion indexes are sometimes described
as representing the percent of components that
increased over a given timespan. In the case of
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
15
Diffusion Indexes
Table 1.
Diffusion indcsxes of employment change, private nonagricultural payrolls, 349 industries,1 seasonally
adjusted
[Percent]
Year
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
|
Dec.
Over 1-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
63.5
62.5
63.9
60.5
64.3
61.0
70.3
70.2
64.8
67.9
70.1
52.7
68.6
64.6
61.6
63.8
67.6
61.3
64.5
61.6
55.7
61.3
62.2
53.2
65.9
62.0
50.7
61.3
64.3
61.3
67.0
70.9
54.2
67.9
66.6
53.9
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
54.6
58.5
37.2
55.0
67.8
53.4
52.7
47.3
47.9
70.6
49.7
54.0
40.1
60.2
65.2
37.4
64.5
41.5
65.6
67.8
40.8
57.0
49.3
66.3
63.3
38.0
53.3
38.1
66.5
67.2
42.3
57.7
42.8
67.2
59.6
59.0
51.3
39.1
68.9
61.9
55.7
45.8
44.7
70.1
57.2
63.8
42.3
36.2
66.6
62.9
59.3
40.3
40.1
67.6
59.3
58.6
36.0
43.6
64.6
57.7
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
58.5
55.4
55.6
60.7
68.3
52.3
53.7
59.3
63.5
60.5
60.2
53.2
61.0
63.0
61.0
53.2
56.3
61.9
62.8
58.2
58.5
55.2
58.6
61.3
55.6
51.4
50.7
59.7
67.2
59.7
57.6
54.7
65.3
63.6
55.6
60.7
56.3
60.6
58.0
57.4
53.6
57.9
63.0
55.4
47.9
56.3
54.6
67.8
63.9
55.3
56.6
58.0
64.5
68.2
60.9
59.7
61.7
60.7
64.6
51.9
Over 3-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
70.2
71.9
69.5
74.5
73.8
71.8
76.4
76.9
65.8
79.2
76.9
66.2
74.8
74.9
62.0
72.1
71.1
64.0
69.3
69.2
58.9
72.1
65.8
53.3
70.5
68.3
57.6
73.5
73.5
58.6
73.6
74.8
62.2
72.5
76.2
56.2
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
56.6
59.5
31.2
48.4
74.9
51.4
55.6
34.8
57.0
75.5
42.0
58.9
37.7
62.6
78.2
38.3
64.6
41.5
71.9
72.8
35.5
63.3
40.3
72.1
73.6
37.4
60.7
40.3
74.4
68.8
42.8
57.0
34.8
72.6
67.8
50.9
52.4
38.3
77.2
65.5
65.3
43.3
35.4
77.2
64.6
66.9
40.0
35.8
74.6
62.2
68.5
34.0
34.0
71.6
61.9
64.3
30.9
46.6
73.6
61.6
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
58.3
57.7
60.7
64.8
71.6
58.3
53.0
62.0
65.6
70.1
55.6
54.4
66.6
69.5
64.5
59.0
55.4
65.2
70.2
61.9
55.4
53.3
65.8
71.1
61.6
57.6
51.4
65.9
71.9
60.7
56.6
52.9
67.8
71.2
61.6
58.7
58.7
71.1
64.2
53.4
58.5
57.0
71.2
65.3
54.6
56.9
59.7
72.3
70.1
55.7
59.5
62.0
70.9
73.4
57.2
59.3
62.0
65.9
74.6
61.7P
Over 6-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
79.1
77.8
74.6
81.8
81.4
73.9
78.7
81.2
71.2
78.4
79.8
66.8
78.1
78.7
63.2
79.7
76.2
57.9
76.2
73.6
62.9
76.2
76.9
59.5
77.5
75.6
57.7
76.6
76.8
58.6
78.1
76.1
60.9
78.4
77.8
57.7
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
48.6
66.5
28.5
55.2
78.7
44.7
65.2
29.7
62.2
78.9
41.1
62.9
33.0
67.3
80.2
37.4
64.9
38.8
71.1
77.1
37.1
61.3
37.2
76.4
74.4
37.5
58.0
36.8
78.2
72.6
44.4
50.3
34.5
79.4
70.1
51.9
43.0
33.8
79.5
68.6
61.2
39.0
34.8
78.2
64.9
70.9
32.2
38.1
77.2
63.9
68.9
32.5
39.1
78.1
61.6
66.2
28.7
43.1
77.7
62.6
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
58.7
55.6
67.3
69.9
75.1
59.7
56.6
65.8
70.2
69.5
58.2
52.7
64.8
71.5
68.2
57.6
52.9
66.8
73.9
66.0
58.6
53.4
67.6
73.9
63.0
57.6
56.0
69.5
69.1
57.9
57.6
55.6
71.3
70.2
57.7
56.2
57.0
73.5
74.6
60.2
59.5
62.3
73.2
73.5
53.4
59.7
61.6
71.5
73.9
59.0P
58.3
62.9
71.8
74.5
58.2P
55.6
63.2
72.2
75.8
Over 12-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
79.2
81.9
75.9
80.1
82.2
75.4
81.8
81.8
74.8
81.9
81.9
72.1
84.8
83.0
68.2
84.7
82.8
66.0
84.5
83.4
66.0
83.4
81.4
63.6
83.7
81.7
59.7
83.0
75.8
57.6
82.5
78.1
52.0
82.1
75.5
48.7
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
47.0
71.2
32.4
57.0
81.7
46.4
68.3
31.1
61.9
79.5
46.8
68.1
29.7
66.5
78.7
45.3
61.3
30.4
72.8
77.1
43.7
53.4
30.4
75.8
76.2
43.8
48.0
31.4
77.2
74.1
43.6
42.3
35.0
76.8
73.1
42.8
38.8
35.1
80.7
70.2
44.3
36.4
38.8
80.4
69.1
50.6
33.1
43.4
81.4
65.2
57.2
34.1
46.7
83.0
63.8
62.2
32.2
51.4
81.9
61.5
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
59.5
54.4
66.6
76.2
73.2
59.2
54.6
68.2
76.1
43.6
59.2
53.9
68.2
74.8
69.6
56.9
55.6
71.8
74.6
67.6
56.6
55.2
71.9
75.8
66.6
58.5
56.3
72.5
74.9
62.6
55.9
57.2
72.2
78.1
63.9P
55.9
59.3
74.1
75.5
64.0P
56.7
60.0
75.4
75.5
55.6
62.0
72.5
74.8
55.2
61.3
73.8
74.9
53.7
63.6
76.9
74.1
1 Based on seasonally adjusted data for 1-, 3-, and 6-month spans and unadjusted data tor tne 1 2-month span. Data are centered within the span.
p
=
preliminary.
Note : Figures are the percent of industries with employment increasing plus
one-half of the industries with unchanged employment, where 50 percent indicates
16 for
Monthly
Labor Review
Digitized
FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
an equal balance between industries with increas nq and dec reasinc emDlovment.
Establishment survey estimates are currently projected from March 1988 benchmark levels. When more recent benchmark data are introduced, all unadjusted data
(beginning April 1988) and all seasonally adjusted data (beginning January 1985)
Table 2.
Diffusion indexes of employment change, manufacturing payrolls, 141 industries,1 seasonally
adjusted
[Percent]
Year
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Over 1-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
66.0
63.1
60.3
59.9
64.5
55.0
68.4
63.8
58.9
70.9
65.6
50.4
67.0
61.0
55.7
59.6
62.4
61.7
60.3
56.0
50.0
54.3
58.5
45.0
62.1
57.1
41.1
57.4
62.8
57.4
63.1
66.3
46.8
70.2
69.1
47.9
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
48.6
53.2
27.0
53.2
61.7
46.1
45.0
39.4
48.6
70.6
47.5
55.0
28.0
55.3
64.5
28.4
63.1
31.9
67.0
63.8
24.8
61.3
36.2
67.4
54.6
27.0
56.7
26.6
59.9
61.0
28.7
56.0
34.4
68.8
56.0
58.2
42.2
28.4
64.9
52.8
55.0
39.4
35.5
68.1
42.9
63.1
30.5
26.6
70.9
52.8
61.7
29.4
26.2
62.4
44.7
53.9
23.4
39.4
62.1
48.6
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
46.5
48.9
44.3
58.5
62.4
40.4
45.0
53.9
56.0
53.5
44.0
43.6
54.3
55.0
53.2
37.6
43.6
55.7
59.9
49.6
41.5
46.5
55.3
58.5
46.8
39.4
43.3
54.3
61.7
48.6
47.9
38.7
62.8
59.6
49.6
48.6
51.1
59.9
51.1
45.4
37.9
48.6
63.8
49.3
34.8
44.3
45.0
59.9
62.8
52.1
44.0
50.7
65.6
64.9
48.2
50.7
52.8
56.4
58.5
44.7
Over 3-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
70.6
77.0
64.9
77.0
72.3
62.8
78.7
72.3
59.6
78.7
69.9
59.9
72.0
69.1
58.5
66.7
62.8
59.2
62.4
61.3
50.0
64.9
58.2
36.5
62.4
62.4
44.0
67.7
67.0
43.6
69.1
70.9
52.5
76.2
73.4
42.9
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
44.7
51.8
17.0
46.1
71.6
40.4
50.4
19.1
53.9
71.6
28.4
56.4
21.3
61.7
75.2
20.2
64.5
22.0
71.3
65.6
18.4
66.7
22.0
70.9
65.2
19.5
64.9
22.3
73.8
58.9
27.7
55.0
18.1
70.6
57.1
39.7
42.6
18.8
76.2
50.7
64.2
28.0
20.6
77.0
47.5
67.7
25.5
18.4
74.1
42.9
67.4
17.7
17.7
72.0
45.7
61.3
17.4
33.3
67.4
44.7
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
43.6
45.0
52.1
63.1
67.4
37.9
40.8
51.4
61.0
63.8
32.6
38.3
59.6
62.4
55.7
33.0
38.7
61.3
64.9
51.8
31.2
39.4
58.5
67.4
49.3
37.6
37.2
62.8
67.0
48.6
40.8
37.2
67.0
64.5
47.9
37.9
44.0
71.6
58.2
34.0
38.3
46.5
68.4
62.1
41.8
36.5
47.5
70.6
66.7
41.5
42.9
52.5
67.7
71.3
46.5
46.8
49.3
64.5
70.9
42.9P
Over 6-month span
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
81.6
77.7
68.4
81.9
79.8
66.3
79.1
78.0
62.1
77.3
72.3
58.2
75.2
73.0
52.1
74.8
68.8
43.6
67.7
63.5
48.2
68.4
68.1
41.5
70.9
69.9
39.7
75.2
71.3
40.1
80.5
67.0
42.6
77.7
69.9
42.9
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
33.0
65.2
10.3
46.8
75.2
27.0
62.8
10.6
59.6
72.3
23.4
62.8
13.5
64.9
72.7
16.7
68.1
20.6
67.0
70.2
17.4
61.7
15.6
75.5
62.1
19.1
55.3
15.2
76.2
58.2
26.2
40.1
12.4
78.7
54.6
39.7
29.1
12.1
77.3
52.5
52.8
22.3
14.5
76.2
48.6
70.6
17.0
18.1
73.8
44.7
67.4
18.4
21.3
75.9
39.4
65.2
12.4
27.3
74.8
41.8
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
35.5
37.6
57.4
66.3
69.5
34.8
38.7
56.7
66.3
58.5
29.4
35.5
55.3
67.7
55.7
31.9
33.3
62.4
69.5
52.8
33.3
34.0
64.9
66.7
48.9
33.0
38.3
67.0
64.2
39.0
31.9
37.9
67.4
66.0
40.1
32.6
41.1
70.6
70.9
41.8
38.3
45.4
71.3
68.8
34.4
40.1
49.6
69.5
69.9
38.3p
38.3
50.4
69.5
71.6
39.7P
37.6
51.1
68.1
74.1
1977 ................................................
1978 ................................................
1979 ................................................
77.0
75.2
67.0
77.7
77.7
64.2
75.9
76.2
62.4
76.6
77.0
57.4
81.2
77.0
51.8
82.6
77.0
48.6
84.0
75.2
48.9
81.9
70.6
47.5
83.3
70.9
42.2
80.5
65.6
36.5
78.0
69.1
29.1
77.3
64.9
24.8
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
20.6
72.0
12.1
43.3
77.0
22.3
69.1
12.4
50.0
72.3
23.8
69.1
9.2
56.0
68.1
25.2
52.8
11.3
66.0
66.0
23.0
40.4
8.2
71.6
62.4
22.3
35.1
9.9
75.5
61.0
21.3
27.7
13.5
76.2
57.8
22.7
21.6
14.2
78.4
54.6
23.8
17.7
15.2
78.0
50.4
30.5
15.2
21.6
78.7
44.0
45.7
13.8
25.5
80.1
40.1
59.6
12.4
33.7
76.2
33.7
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
................................................
31.6
30.9
55.3
73.8
63.1
30.9
30.1
58.5
70.2
63.8
30.1
34.8
58.5
70.9
57.1
28.4
34.8
63.5
71.6
53.5
27.7
36.2
66.3
72.0
49.6
28.4
39.0
67.4
69.9
42.9
29.1
38.3
71.6
70.9
43.6P
29.8
39.7
72.7
69.1
42.6P
32.6
42.9
71.6
71.6
30.9
46.1
69.1
70.2
—
32.6
48.6
68.4
69.9
—
29.8
50.0
72.3
67.0
—
—
Over 12-month span
1 Based on seasonally adjusted data for 1-, 3-, and 6-month spans and unad
justed data for the 12-month span. Data are centered within the span.
P = nrelim inarv
No te-
Figures are the percent of industries with employment increasing plus
one-half of the industries with unchanged employment, where 50 percent indicates
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
—
an equal balance between industries with increasing and decreasing employment.
Establishment survey estimates are currently projected from March 1988 benchmark levels. When more recent benchmark data are introduced, all unadjusted data
(oeg'nnjng April 1888! and all seasonally adjusted data (beginning January 1985)
1
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
17
Diffusion Indexes
the employment index, however, it must be re
membered that one-half of the unchanged com
ponents are counted as increasing. A more pre
cise interpretation is to consider the reference
point for a diffusion index as 50 percent, the
value which indicates that the same number of
component industries have increased as have
decreased. Index numbers above 50 show that
more industries had increasing employment,
and values below 50 show that more had de
creasing employment. The margin between the
percent that increased and the percent that
decreased is equal to the difference between the
index number and its complement, which is 100
minus the index. For example, an index of 65
percent means that 30 percent more industries
had increasing employment than had decreasing
employment [(65 - (100 - 65) = 30)].
For dispersion analysis, the direction and dis
tance of the index number from the 50-percent
reference point are the most significant observa
tions, for they indicate whether growing or de
clining industries predominate and by what
magnitude. For example, a diffusion index
value of 75 percent in a given month would
indicate that growing industries predominated,
and by a much larger margin than an index of 55
percent suggests. Similarly, an index of 35 per
cent would indicate that declining industries
predominated, and by a much larger margin
than if the index were 45 percent.
Performance of the index
The old index values fall between the broaderbased index and the new manufacturing index
values, but are closer to the manufacturing
index. As indicated earlier, this reflects the
more detailed breakout of manufacturing than of
Table 3.
Composition of old and new diffusion indexes by
industry division
Diffusion indexes
Percent of
employment,
Old index
New index
1989
annual
Number Percent Number Percent
averages
of
of total
of
of total
series series series series
Industry division
Total private........................................
100.0
185
100.0
349
100.0
Mining ......................................
Construction....................................
Manufacturing ..........................................
Transportation and public utilities..........
.8
5.8
21.6
6.3
5
3
136
9
2.7
1.6
73.5
4.9
14
14
141
31
4.0
4.0
40.4
8.9
Wholesale trade ...........................
Retail trade ......................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate . . .
Services..............................................
6.9
21.5
7.5
29.6
2
8
8
14
1.1
4.3
4.3
7.6
18
41
26
64
5.2
11.7
7.4
18.3
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April 1990
nonmanufacturing industries in the old all
industry index. For simplification, the follow
ing discussion focuses on the two new indexes.
The main emphasis of analysis of employment
from the establishment survey is current overthe-month employment change. Therefore, the
analysis concentrates on the 1-month span of the
diffusion indexes.
Both the broad-based all-industry diffusion
index and the manufacturing index show similar
trends over time; they are lowest in recession
years and climb most steeply during the early
months of a recovery. (See chart 1.) There are
some striking differences, however, in the mag
nitude of the trend swings. In assessing the
performance of the all-industry versus the man
ufacturing diffusion index, the analysis can be
divided into five distinct periods: 1977-82,
1983, 1984-first-quarter 1987, second-quarter
1987-1988, and 1989.
Prior to 1983, the all-industry index yielded
generally higher values than the manufacturing
index, the difference being especially pro
nounced during the recessions of the early
1980’s. The manufacturing index is character
ized by both lower peaks and deeper troughs
than the broad-based index. This can be at
tributed both to the continuing growth in many
of the service-producing industries and to the
cyclical sensitivity of the manufacturing indus
tries. It is well documented that, in terms of
employment, the U.S. economy has gradually
shifted over time from a goods-producing to a
predominantly service-producing base. Even
during the two recessions of the early 1980’s,
most of the service-producing industries posted
steady employment gains. As a result, the all
industry index never fell below 36 and averaged
44. Conversely, the cyclically sensitive manu
facturing industries suffered widespread and
sustained job losses, as reflected by index val
ues dipping as low as 23 and averaging 34
throughout the 1980 and 1981—82 recessionary
periods.
It is interesting to note that the manufacturing
index reflected a severe drop approximately 4 to
6 months prior to each of the two recessions,
indicating possible leading indicator properties.
The concept of leading indicators with respect
to the diffusion indexes is addressed later in this
article.
During 1983, at the beginning stage of the
recovery, the two indexes tracked very closely,
both rebounding sharply from the depressed
levels encountered during the prior two reces
sions. In October 1983, the manufacturing in
dex reached its peak level (70.9) and in some
months was actually slightly above the broadbased index. This, while very uncommon, is
probably attributable to the restoration over sev-
Exhibit 2.
Turning points in the reference cycle versus diffusion indexes,
using the 1-month span
Business cycle
D ate
January 1980 . . . .
July 1980 ..............
July 1981 ..............
November 1982 . .
T u rn in g
p oin t
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
D ate
T u rn in g
p oin t
March 1978 .........
April 1980 ...........
April 1981 ...........
December 1981
February 1984 . . .
June 1986 ...........
January 1989 . . . .
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
eral months of many manufacturing jobs which
were lost during the recessions of the early
1980’s. Both indexes held at consistently high
levels in the second half of 1983, as many
industries continued to add workers to their
previously shrunken payrolls. This marked a
dramatic turnaround from the low levels experi
enced during the 1981-82 recession.
Beginning in 1984, well into the current
economic expansion, the gap between the two
indexes widened, with the all-industry index
generally holding between 10 to 20 points above
the manufacturing index through the first quar
ter of 1987. During this period, the all-industry
index was always above the 50-percent level,
while the manufacturing index was usually
below this reference point.
The sharp declines in the manufacturing
index in the second quarter of 1984 were a sig
nal of the imminent manufacturing employment
declines that originated in late 1984 and per
sisted throughout the next couple of years. Once
again, the difference in the indexes reflects
the widely dispersed growth in the serviceproducing industries as opposed to manufactur
ing, which experiences more-confined growth
in good economic times.
From the second quarter of 1987 through the
fourth quarter of 1988, the gap between the two
indexes narrowed, with the difference usually in
the 5- to 10-percentage-point range. The manufac
turing index yielded values above the 50-percent
level in every month but one. After establishing
a postrecession employment trough in January
1987, many manufacturing industries have
shown renewed strength. Indeed, job levels in
some industries approached those recorded prior
to the recessions of the early 1980’s.
The employment diffusion indexes fell
steadily through the first three quarters of 1989
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Manufactuiring index
All-industry index
R elation
to
referen ce
c y cle (in
m onth s)
led
led
led
led
22
3
3
11
D ate
T u rn in g
p oin t
May 1980 ...........
October 1980 . . .
December 1981
October 1983 . . .
April 1985 ...........
November 1987 .
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
Trough
Peak
R elation
to
referen ce
c y cle (in
m on th s)
led 2
led 9
led 11
before rebounding in the fourth quarter, and the
difference between the two indexes is again
growing. The all-industry index declined
markedly during most of 1989, but, except for
the September observation (47.9), the index re
mained above 50. Total private employment
continued to increase, but at a slower rate. The
declining diffusion index shows that the em
ployment growth has been confined to fewer
industries, underscoring the breadth of the slow
ing economy.
During the first three quarters of 1989, the
manufacturing index declined even more
sharply, from 62.4 in January 1989 to 34.8 in
September, before increasing slightly in the
fourth quarter. The September value is low by
recovery period standards, and marks the first
time since the prolonged manufacturing em
ployment declines experienced throughout 1985
and 1986 that the index has fallen below 40.
Since peaking in March 1989, manufacturing
employment declined in every remaining month
of 1989. This marks the first consecutive quar
terly decline since the third and fourth quarters
of 1986. Interestingly, the recent employment
declines were prefaced by a sharp decrease in
the manufacturing diffusion index beginning in
February 1989, suggesting some leading aspects
of the index. Moreover, the diffusion index was
under 50 percent for each month in the second
and third quarters, illustrating that the em
ployment declines were widespread among
manufacturing industries— more of the 141
manufacturing industries were losing jobs than
were gaining.
Leading indicator properties
In addition to measuring the breadth of change,
a second property often attributed to diffusion
indexes is as leading indicators for changes in
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
19
Diffusion Indexes
The new diffusion
indexes improve
the potential for
analysis of
employment
trends.
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aggregate levels.6 Most economic changes, in
cluding those in employment levels, rarely
occur as sudden, dramatic shifts. Instead, some
industries will begin to experience increases
(decreases) in employment well in advance of
others. Theoretically then, over the short term,
a diffusion index should lead changes in direc
tion by the aggregate series. In other words, the
number of industries increasing employment
will maximize before the employment growth
maximizes and a diffusion index thus will reach
its peak (trough) well in advance of an employ
ment peak (trough).
An employment diffusion index may also be
regarded as a leading indicator for economy
wide trends, because business cycle turning
points usually coincide closely with employ
ment level turning points. If an employment
diffusion index leads changes in employment
level turning points, it follows that the index
should lead changes in business cycle turning
points.
To examine leading indicator properties for
the all-industry and manufacturing diffusion in
dexes, turning points for all spans (1, 3, 6, and
12 months) were identified through standard
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
methodology.7 The turning points for the two
indexes for the 1-month span are measured
against turning points for total private and man
ufacturing employment in exhibit 1.
In regard to total private employment level
turning points, the all-industry index shows
poor leading indicator qualities for the period
researched (January 1977-present). As exhibit
1 illustrates, there are only two employment
level turning points identified through standard
n b e r methodology, while there are seven turn
ing points identified for the all-industry index,
indicating a preponderance of false leads by the
index.
The manufacturing index, however, reveals
much stronger leading indicator qualities in re
gard to manufacturing employment levels.
Standard n b e r methodology identified seven
manufacturing employment level turning points
and six manufacturing diffusion index turning
points for the period studied. The manufactur
ing index led all six corresponding employment
turning points, with the leads ranging from 2 to
21 months; there was a mean lead of 12 months
and a median lead of 11 months. Thus, the man
ufacturing diffusion index presents a strong case
as a leading indicator for manufacturing em
ployment levels.
Exhibit 2 compares identifiable turning points
of the two indexes to the n b e r official business
cycle turning points (which define official re
cessionary periods) for January 1977 to the
April 1990
present. The all-industry index led all four n b e r
business cycle turning points (two peaks and
two troughs), though not by a consistent
amount; leads ranged from 3 to 22 months, re
sulting in a mean lead of 11 months and a me
dian lead of 7 months. This index, however,
identified two peaks and a trough subsequent to
the last NBER-designated turning point in Novem
ber 1982, thereby providing three false signals.
The manufacturing diffusion index perform
ance is less effective in predicting business
cycle turning points. In fact, this index rates
rather poorly as a cyclically sensitive economy
wide indicator. It has no identifiable turning
point to coincide with the January 1980 business
cycle peak. Further, it designates three turning
points subsequent to the n b e r November 1982
trough, indicating a preponderance of false
leads for the index. The three corresponding
turning points tracked fairly closely, with leads
of 2, 9, and 11 months, respectively; neverthe
less, the number of false leads mitigates its
usefulness as a leading indicator. While the
manufacturing diffusion index performs well as
a leading indicator for manufacturing employ
ment levels, it is not as satisfactory an indicator
of overall economy-wide trends.
Six-month span diffusion indexes sometimes
prove to be the most cyclically sensitive and
portray the best leading indicator properties. For
example, in the Federal Reserve Board’s diffu
sion index for industrial production, the 6month span is cited as “generally showing more
pronounced cyclical patterns when compared to
indexes based on changes over shorter peri
ods.”8 Some of this may be because longer
spans remove the “noise” or distortions caused
by erratic over-the-month changes and focus on
the underlying trends. However, there is no
conclusive evidence, based on the limited num
ber of observations during the period studied, to
support this theory for employment diffusion
indexes. The 6-month span does demonstrate
some characteristics of a leading indicator of
reference and employment turning points, but
there is no evidence that its leading indicator
properties outperform the other spans.
Finally, as evidenced earlier, the b l s employ
ment diffusion indexes function as summary
indicators— assessing the overall state of the
economy. The index number measures whether
increasing or decreasing industries predomi
nate, and to what extent. Further, while the
indexes’ leading indicator properties currently
appear tenuous, there is evidence that the manu
facturing diffusion index does lead movements
in manufacturing employment levels. However,
more time is needed to discern the usefulness of
the indexes as leading indicators.
□
Footnotes
1 Patricia M. Getz, “Introduction of New Diffusion In
d e x e s ,” Employment and Earnings, February 1989,
pp. 7 -8 .
2 Geoffrey Moore, “Occasional Paper 31” (Cambridge,
m a , National Bureau of Economic Research, 1950).
3 Geoffrey Moore, Business Cycle Indicators, vol. 1
(Princeton University Press, 1961).
4 Business Conditions Digest is a monthly publication of
the U .S. Department o f Commerce, Bureau of Economic
Analysis.
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5 John F. Early, “Introduction o f Diffusion Indexes,”
Employment and Earnings, December 1974.
6 Moore, Business Cycle Indicators.
7 Gerherd Bry and Charlotte Boschan, Cyclical Analy
sis of Time Series: Selected Procedures and Computer Pro
grams (National Bureau of Economic Research, Columbia
University Press, 1971).
8 See “Table 7. Industrial Production: D iffusion In
dexes,” Federal Reserve Statistical Release, Dec. 14, 1988.
A people-oriented corporate culture
Today’s work place assumes a far greater role in the personal lives of
workers than ever before. It is no longer possible for workers to leave
their personal problems at home, as company cultures dictate—
because someone is rarely home to solve them. The demands for a
more supportive work environment come at a time when business must
invest more in its people. According to several management experts,
respect for human capital is the prescribed antidote to plunging
productivity.
A more people-oriented corporate culture also may be a way to
attract talented people in a time of labor shortages. Not only is there a
shrinking labor pool, but it is becoming increasingly diverse— with
more women and minorities than ever before. This new diversity
challenges company recruitment efforts, benefits plans, productivity
incentives, and work schedules that were designed primarily for male
breadwinners. It is becoming obvious that the grease which kept the
work force running smoothly in the industrial era may not keep the
squeaks out of the human machinery of the post-industrial age.
Management finds itself pushing the same old buttons, but no longer
getting the desired responses from its workers. Without
accommodations to family needs, some companies are losing their
ability to attract and retain productive workers. These are only some of
the reasons why family issues are becoming a bottom-line concern of
business.
— Dana E. Friedman and Wendy B. Gray
“ A L ife C y c le A p p r o a c h to
F a m ily B e n e f it s and P o li c ie s ,”
Perspectives,
N o . 1 9 (T h e C o n fe r e n c e B o a r d ,
I n c ., 1 9 8 9 ) , p . 1.
M onthly L abor R eview
A pril 1990
21
Employment and unemployment
among Vietnam-era veterans
Veterans whose tour of duty was in Southeast Asia ,
and those who incurred service-connected disabilities,
continued to be at a disadvantage in the labor market;
other veterans fared no worse than did nonveterans
Sharon R. Cohany
Sharon R. Cohany is an
economist in the Division
o f Labor Force Statistics,
Bureau o f Labor Statistics
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ost of the men and women who served
in the Armed Forces during the Viet
nam era appear to have had the same
degree of success in the labor market as their
contemporaries who did not serve in the mili
tary. However, those who actually served in the
Southeast Asian theater, and especially those
with service-connected disabilities, continue to
experience greater employment-related diffi
culties than their peers.
These findings are from a special supplement
to the Current Population Survey ( c p s ), con
ducted in November 1987, in which men and
women who served during the Vietnam era were
asked about aspects of their prior military expe
rience, including their disability status and loca
tion of service.1 (Information was also obtained
on the disability status of all other veterans.)
The special survey was sponsored jointly by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (formerly the
Veterans Administration) and two Department
of Labor agencies: the Veterans Employment
and Training Service and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. A similar survey of veterans was con
ducted in April 1985.2
M
Labor force status
As of November 1987, there were 7.9 million
male veterans who had served during the Viet
April 1990
nam era, defined as the period from August
1964 to April 1975. Nearly all (93 percent) were
between the ages of 30 and 54, with the highest
concentration (67 percent) between the ages of
35 and 44. These individuals comprise a signif
icant part of their generation: about 1 in 3 men
in the 35- to 44-year age group is a veteran.
About half of these veterans actually served in
the Vietnam theater of operations— that is,
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and nearby waters
and airspace.3 (See table 1.) Information on the
250,000 female veterans of the era and on male
veterans from other service periods is provided
in separate sections at the end of the article.
While a few Vietnam-era veterans have only
recently retired from military service, most
made the transition to civilian life more than a
decade ago. There is a strong expectation that
these men will be in the labor force, because at
their ages, they typically have significant finan
cial responsibility for themselves and their
families. Thus, one important measure of the
economic performance of Vietnam-era veterans
is their labor force participation rate, or the pro
portion of the total that are working or seeking
work. The vast majority of both Vietnamtheater and nontheater veterans are, in fact, in
the labor force— 92 percent as of November
1987. Their participation rate was little different
Table 1.
Characteristics of male veterans and nonveterans age 18 and over,
November 1987, not seasonally adjusted
[Percent distribution]
Veterans1
Vietnam-era veterans
Characteristic
Total
Vietnam
theater
Outside
Vietnam
theater
Total
Other
war
periods
Other
service
periods
Nonveterans
Total (thousands) ......................................
25,521
7,902
3,835
4,067
12,612
5,007
57,898
Race or ethnicity:
White .....................................................................
B lack........................................................................
H ispanic.................................................................
90.1
8.4
3.1
88.8
9.3
3.8
88.8
9.6
4.8
88.8
9.0
3.0
91.8
7.0
2.4
87.6
10.7
3.7
85.2
11.1
9.3
18-24 .....................................................................
2 5 -3 4 .....................................................................
25-2 9 .................................................................
3 0-3 4 .................................................................
1.1
9.6
4.1
5.5
(1)
(1)
(1)
11.1
.5
10.5
6.4
.2
6.2
15.5
.9
14.6
(1)
(1)
5.9
31.4
20.1
11.3
21.3
31.7
16.3
15.5
3 5 -4 4 .....................................................................
3 5-3 9 .................................................................
4 0-4 4 .................................................................
4 5 -5 4 .....................................................................
5 5-6 4 .....................................................................
65 and over ...........................................................
22.8
10.5
12.3
18.3
26.7
21.5
66.8
30.9
35.9
15.9
4.9
1.4
70.6
32.2
38.4
16.3
5.4
1.4
63.3
29.6
33.7
15.4
10.8
4.9
5.9
43.7
6.1
18.8
11.1
7.7
11.5
5.9
10.8
Disability status:
Not disabled...........................................................
Disabled, total2 .....................................................
Less than 30 percent........................................
30 to 50 percent................................................
60 percent or greater........................................
Presence of disability not reported .....................
87.3
9.2
5.2
2.1
1.3
3.5
86.0
10.3
5.9
83.1
13.8
7.9
2.7
88.8
6.9
4.1
1.6
.9
4.3
Age:
1 Because of the aging of the population, there were no longer
any Vietnam-era veterans under 25 years of age or any other war
veterans under 45 years of age.
2 Categories of disability ratings may not sum to totals, because
specific ratings were not available for some disabled veterans.
from that of nonveterans of the same ages. (Be
cause nearly all of the veterans were between
the ages of 30 and 54, references to nonveterans
will be based on this age group, except where
noted.)
Race. Blacks constituted 9 percent of Viet
nam-era veterans and Hispanics made up 4 per
cent. As is true for the general population, black
Vietnam-era veterans lagged behind their white
counterparts in the proportion who were labor
force participants. Nonetheless, black veterans
were somewhat more likely than other black
men to be in the labor force. By contrast, there
is no real difference in labor force participation
rates according to veteran status for white and
Hispanic men. As the following tabulation
shows, the participation rate for black veterans
was within 5 percentage points of the rate for
their white counterparts. By contrast, the blackwhite participation gap for nonveterans was
nearly 9 points.
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2.2
1.6
3.7
2.3
3.1
4.4
1.4
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
9.7
48.5
41.8
2.2
92.3
3.7
2.3
1.0
.3
4.0
86.1
10.7
5.9
2.6
1.5
3.2
—
—
—
—
—
Note : Details for the racial and Hispanic-origin groups will not
sum to totals because data for the “other races” group are not
presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
population groups.
Dashes indicate data not available.
Labor force participation
rates
Men, 30-54 years
Total White Black Hispanic
V ie tn a m -e r a
v e te r a n s ....................
V ie tn a m th e a ter .
9 4 .6
9 5 .0
9 0 .4
9 3 .7
9 3 .6
9 4 .1
8 8 .6
9 3 .5
O u ts id e V ie tn a m
.................
9 5 .4
9 5 .8
9 2 .4
9 4 .8
N o n v e t e r a n s ..............
9 3 .5
9 4 .5
8 6 .0
9 2 .5
th e a ter
While it is not possible to identify through
this survey the specific reasons for the black
veterans’ relative advantage compared with
other black men, the data confirm the military’s
role as a source of upward mobility for the less
advantaged, who historically have benefited
from the intensive job training and experience
that the Armed Forces provide. It should be
noted, however, that there may have been
differences between the men who entered the
military and those who did not, particularly in
characteristics such as educational attainment
and family history.4
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
23
Employment Status o f Vietnam-era Veterans
Disability
Some 810,000 Vietnam-era veterans, about 10
percent of the total, reported a service-con
nected disability. Of those who served in South
east Asia, 14 percent reported such a disability.
Having a service-connected disability means
that one’s ability to work was affected by an
injury or illness that was determined to have
been caused or aggravated during military serv
ice.5 Disability ratings range from 0 to 100 per
cent, depending on the severity of the disability.
Three-fifths of Vietnam-era veterans had ratings
of less than 30 percent, while 16 percent re
ported ratings of 60 percent or more.6
Not surprisingly, the effect of a disability on
an individual’s labor force status was closely
related to the severity of the disability.7 Veter
ans with disability ratings under 30 percent had
a labor force participation rate virtually identical
to that of the nondisabled— about 92 percent.
However, among men with ratings between 30
and 50 percent, fewer than three-fourths were in
Table 2.
the labor force, and among the most severely
disabled (ratings of 60 percent or higher), only
one-third were in the labor force. (See table 2.)
The relationship between disability and labor
force attachment reflects several factors. One is
the effect of the disability itself on the capability
to work. The survey included questions for dis
abled veterans who were not working regarding
whether they believed that their disability hin
dered them in finding or holding a job. As might
be expected, the higher the disability rating, the
more likely were the veterans to perceive thencondition as an obstacle to employment success.
At ratings of less than 30 percent, relatively few
ascribed their employment difficulties to their
medical condition; at ratings of 60 percent or
more, nearly all reported such a link.
Another, related factor affecting the labor
force participation of the disabled is the availabil
ity of other income, specifically federally issued
compensation benefits, which are designed to
adjust for reduced earnings capacity and which
Employment status of male Vietnam-era veterans age 25 and over,1 by period of service, presence of
service-connected disability, and disability rating, November 1987, not seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
Civilian labor force
Period of service, presence
of disability, and
disability rating
Civilian
noninstitutional
population
Unemployed
Total
Percent of
population
Employed
Number
Percent
of labor
force
Not
in
labor
force
Total, Vietnam era
With service-connected disability........................................
Less than 30-percent disability rating............................................
30- to 50-percent disability ratin g ................................................
60-percent or higher disability rating ................................................
Disability rating not reported..............................................
Without service-connected disability ...........................
Presence of disability not reported..........................................
811
469
170
129
43
6,798
293
633
432
120
42
39
6,409
256
78.1
92.1
70.6
32.6
(2)
94.3
87.4
594
404
112
41
36
6,107
250
39
27
8
1
3
302
6
6.2
6.3
6.7
(2)
(2)
4.7
2.2
178
38
50
87
4
389
37
529
304
103
90
32
3,188
118
420
276
80
36
28
2,986
108
79.4
90.8
77.7
40.0
(2)
93.7
91.5
395
257
79
34
24
2,829
106
25
19
2
1
3
156
2
5.9
6.8
2.5
(2)
(2)
5.2
1.6
109
28
21
55
4
20?
10
282
165
67
38
11
3,610
175
213
156
40
7
11
3,424
148
75.5
94.5
(2)
(2)
(2)
94.8
84.6
198
147
34
7
11
3,278
144
14
9
6
(2)
(2)
146
4
6.8
5.5
(2)
(2)
(2)
4.3
2.7
69
10
28
32
(2)
18B
27
Vietnam theater
With service-connected disability..................................
Less than 30-percent disability rating............................................
30- to 50-percent disability ratin g ......................................
60-percent or higher disability rating ......................................
Disability rating not reported...............................
Without service-connected disability ....................................
Presence of disability not reported..........................................
Outside Vietnam theater
With service-connected disability..................................................
Less than 30-percent disability rating..........................................
30- to 50-percent disability ratin g ................................................
60-percent or higher disability rating ............................................
Disability rating not reported......................................
Without service-connected disability ........................................
Presence of disability not reported........................................
1 Because of the aging of the population, there were no longer any Vietnam-era
veterans under 25 years of age.
Digitized24for Monthly
FRASER Labor Review
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April 1990
2 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000
Table 3.
Employment status of male Vietnam-era veterans and nonveterans age 25
and over,1 by race and Hispanic origin, November 1987, not seasonally
adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
Civilian labor force
Veteran status, race,
and Hispanic origin
Civilian
noninstitutional
population
Unemployed
Total
Percent of
population
Employed
Number
Percent
of labor
force
Not
in
labor
force
Total
Vietnam-era veterans .........................
Vietnam th e a te r...............................
Outside Vietnam th e a te r.................
Nonveterans ........................................
7,902
3,835
4,067
45,594
7,298
3,514
3,784
36,900
92.4
91.6
93.0
80.9
6,951
3,331
3,620
35,308
347
183
165
1,592
4.8
5.2
4.3
4.3
604
321
283
8,694
7,016
3,406
3,611
39,059
6,493
3,131
3,362
31,905
92.5
91.9
93.1
81.7
6,215
2,981
3,234
30,705
278
149
128
1,201
4.3
4.8
3.8
3.8
523
275
248
7,154
737
370
367
4,838
667
328
339
3,602
90.5
88.6
92.4
74.5
608
301
307
3,275
60
27
32
327
8.9
8.3
9.5
9.1
70
42
28
1,236
302
183
120
4,096
285
172
114
3,533
94.4
94.0
95.0
86.3
259
152
106
3,266
27
19
7
267
9.3
11.2
6.5
7.5
17
11
6
563
White
Vietnam-era veterans .........................
Vietnam th e a te r...............................
Outside Vietnam th e a te r.................
Nonveterans ........................................
Black
Vietnam-era veterans .........................
Vietnam th e a te r...............................
Outside Vietnam th e a te r.................
Nonveterans ........................................
Hispanic origin
Vietnam-era veterans .........................
Vietnam th e a te r...............................
Outside Vietnam th e a te r.................
Nonveterans ........................................
1 Because of the aging of the population, there were no longer
any Vietnam-era veterans under 25 years of age.
Note :
Details for racial and Hispanic-origin groups will not
are generally tied to the level of the disability
rating. For example, a veteran with a 10-percent
degree of disability would receive compensation
of only $75 per month, while some totally dis
abled veterans are eligible for a monthly com
pensation of $1,500 or more.8
Unemployment
About 350,000 Vietnam-era veterans were ac
tively seeking work in November 1987 and
were thus classified as unemployed. The un
employment rate for this group was 4.8 per
cent, while the rate for nonveterans of the same
age was 4.3 percent. Whereas, as mentioned
earlier, black veterans seemed to gain some
advantage relative to other black men in the
extent to which they participated in the labor
force, they were no more successful when it
came to finding a job: the jobless rates of black
veterans and nonveterans were both around 9
percent, more than twice that of white veterans
(4.3 percent). For Hispanic veterans, the unem
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sum to totals because data for the “other races” group are not
presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black
P°Pulation groups.
ployment rate was also near 9 percent. (See
table 3.)
The greater labor market difficulties of both
disabled and war theater veterans were evident
in their unemployment experiences. For in
stance, Vietnam-era veterans with disabilities
had an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent, com
pared with 4.7 percent for those without dis
abilities. Those with lower disability ratings
actually had higher unemployment rates than
the more seriously disabled veterans, because
relatively few of the latter were likely to seek
work at all.
At 5.2 percent, jobless rates for those who
actually served in Southeast Asia were higher
than the rates for men who served elsewhere and
for nonveterans— 4.3 percent for both groups.
However, it would be misleading to assume that
this difference necessarily resulted from their
varying military experiences. Previous studies
have documented marked differences—especially
in educational status— in these two groups of
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
25
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized26
for FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employment Status o f Vietnam-era Veterans
Table 4.
Employed male Vietnam-era veterans age 25 and over,1 by class of worker and
disability status, November 1987, not seasonally adjusted
[Percent distribution]
Wage and salary workers
Period of service
and disability status2
Total
employed
(thousands)
Government
Private
Total
Federal
State
and
local
Self-employed
and unpaid
family workers
Vietnam e r a ...............................................................
Disabled, total .......................................................
Less than 30 percent........................................
30 percent or more ..........................................
Not disabled...........................................................
6,951
594
404
154
6,107
68.6
56.1
58.7
46.8
69.9
21.5
35.9
34.4
44.2
20.1
9.0
23.1
21.0
31.2
7.7
12.5
12.8
13.6
12.3
12.4
9.9
7.9
6.9
9.0
10.0
Vietnam th e a te r.....................................................
Disabled, total ..................................................
Less than 30 percent....................................
30 percent or m ore........................................
Not disabled.......................................................
3,331
395
257
113
2,829
66.8
57.5
61.1
46.9
68.2
22.4
33.9
33.5
40.7
21.0
9.9
21.3
20.2
26.5
8.4
12.5
12.4
13.2
14.2
12.6
10.7
8.6
5.4
12.4
10.8
Outside Vietnam th e a te r......................................
Disabled, total ..................................................
Less than 30 percent....................................
30 percent or m ore........................................
Not disabled.......................................................
3,620
198
147
40
3,278
70.3
53.0
54.4
0)
71.5
20.6
39.9
36.1
(3)
19.3
8.1
26.8
22.4
(3)
7.1
12.5
13.1
14.3
(3)
12.2
9.1
6.6
8.8
(3)
9.2
Nonveterans, 25 years and over ...........................
35,313
75.8
12.3
2.1
10.2
11.9
1 Because of the aging of the population, there were no longer
any Vietnam-era veterans under 25 years of age.
2 Categories may not sum to totals, because information on
Table 5.
presence and degree of disability was not reported for some veterans.
3 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
Employed male Vietnam-era veterans and nonveterans age 25 and over,1 by
occupation, November 1987, not seasonally adjusted
[Percent distribution]
Vietnam-era
veterans
Occupation
Nonveterans
Total
Vietnam
theater
Outside
Vietnam
theater
Total, 25 years and over (in thousands) ............................................
6,951
3,331
3,620
35,313
Percent.....................................................................................................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Managerial and professional specialty............................................
Executive, administrative, and managerial..................................
Professional specialty ...................................................................
27.3
16.8
10.4
25.5
16.4
9.0
29.0
17.2
11.7
28.2
14.3
13.9
Technical, sales, and administrative support..................................
Technicians and related support..................................................
Sales occupations .........................................................................
Administrative support, including clerical ....................................
21.3
3.8
10.4
7.1
21.6
3.4
10.1
8.1
21.0
4.3
10.6
6.1
19.0
2.8
11.1
5.1
Service occupations .........................................................................
Protective service............................................................................
Other service occupations.............................................................
8.4
4.6
3.8
8.3
4.7
3.6
8.5
4.6
3.9
7.7
2.3
5.5
Precision production, craft, and re p a ir............................................
Mechanics and repairers...............................................................
Construction trades .......................................................................
Other precision production, craft, and repair .............................
22.1
8.3
7.9
5.9
21.6
20.4
—
7.5
6.1
22.7
8.6
8.2
5.8
Operators, fabricators, and laborers................................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors .......................
Transportation and material moving occupations .....................
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers...............
18.7
6.9
8.0
3.9
20.5
7.4
9.1
4.0
17.1
6.5
6.9
3.7
20.1
7.9
7.1
5.1
Farming, forestry, and fishing...........................................................
2.2
2.6
1.8
4.6
8.0
1 Because of the aging of the population, there were no longer any Vietnam-era veterans under 25 years of age.
Note : Dashes indicate data not available.
April 1990
—
—
Vietnam-era veterans prior to their military
service. For instance, according to one study,
inductees who had dropped out of high school
were one and a half times more likely to serve
in the war theater than were college graduates.9
In general, high school dropouts, regardless of
their veteran status, tend to have a higher inci
dence of unemployment than do workers with
more education.
Employment
Service in the Armed Forces affords a variety of
educational and training experiences that are
widely applicable to civilian jobs. While on ac
tive duty, even during wartime, most members
of the military perform jobs that are comparable
to civilian positions.10 And, following their
military discharge, many veterans participate in
educational and vocational programs that fur
ther aid them in adjusting to the civilian labor
market.11 Partly as a result of these efforts, and
also reflecting the fact that most of the veterans
have now been civilians for many years, veter
ans of the Vietnam era were as likely to be
employed as other men their age; about 90 per
cent of both groups had a job in November 1987.
Industries. Among the programs aiding veter
ans’ transitions to civilian jobs were several that
emphasized job counseling, training, and place
ment in both the private and public sectors.
Most of these programs were in place by 1970,
when large numbers of military personnel began
to be discharged and to reenter the civilian work
force. By 1987, nearly two decades later, veter
ans were employed in much the same industries
as non veterans. About 1 in 4 employed men,
regardless of veteran status, held a job in manu
facturing, and one-fifth were in services. The
remainder were found primarily in trade, trans
portation, and construction.
The industry distribution of the veterans was
strikingly different from that of the nonveterans
in one respect, however: the veterans were far
more likely to be employed in the public sec
tor— particularly at the Federal level— than
were nonveterans. This was especially true for
disabled veterans, 23 percent of whom were
employed by the Federal Government alone.
Among the more seriously disabled (with rat
ings of 30 percent or higher), the proportion
holding Federal jobs was nearly one-third. Even
among the nondisabled veterans, 8 percent were
Federal employees. By contrast, the proportion
of nonveterans in Federal jobs was only 2 percent.
(See table 4.) Clearly, the Federal Government
is a popular career choice for veterans of the
Vietnam era, and the disabled in particular, due
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in part to special hiring preferences and an ac
tive recruitment program targeting these groups.12
Occupations. Vietnam-era veterans were found
in a wide variety of occupations, as were non
veterans. However, the veterans were less likely
to work as professionals and machine operators
and more likely to be managers, protective serv
ice workers, and clerical workers. Among the
veterans themselves, some differences were
noted by theater of service and disability. For
example, the men who had actually served in
the war theater were less likely than the other
veterans to be employed as managers and pro
fessionals. (See table 5.) Also, the veterans
with some disability were more often found in
clerical and laborer jobs compared with the
nondisabled and less often working in manage
rial and precision craft positions.
Work schedules. The work schedules of most
Vietnam-era veterans were very similar to those
of nonveterans. All but about 5 percent of both
groups usually worked full time (at least 35
hours per week). However, of the more seri
ously disabled veterans (30 percent rating or
higher), a relatively high proportion— 10 per
cent— were employed part time. Even among
full-time workers, the disabled veterans worked
fewer hours on average. For example, 29 per
cent of the nondisabled worked at least 49 hours
per week, compared with 20 percent of the more
seriously disabled. These differences contrib
uted to a somewhat shorter workweek of 40 hours
for those with more severe disabilities, com
pared with about 44 hours for other veterans.
Program participation
Traditionally, some of the most highly valued
benefits of military service are those that pro
vide postservice education and training. In the
November 1987 survey, information was col
lected for the first time on veterans’ participa
tion in three such programs: the gi Bill, and
Department of Veterans Affairs-sponsored onthe-job training and vocational rehabilitation.
About one-half (4 million) of all male Vietnamera veterans were reported as having taken ad
vantage of at least one of these programs.13
Program participation was higher among dis
abled than nondisabled veterans (59 percent ver
sus 52 percent) and higher for veterans of the
war theater than for those who served elsewhere
(55 percent versus 47 percent).
By far, the most frequently named program
was the GI Bill, which was designed to restore
“lost educational opportunities to those service
men and women whose careers have been interMonthly Labor Review
April 1990
27
Employment Status o f Vietnam-era Veterans
rupted or impeded by reason of active duty.”14
The bill does this by providing a stipend to
veterans attending educational institutions—
mainly colleges and universities— and voca
tional training and apprenticeship programs.
Use of the gi Bill was reported by nearly all of
the veterans who had availed themselves of any
of the programs, or almost half of all veterans
from the period.
The survey also pointed up significant differ
ences between veterans who participated in the
educational and training programs and those
who did not. For example, those who had par
ticipated in at least one program had lower
unemployment rates on average than did non
participants (4.4 percent versus 5.5 percent).
Veterans of the war theater who had not partic
ipated at all had a particularly high jobless rate
of 7.2 percent. However, as is often the case
with these data, it is not possible to distinguish
the effects of a particular course of action—in this
case, taking advantage of postdischarge educa
tional programs— from preexisting differences
between program participants and nonpartici
pants, such as one’s educational attainment
prior to the service and one’s motivation.
Veterans of other service periods
About 12.6 million male veterans served in the
military during wartime periods other than the
Vietnam era— namely, World Wars I and II and
the Korean conflict. Their relatively low labor
force participation rate of 49 percent largely re
flected their age. Most were older than 55 years,
and more than 40 percent were at least 65 years
old. Service-connected disabilities also kept
some out of the labor force. Of the 1.3 million
8 FRASER
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Table 6.
(11 percent) with disabilities, only one-third
were in the labor force. As with Vietnam-era vet
erans, disabled veterans from earlier wars expe
rienced higher joblessness than did those with
out disabilities— 5.3 percent versus 2.9 percent.
Another 5 million men were peacetime veter
ans, mainly from two periods: that between
World War II and the Korean conflict, and the
post-Vietnam period. Although relatively few
(4 percent) of the peacetime veterans had dis
abilities, those who did were less likely to be in
the labor force than were the nondisabled (81
percent versus 91 percent).
Women
The Vietnam era saw a substantial increase in
the participation of women in the military,
which accelerated with the shift to an all-volun
teer force beginning in 1973. By 1975, the num
ber of women in the active-duty military had
risen to about 100,000, a considerable increase
over the 40,000 on active duty in the late
1960’s.15 Still, women’s armed service roles
throughout the era were limited to the traditional
ones, namely, administrative occupations—
such as clerical, supply, and procurement posi
tions— and medical occupations.16
A total of about 250,000 women served in the
Armed Forces during the Vietnam era, account
ing for 3 percent of the veterans from the period.
Roughly 10 percent were stationed in Southeast
Asia, predominantly as nurses. The nature of
the war was such that those in “support” posi
tions were frequently exposed to high-risk,
combatlike situations, and this is reflected in
these women’s disability status.17 About 14 per
cent, or 35,000, of the women from the era had
Employment status of women age 18 and over, by veteran status and period
of service, November 1987, not seasonally adjusted
[Numbers in thousands]
Civilian labor force
Veteran status and
period of service
Civilian
noninstitutional
population
Unemployed
Total
Percent of
population
Employed
Number
Percent
of labor
force
Not in
labor
force
Total veterans1 ....................................
1,052
576
54.8
530
46
8.0
476
War veterans....................................
Vietnam era ..................................
Vietnam theater .......................
Outside Vietnam theater ........
Other war veterans .....................
Other service veterans ...................
684
247
33
214
437
368
301
188
19
169
113
275
44.0
76.1
17
11
1
10
6
29
5.7
5.8
79.0
25.9
74.7
284
177
17
160
106
247
5.6
5.6
10.4
383
59
15
44
324
93
Nonveterans ........................................
91,500
52,311
57.2
49,521
2,790
5.3
39,190
1 Because of the aging of the population, there were no longer
any Vietnam-era veterans under 25 years of age or any other war
April 1990
(2)
(2)
veterans under 45 years of age.
2 Data not shown where base is less than 75,000.
service-connected disabilities.
Although a detailed analysis of the labor mar
ket difficulties of women veterans from the
Vietnam era is not possible due to their rela
tively small numbers, the study did show that
their labor force participation rate (76 percent)
and unemployment rate (5.8 percent) were very
similar to the rates for women of the same ages
who did not serve in the military.
In addition to those who were veterans of the
Vietnam era, another 440,000 women served
during earlier wartime periods, especially World
War II and the Korean conflict. Their low labor
force participation rate (26 percent) reflects both
their advanced age and the fact that they are part
of a generation in which women—especially
married women— had a relatively weak attach
ment to the labor force.18 (See table 6.)
Another 370,000 women served during
peacetime, mostly in the post-Vietnam period,
and their participation rate (75 percent) is com
parable to that of nonveterans of the same
ages.19 Their relatively high unemployment rate
(10.4 percent) may reflect in part the recent
discharge of some of them and the accompany
ing, and usually short-lived, difficulties experi
enced in undergoing the transition to civilian
jobs.
□
Footnotes
1 Information from the November 1987 cps supplement
was released initially as news release usdl 88 - 4 8 9 , “ bls Re
ports on Labor Market Situation among Disabled Veterans
o f the Vietnam Era,” Sept. 30, 1988. Historical data on
Vietnam-era veterans are found in Employment and Earn
ings, a monthly bls publication, and The Employment Situ
ation, a monthly bls news release.
The cps , a survey of about 60,000 households, is con
ducted monthly for the Bureau o f Labor Statistics by the
Bureau o f the Census. The cps provides information on the
employment status o f the civilian noninstitutional popula
tion, as well as the demographic, occupational, and other
characteristics o f the employed, the unemployed, and per
sons not in the labor force. The November 1987 survey was
taken during the week o f the 15 th through the 21st and refers
to the status o f individuals during the preceding week
(November 8 through 14).
As with any sample survey, the cps is subject to both
sampling and nonsampling errors. Several possible sources
o f nonsampling error are of particular interest with respect
to the veterans’ supplement. One such source is the use of
proxy respondents. The cps respondent ordinarily is any
responsible member of the household age 14 or over. How
ever, due to the subjective nature o f some o f the supplemen
tary items, interviewers were instructed to make three
attempts to contact the actual veteran before asking the ques
tions o f another household member. Proxy responses were ob
tained for approximately 25 percent of the veterans sur
veyed. Another potential source of nonsampling error is the
long recall period, which may be 20 years or even more for
some Vietnam-era veterans. For a further description o f the
survey and possible sampling and nonsampling errors, see the
section “Explanatory Notes” of Employment and Earnings.
2 See Sharon R. Cohany, “Labor force status of Vietnam-era
veterans,” Monthly Labor Review, February 1987, pp. 11-17.
3 Note that service in the war theater does not necessarily
imply exposure to combat. For a study that includes an
analysis o f the effects of combat, see Myths and Reali
ties: A Study of Attitudes toward Vietnam Era Veterans,
Submitted by the Veterans Administration to the Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, July 1980.
4 Martin Binkin and Mark J. Eitelberg, Blacks and the
Military (Washington, The Brookings Institution, 1982),
chapter 4. Other researchers have found a premium in the
earnings of black veterans compared with black nonveterans.
See Joshua D. Angrist, “Lifetime Earnings and the Vietnam
Era Draft Lottery: Evidence from Social Security Adminis
tration Records” (Princeton, n j , Princeton University Indus
trial Relations Section Working Paper No. 251, April 1989).
5 United States Code, title 38, chapter 11, section 301.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
6 Disabilities were reported by a total of 810,000
Vietnam-era veterans. Some 6.8 million reported no disabil
ities, and for 290,000 the presence or absence of disability
was not known. Specific disability ratings were not avail
able for 43,000 of the disabled.
7 For a general assessment of the physical and mental
health of Vietrtam-era veterans, see “Health Status of Viet
nam Veterans,” Journal of the American Medical Associa
tion, May 13, 1988, pp. 2701-20, which reports the findings
of the Vietnam Experience Study, conducted by the Centers
for Disease Control. For a study of work-related disabilities
among the general population, see Labor Force Status and
Other Characteristics of Persons with a Work Disability: 1981
to 1988, Series P-23, No. 160 (Bureau of the Census, 1989).
8 Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents (Depart
ment of Veterans Affairs, 1989), pp. 3—4.
9 Myths and Realities, p. 10.
10 Carol Boyd Leon, “Working for Uncle Sam— a look at
members of the Armed Forces,” Monthly Labor Review,
July 1984, pp. 3-9.
11 For a discussion of these employment and training pro
grams, see Elizabeth Waldman and Kathryn R. Gover,
“Employment situation of Vietnam Era veterans,” Monthly
Labor Review, September 1971, pp. 3-11.
12 For example, see “Vietnam Era and Disabled Veter
ans— a World of Federal Employment Opportunities!”
orspp -3 (Office of Personnel Management, September
1987); and “Veterans’ Preference in Federal Employment,”
w e e - 2 (Office of Personnel Management, September 1985).
13 For an explanation of the programs, see Federal Bene
fits, pp. 7-18.
14 United States Code, title 38, chapter 34, section 1651.
15 Statistical Abstract of the United States (Department of
Commerce, 1975), p. 324.
16 See June A. Willenz, Women Veterans: America's
Forgotten Heroes (New York, Continuum, 1983).
17 Survey of Female Veterans—a Study of the Needs,
Attitudes and Experiences of Women Veterans (Veterans
Administration, 1985).
18 Susan E. Shank, “Women and the labor market: the
link grows stronger,” Monthly Labor Review , March 1988,
pp. 3-8.
19 For further information on data available from the cps
on women veterans, see Maria L. Roca, “Women veterans
total 1 million in first half of 1986,” Monthly Labor Review,
December 1986, pp. 30-31.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
29
Productivity in scrap
and waste materials processing
Higher capacity machinery,
growing demand, and industry consolidation
spurred gains in output per hour
of all persons over the 1977-87 period
Mark Scott Sieling
Mark Scott Sieling is an
economist in the Division
o f Industry Productivity
Studies, Bureau o f Labor
Statistics.
hanges in demand and output, processing
machinery, and industry structure helped
spur long-term productivity gains in the
scrap and waste materials industry. A Bureau of
Labor Statistics new measure of industry pro
ductivity shows that output per hour of all per
sons in the industry increased at an average an
nual rate of 3.0 percent between 1977 and 1987,
identical to the rate for all manufacturing indus
tries combined.1 The all person hours index de
clined 1.2 percent a year, while output in
creased 1.7 percent. (See table 1.)
The demand for processed scrap and waste
materials increased over the 1977-87 period
due to growing exports and changes in steel and
paper manufacturing processes, while increased
recycling efforts made more unprocessed scrap
and waste materials available. The installation
of higher capacity processing equipment and a
reduction in the number of marginal processing
establishments (typically small-size firms) also
spurred productivity gains over the period, es
pecially since the early 1980’s.
Average annual productivity gains varied
considerably over shorter periods. For example,
from 1977 to 1980, output per hour of all per
sons increased at an average annual rate of 2.4
percent, with output increasing faster than all
person hours— 5.7 percent, compared with 3.2
percent. These trends, however, were reversed
during the 1980-82 period, when output per
hour of all persons declined 2.4 percent a year,
as output declined faster than hours and employ
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ment. Between 1980 and 1982, output fell by
about one-fifth, as domestic and foreign de
mand shrank, while hours and employment each
declined by about one-sixth.
Since 1982, improvements in processing
technologies and machinery as well as contin
ued strong demand for scrap metal and wastepaper contributed to above-average productivity
gains. Over the 1982-87 period, output per
hour of all persons increased by an average 5.2
percent per year, compared with a 4.5-percent
annual increase for all manufacturing combined.
Output increased 7.1 percent per year, over
shadowing average annual increases in hours
(1.8 percent) and employment (1.4 percent).
Year-to-year productivity changes reflected
swings in demand, output, and other factors.
For example, between 1982 and 1983, output
per hour of all persons increased 19.9 percent.
Output increased by 14 percent, reflecting
strong foreign and domestic demand, while
hours and employment declined because a large
number of small-size establishments left the in
dustry (primarily as a result of the 1981-82 re
cession).2 In contrast, output per hour declined
0.1 percent between 1978 and 1979, as output,
hours, and employment all increased by about
10 percent.
Output and demand
The scrap and waste materials industry proc
esses a variety of materials, from scrap copper
and gold to rags and fur cuttings. However,
duction of primary iron and steel fell by about
one-third over this period, domestic consump
Table 1.
Productivity and related
tion of obsolete scrap increased from 38 million
indexes in the scrap and
tons to 42 million tons.7
waste materials industry,
Reductions in the production of home scrap
1977-87
also influenced the demand for obsolete scrap.
[1977=100]
Because of improvements in steel manufactur
Output
ing, such as continuous casting and improved
per
Hours of
All
metalworking technologies, as well as the clos
Year
hour
Output
all
persons
of all
persons
ing of older, less efficient steel mills which tra
persons
ditionally produced large amounts of home
scrap, the output of home scrap fell from just
1977 .......
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
under 50 million tons in 1977 to 25 million tons
1978 . . . .
110.7
98.4
108.9
98.0
1979 .......
110.6
120.6
109.0
108.3
in 1987.8 This 50-percent reduction in the pro
108.2
107.4
1980 .......
116.2
109.0
duction
of home scrap, combined with the in
1981 .......
104.8
109.7
104.7
104.6
creasing use of scrap in basic iron and steel
1982 .......
103.0
92.5
91.7
89.8
manufacturing, led to greater demand for obso
1983 .......
123.5
85.4
105.5
85.6
lete scrap.
1984 .......
122.2
114.7
93.9
94.3
Although the output of obsolete ferrous scrap
1985 .......
127.9
118.2
92.4
93.5
1986 .......
133.8
124.0
92.7
92.5
increased over the 1977-87 period, the industry
1987 .......
138.7
97.4
135.1
96.8
still maintained a processing capacity far in ex
Average annual rates of change (in percent)
cess of demand. For example, in 1984, the in
dustry’s processing capacity was 130 million
1977-82 ..
-.1
-1.2
-1.0
-.7
tons: it actually produced about 49 million tons.9
1982-87 ..
5.2
7.1
1.4
1.8
1977-87 ..
3.0
1.7
-1.2
-1.2
This gap between capacity and actual production
partially reflects demand factors and the indus
try’s traditional one-shift-per-day operations.10
While overall output of obsolete scrap in
ferrous scrap metal and wastepaper represent
creased
between 1977 and 1987, there were sig
the bulk of the industry’s output. In 1982, fer
rous scrap tonnage accounted for about nine- nificant regional variations. Generally, output
tenths of total metal scrap processed by the in of ferrous scrap in the Great Lakes, Midwest,
dustry, while wastepaper tonnage accounted for and Northeast regions declined, as steel mills
about three-fourths of total nonmetallic waste.3 closed. Output increased in the South, South
west, and West, largely attributable to the growth
Scrap ferrous metal processors and dealers col of minimills which rely heavily on scrap as their
lect scrap such as junked autos, old equipment, primary feedstock.11 It should be noted that
steel from obsolete buildings, and waste from most scrap processors are in close proximity to
metalworking industries. They sort this “obso their customers, mainly because of transporta
lete scrap” into one of more than 80 separate tion costs.12 However, long distance trade among
scrap metal grades, then process it into forms States, regions, and countries does occur, and in
usable by steel manufacturers and foundries.4 some cases, increases in foreign demand have
Obsolete scrap is a primary feedstock for iron compensated for declining local demand.
and steel manufacturing and foundry opera
In addition to the increase in domestic con
tions, along with pig iron, directly reduced iron sumption of obsolete scrap, foreign consump
ore, and “home scrap”— scrap generated by tion of U.S. ferrous scrap rose significantly
steel and iron manufacturing operations and between 1977 and 1987. In 1977, exports to
metalworking industries.
taled 5.9 million tons or about one-eighth of
A number of factors influence the demand total obsolete scrap produced; by 1987, exports
for, and output of, obsolete ferrous scrap. Tra had grown to 10.4 million tons, representing
ditionally, demand has closely reflected the one-fifth of total production.13
level of domestic and foreign steel and iron
Regardless of the changes in basic steel man
manufacturing.5 But recent changes in steel ufacturing technologies that have influenced the
making technology have partially broken that long-term demand for obsolete ferrous scrap,
bond.
year-to-year changes in domestic steel produc
Between 1977 and 1987, shifts and changes tion still strongly affect the output of obsolete
in steel manufacturing techniques, such as the scrap. Between 1986 and 1987, both raw steel
increased use of electric arc furnaces which pri and obsolete scrap production increased by 8
marily use scrap as a feedstock, spurred demand percent; between 1981 and 1982, domestic ship
for processed obsolete scrap.6 Although the pro- ments of obsolete scrap dropped 31 percent,
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Monthly Labor Review
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31
Productivity in Scrap Processing
primarily reflecting a 38-percent decline in steel
production.
Foreign
consumption of
U.S. ferrous
scrap rose
significantly
between 1977
and 1987.
Wastepaper processors collect various types of
used paper products such as newspapers, busi
ness and computer paper, and corrugated boxes.
They sort them into one of 70 separate grades,
then bundle them for use by paper mills and
building supply manufacturers. Between 1977
and 1987, the annual domestic consumption of
wastepaper increased from 15 million tons to 20
million tons; exports more than doubled from
1.9 million tons to 4.4 million tons.
About one-third of the approximately 600
paper and pulp mills in the United States use
processed wastepaper products as their primary
feedstock. In an additional 300 mills, recycled
fibers account for 15 percent to 25 percent of the
feedstock.14 (It should be noted that large inte
grated paper mills usually cannot substitute
wastepaper for woodpulp in the manufacturing
process.15)
During the 1977-87 period, corrugated scrap
annually accounted for between two-fifths and
one-half of total wastepaper output; newspaper
and mixed grade waste each accounted for about
one-sixth; and high grade de-inked and pulp
substitutes, such as brown paper bags and com
puter and ledger paper, for one-fifth.16 In most
cases, the proportion of processed wastepaper
used in manufacturing various paper products
increased significantly between 1977 and 1987.
In 1977, wastepaper feedstocks accounted for
just over 15 percent of total newspaper produc
tion; by 1986, the proportion had risen to 27
percent. A similar increase was recorded for
tissue paper, which used just over 40 percent
wastepaper feedstock in 1987, compared with
28 percent in 1977. Manufacturers of kraft
paperboard, however, only moderately increased
their use of wastepaper feedstocks, from 4.2 per
cent to 7.9 percent.17
Because there is some substitution between
woodpulp and wastepaper, yearly demand for
wastepaper does not always exactly match the
output of paper products. During the 1981-82
period, some domestic paper manufacturers
substituted wastepaper for woodpulp as a feed
stock because of price differentials, even though
overall paper production declined by about 4
percent. Woodpulp consumption declined about
7 percent during this period, while consumption
of wastepaper products fell only 3 percent.18
Exports also affect the demand for, and out
put of, processed wastepaper. Many countries
rely heavily on imported wastepaper as a basic
feedstock for paper manufacturing because they
do not have large domestic supplies of woodpulp or the prices of U.S. wastepaper may be
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competitive with native-produced woodpulp.19
Since the 1960’s, the importance of exports has
grown dramatically. Exports accounted for less
than 3 percent of total processed wastepaper in
the 1960’s, for about 10 percent of total produc
tion in the late 1970’s, and for almost one-fourth
of overall production by 1986. Exports to the
Far East (mainly from West Coast processors)
currently account for about two-third of total
U.S. wastepaper exports.
Like scrap processing, wastepaper processing
is highly regional, mainly because of transporta
tion costs. Between 1977 and 1986, annual and
long-term changes in output varied greatly
among regions. During this period, consump
tion of processed wastepaper increased by al
most two-thirds in Southern States— from 2.5
million tons to just over 4 million tons, and
declined by about one-eighth in mid-Atlantic
States— from 2.6 million tons to 2.3 million
tons.20
Employment and hours
Between 1977 and 1987, the number of persons
engaged in scrap and waste processing
decreased slightly from 120,400 to 116,600, re
flecting a decline in the number of selfemployed and unpaid family members. The
number of self-employed workers and unpaid
family members fell from about 37,000 to
30,000, while the number of paid employees
increased by about 3,000. As processing equip
ment and land grew more expensive, many
small-scale scrap and waste dealers and proces
sors left the industry.21
Average hours of all persons working in the
scrap and waste materials industry remained
fairly constant over the 1977-87 period at about
40 hours per week— similar to the average for
all manufacturing combined. Average weekly
hours of both employed and self-employed
persons were about the same. These hours,
however, obscure the seasonal pattern of proc
essing. Because most scrap processing occurs
out of doors, processing typically slows during
winter months in Northeastern and North Cen
tral States: employees in these areas usually
work fewer hours during the winter than during
other seasons. In some cases, it is not unusual to
find their average weekly hours exceeding 45 or
50 in the spring, summer, or fall.22
Weather also is important in wastepaper proc
essing. While the weekly hours pattern in scrap
processing has been somewhat attenuated in re
cent years because of year-round collection and
recycling efforts, wastepaper collection, partic
ularly in Northeastern and Midwestern States,
traditionally declines during summer and winter
months.23
Occupational structure
The occupational structure of the scrap and
waste materials industry remained basically un
changed between 1977 and 1987, with the vast
majority of paid employees operating various
pieces of processing equipment and material
movement vehicles or engaged in maintenance
activities. The remainder of the work force con
sists of clerical workers and sales personnel,
with salespersons accounting for about 10 per
cent of total paid employees.
Because of the variety of processing equip
ment in the industry, workers are trained to op
erate more than one type of machinery. In scrap
processing establishments, especially, workers
may be assigned various tasks depending on the
level and type of processing being done. For
example, baler operators are often trained to
operate other pieces of processing equipment,
such as shears or shredders. Material movement
operators— forklift and crane operators and
truckdrivers, for example— are also capable of
operating more than one type of vehicle.
Industry structure
The scrap and waste materials industry consists
of three types of establishments— scrap dealers,
whose primary function is to collect and sort
scrap metal for distribution to processors; scrap
processors, who use power equipment to proc
ess scrap into marketable forms; and waste and
secondary materials dealers and processors,
who primarily collect and bundle various types
of wastepaper. Between 1977 and 1987, the
number of scrap dealer establishments increased
from 1,741 to 1,864; scrap processors, from
2,065 to 3,893; and waste and secondary mate
rials dealers and processors, from 3,655 to
4,007. Despite the relatively large number of
establishments, there appears to be a fair
amount of economic concentration in the indus
try. In 1976, for example, estimates show that
the 100 largest wastepaper dealers accounted for
about one-half of total wastepaper processed.24
Likewise, the 50 largest scrap processors ac
counted for only 5 percent of all establishments,
but for more than one-fourth of total industry
value of shipments. It should be noted that be
cause markets for scrap metal and wastepaper
are highly localized, many metropolitan market
areas are dominated by a small number of pro
cessors and dealers.
Although the number of scrap processing es
tablishments increased slightly between 1977
and 1982, there was a significant shift in indus
try structure towards larger size establishments.
In 1974, 439 small-size establishments capable
of processing less than 6,000 tons of scrap per
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year accounted for one-third of all scrap proc
essing establishments; by 1984, 352 small-size
establishments accounted for only one-quarter
of all establishments.25 During the same period,
the number of larger size establishments capable
of processing 30,000 tons or more of scrap a
year increased from 372 to 568.
Unlike scrap processors, the configuration of
wastepaper establishments remained fairly con
stant during the 1977-87 period. Between 1977
and 1982, the number of establishments em
ploying 14 or fewer employees increased by 16
percent (from 2,388 to 2,777), a percentage in
crease similar to that for establishments employ
ing 20 workers or more. While establishments
employing fewer than 14 workers account for
about four-fifths of all wastepaper processing
establishments, they account for only about
one-third of wastepaper value of shipments and
employment.
Processing techniques and technologies
Ferrous scrap is sorted and processed into more
than 80 different grades using a variety of equip
ment. The basic equipment are shears, balers,
shredders, turning crushers, briquetters, and
motor block breakers; with shears, balers, and
shredders accounting for the bulk of processed
output. Shears are used to cut pieces of heavy
scrap, such as structural steel beams, into uni
form lengths. Alligator shears, introduced in the
1920’s, use mechanical pressure, somewhat like
a pair of scissors, to cut scrap. Guillotine
shears, first introduced in the late 1950’s, use
hydraulic pressure to operate the cutting blades,
and can process heavier grades of scrap than can
alligator shears. Balers compress a variety of
lighter weight scrap, such as flat rolled steel
used in consumer goods, into high density bun
dles. Introduced in the early 1960’s, shredders
rip automobile hulks and used consumer and
industrial products into small pieces, separating
ferrous from nonferrous scrap and nonmetal ma
terials, using air or water jets and magnets. In
addition to processing equipment, scrap proces
sors also use a wide variety of cranes, trucks,
and loaders.26
Since the 1970’s, the profile of processing
equipment used by the industry has changed
dramatically, with the emphasis shifting from
sheared to shredded scrap. For example, in
1974, shredders were used to process 7.3 mil
lion tons of scrap, or about 14 percent of total
processed scrap. In 1984, shredders processed
11.2 million tons of scrap, or 29 percent of total
output. At the same time, the production of
sheared scrap fell from 19 million tons to 13
million tons. This shift toward shredded scrap is
reflected in the decrease in the number of shears
The largest factor
likely to affect
wastepaper
processing in the
future is the
growth of
municipal
recycling efforts.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
33
Productivity in Scrap Processing
Because of the
variety of
processing
equipment in the
industry, workers
are trained to
operate more
than one type of
machinery.
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in operation over the 1974-84 period, from just
under 3,000 to 1,400, while the number of
shredders increased from 120 to 200.
Shredders are more expensive to operate than
are shears, but their average output per em
ployee hour is typically much higher.27 For ex
ample, crew size for a guillotine shear is typi
cally three to five employees and production
averages about 15 tons per hour. Shredders,
however, typically have five to seven crew
members with an average production rate of 52
tons per hour.
In addition to the shift toward shredded scrap
since the mid-1970’s, the industry has also been
installing higher capacity processing machin
ery. In 1974, for example, guillotine shears
with a capacity to process 25 tons or more of
scrap per hour accounted for just 6 percent of all
guillotine shears installed nationwide; by 1984,
that proportion had doubled to 12 percent.
Many of these newer generations of processing
equipment also require less power to operate
and have lower maintenance requirements than
did previous generations.28
Since the late 1970’s, other changes in manu
facturing technologies and processes have also
contributed to increased scrap processing pro
ductivity, such as the introduction of quicker
methods of loading processed scrap on railroad
gondolas, trucks, barges, and ships, and im
provements in the movement of materials within
processing facilities.
In recent years, a number of safety, environ
mental, and quality issues have affected scrap
processing methods. Although shredders pro
duce fewer emissions than did previous scraping
techniques, such as incineration of auto hulks,
they also increase the amount of hand process
ing operations required prior to machine proc
essing. For example, autos must be stripped of
potentially hazardous equipment before being
shredded, and residual gasoline, grease, and
airbag cylinders can cause explosions if they are
not removed prior to processing. Scrap proces
sors must also identify other potential contami
nants and dangerous substances in incoming
unprocessed scrap. Sophisticated monitoring
devices must be used to detect radioactive scrap
and scrap contaminated with p c b . Also, testing
apparatus is used to determine the level of alloys
present in ferrous scrap. Because the amount of
unprocessed scrap made up of such alloyed
steels has increased over the past decade, and
because steel mills are demanding purer forms
of processed scrap, processors are expending
more efforts to test and analyze unprocessed
scrap.29
Although wastepaper processors employ
fewer types of processing and material moveApril 1990
ment equipment than do scrap processors, ad
vances in automation and material movement
techniques were made during the 1977-87 pe
riod. Since the mid-1970’s, new types of paper
balers— the chief piece of processing machin
ery— automatically bind bundles of compressed
wastepaper with wire bands and are usually
flush mounted into the floor of the processing
facility, which allows for easier loading of loose
wastepapers.30
Capital investments
Capital requirements are significantly higher for
scrap processors than for wastepaper proces
sors, mainly because of the cost of processing
equipment. For instance, the typical cost of a
wastepaper baler is currently about $100,000 to
$250,000, while the cost of a moderate capacity
shredder is between $2 million to $3 million.31
The total current-dollar replacement value of
capital equipment used in scrap processing in
creased from $1.8 billion in 1974 to $3.4 billion
in 1984.32 Since the late 1970’s, the cost of
scrap processing equipment has risen signif
icantly— reflecting not only general price
increases, but also growing complexity. For ex
ample, environmental concerns have prompted
the installation of pollution control devices on
existing and new processing machinery; the cost
of these devices can amount to a significant
proportion of capital equipment costs.33 For in
stance, a pollution or effluent control device can
add from 10 percent to 15 percent to the cost of
processing equipment (primarily shredders and
briquetters). While these control devices do not
significantly increase the cost of processing a
ton of scrap, the additional investment can sig
nificantly affect profit margins.
Outlook
Future changes in output per hour of all persons
in the scrap and waste materials industry will
hinge on developments in processing equipment
and technologies and changes in the demand
for, and supply of, processed scrap and waste
materials.
Three major trends are evident in scrap proc
essing equipment and manufacturing processes:
continued advances in machine capacity, mate
rial handling methods, and pollution control
technologies; increasing emphasis on scrap
quality; and changes in demand.
Between 1985 and 1990, scrap processors
plan to expand processing capacity by about 5
million tons.34 In addition, improved materials
handling, workflow, and operations could sig
nificantly increase output per hour of all persons
by as much as 5 percent to 10 percent.
Partially offsetting these improvements are
such factors as increased concern over scrap
quality and continuing changes in steel man
ufacturing technologies and processes. As the
demand for high quality scrap increases, scrap
processors will have to expend more employee
hours to analyze and sort incoming unproc
essed scrap as well as identify hazardous
materials. In addition, future changes in steel
making technologies and processes, such as
more efficient ways to manufacture steel from
directly reduced iron and the shift to just-intime deliveries of processed scrap, could
dampen potential gains in output per hour. In
1984, it was estimated that an uninterrupted,
continuous market demand for scrap could
have prompted the production of an additional
20-25 million tons of scrap through better
and higher utilization of existing processing
machinery.35
The largest factor likely to affect wastepaper
processing in the future is the growth of munic-
ipal recycling efforts. While a few municipali
ties sell wastepaper directly to paper mills, by
passing traditional wastepaper processors,
large-scale mandatory recycling would increase
the supply of, but not necessarily the demand
for, wastepaper. Wastepaper processors have
traditionally paid for unprocessed wastepaper;
however, in localities where supply greatly
outpaces demand, processors are paid just to
receive and warehouse unprocessed wastepaper— increasing their inventories of unproc
essed wastepaper and the number of employee
hours required to maintain them.36
Research and development also will play an
important role in future scrap and waste proc
essing. For example, an ongoing cooperative
venture between the Bureau of Mines and the
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries is de
signed to prod the development of more effi
cient processing methods and enhance the ex
change of information relating to scrap metal
and waste materials.37
□
Footnotes
1 The scrap and waste materials industry is designated as
SIC 5093 by the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification
Manual o f the U .S. Office of Management and Budget. The
industry consists o f establishments primarily engaged in
assembling, breaking up, sorting, and wholesale distribu
tion o f scrap and waste materials. It should be noted that
although the industry is classified as a wholesale industry,
each State classifies it as a manufacturing industry for tax
purposes.
In November 1976, the Institute of Steel and Iron Scrap
(precursor to the current Institute of Scrap Recycling Indus
tries) petitioned an interagency committee o f the Federal
Government, the Technical Committee on Industrial Clas
sification, to change the industrial classification o f scrap
processors from wholesaling to manufacturing, citing ad
vantages in zoning, taxation, and inventory accounting pro
cedures. The request was denied on the grounds that it
would be too difficult to separate processors from collec
tors, sorters, agents, and brokers. Agents and brokers who
do not physically take possession of processed scrap and
waste, but act as middlemen between suppliers and con
sumers, accounted for less than 5 percent o f all establish
ments in the industry in 1982, less than 8 percent of total
industry value of shipments, and about 2 percent o f all
workers. See K. W. Palmer, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” Bureau
of Mines Minerals Yearbook, 1977, p. 530; and industry
sources.
Average annual rates o f change are based on the linear
least squares o f the logarithms o f the index numbers. Exten
sions o f the indexes will appear in the Bureau o f Labor
Statistics annual bulletin, Productivity Measures for Se
lected Industries.
2 Franklin D. Cooper, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” Bureau of
Mines Minerals Yearbook, 1983, pp. 5 02-03.
3 Because of the higher intrinsic value of nonferrous
scrap, the proportion o f industry value o f shipments ac
counted for by nonferrous scrap is higher than these physical
tonnage proportions would indicate. Scrap copper, for ex
ample, is currently worth about $750 per ton, compared
with about $25 per ton for ferrous scrap steel. This large
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
difference does not reflect differences in value added by the
scrap processing industry— in fact, less processing is usu
ally performed on nonferrous than on ferrous scrap. Rather,
it reflects the relative scarcity or abundance o f different
metals.
4 Overall, 30 percent to 40 percent of obsolete ferrous
scrap is obtained from discarded automobiles. The second
largest source is structural iron and steel coming from the
demolition o f domestic or industrial structures. Scrapping of
obsolete ships usually occurs in overseas scrap yards be
cause of the relatively labor-intensive nature of the work,
which involves extensive use of hand-operated cutting
torches, and environmental problems associated with as
bestos. See James W. Sawyer, Jr., Automotive Scrap Recy
cling: Processes, Prices, and Prospects (Washington, Re
sources for the Future, 1974), pp. 4-1 4 ; and Franklin D.
Cooper, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” Bureau of Mines Minerals
Yearbook, 1984, p. 530.
5 The supply and demand functions for obsolete scrap are
very complex. Supply and demand depend on the relative
costs o f various inputs used in steel manufacturing, and
upon vagaries of local supply and demand conditions. For
example, an increase in the demand for a particular type of
obsolete scrap in a locality will cause prices and supplies to
rise until local supplies are exhausted or the limit of local
scrap processing capacity is reached. At that point, the sup
ply function shifts dramatically from being highly elastic to
totally inelastic— regardless o f the price offered, local sup
ply does not change. See Sawyer, Automotive Scrap Recy
cling, pp. 103-10.
6 From 1977 to 1987, the proportion of total raw steel
production accounted for by electric arc furnaces increased
from just under one-fifth to one-third. This shift to electric
arc furnaces marks the second major shift in steel manufac
turing technologies since the 1950’s. The previous shift was
the supplanting of open hearth furnaces with basic oxygen
furnaces. In 1959, basic oxygen furnaces accounted for 8
percent of total steel production; by 1969, the proportion
was 43 percent. Both open hearth and basic oxygen furnaces
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
35
Productivity in Scrap Processing
can use 30 percent to 40 percent scrap in their charges,
compared with close to 100-percent scrap charges used in
electric arc furnaces. See Josapht Plater-Zyberk, Jr., “The
Economics of Ferrous Scrap Recycling” (Ph. D. diss.,
Drexel University, June 1972), pp. 62-69; and Gregory L.
M iles, “U .S . Minimills Launch a Full-Scale Attack,” Busi
ness Week, June 13, 1988, pp. 100-02.
7 Current-dollar value o f industry shipments increased
from $10,350,085,000 in 1977 to $12,260,267,000 in
1982. While, in general, these figures reflect the value of
industry output, they do not reflect the value o f the indus
try’s final (net) output because they include the value of
shipments from dealers to processors, as well as the value of
final processed scrap and waste shipped by the industry to
end users.
8 Raymond E. Brown, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” Bureau of
Mines Minerals Yearbook, 1987, p. 3.
10 The Processing Capacity o f the Ferrous Scrap Indus
try, Research Report (Columbus, o h , Battelle Columbus
Laboratories, Oct. 7, 1985, p. 18, and Aug. 10, 1976, p.
19).
23 Plaut and Steiker, Characteristics of Wastepaper Mar
kets, pp. 22-24; and industry sources.
13 Although increasing from 6 million tons to 11 million
tons between 1977 and 1987, annual exports o f obsolete
ferrous scrap have traditionally fluctuated between 5 million
tons and 11 million tons since the 1930’s. From the late 19th
century to the present, the United States has been an ex
porter o f scrap, and today accounts for about one-third of
total worldwide ferrous scrap export trade. Other major
scrap exporting nations are France, Federal Republic of
Germany, United Kingdom, and the U .S .S .R . United States
imports o f ferrous scrap currently amount to about 2 percent
o f total annual domestic scrap consumption. See Edwin C.
Barringer, The Story of Scrap (Washington, Institute of
Scrap Iron and Steel, 1954), pp. 60-67; and Bureau of
Mines Minerals Yearbook, various issues.
14 “Recycling Waste Paper,” Phoenix Quarterly, vol. 19,
no. 3, Fall 1987, p. 10.
15 Thomas Plaut and Gene Steiker, Characteristics of
Wastepaper Markets and Trends in Scrap Paper Recycling,
Prices, Demand and Availability: A National and Regional
Overview, Discussion Paper Series No. 103 (Regional Sci
ence Research Institute, April 1978), pp. 10-11.
16 American Paper Institute, 1986 Annual Statistical Sum
mary Waste Paper Usage; and industry sources.
17 The degree o f wastepaper recycling has varied dramat
ically over the years. During World War II, for example, an
estimated 35 percent o f all paper was recycled, a figure not
attained since, even though the recycling rate increased dur
ing the 1970’s to about 25 percent. See “Recycling Waste
Paper,” p. 9.
18 While the consumption of wastepaper varies with
trends in overall paper production, the supply o f wastepaper
available for processing and recycling remained fairly con
stant over the 1977-87 period. Given this rather steady
supply but variable demand, the demand and supply of
Monthly Labor Review
20 Southern States include Alabama, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Caro
lina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Vir
ginia. Mid-Atlantic States include New Jersey, New York,
and Pennsylvania.
21 Franklin D. Cooper, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” Bureau of
Mines Minerals Yearbook, 1983, p. 501.
12 Transportation fees are usually calculated in terms of
cents-per-mile, with railroad and over-the-road cartage
being more expensive than barge or ship transportation. A
scrap processor would typically incur losses on processed
scrap if it were shipped more than 100-200 miles. See
Sawyer, Automotive Scrap Recycling, pp. 3 9 -4 0 .
36
19 “Recycling Waste Paper,” p. 10.
9 Since 1956, the supply o f low-grade unprocessed scrap
has grown steadily. In 1987, for example, the Institute of
Scrap Recycling Industries estimated that there were more
than 800 million tons o f unprocessed ferrous scrap residing
in involuntary inventories due to lack of markets.
11 Raymond E. Brown, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” Bureau of
Mines Minerals Yearbook, 1986, p. 3.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
unprocessed wastepaper is very price inelastic— as the de
mand for processed wastepaper increases, the price will
increase a great deal while the quantity available for proc
essing will increase relatively little; conversely, if demand
falls, the price will decline sharply while the available sup
ply of unprocessed wastepaper will decline relatively little.
During periods of declining or low prices, wastepaper pro
cessors significantly reduce their output of processed
wastepaper and purchases of unprocessed wastepaper. See
Thomas Plaut, An Econometric Analysis of Regional
Wastepaper Markets, Discussion Paper Series No. 104 (Re
gional Science Research Institute, June 1978).
April 1990
22 The Processing Capacity of the Ferrous Scrap Indus
try, 1976, p. 19.
24 Plaut and Steiker, Characteristics o f Wastepaper Mar
kets, p. 14.
25 The Processing Capacity of the Ferrous Scrap Indus
try, 1985, p. 8.
26 In 1984, the industry possessed more than 2,700 scrap
processing machines and about 33,000 pieces of transporta
tion, materials handling, and other miscellaneous equip
ment. See The Processing Capacity o f the Ferrous Scrap
Industry, 1985, p. 13.
27 The Processing Capacity o f the Ferrous Scrap Indus
try, 1976. Daily production rates of various pieces of proc
essing equipment largely depend on the type of scrap being
processed, operating conditions, and machine capacity.
Shredders, for example, can process between 15 tons to 100
tons of scrap per hour, while guillotine shears producing
pieces 3 feet and under can consistently achieve greater
efficiencies than shears producing 2-foot pieces.
28 Franklin D. Cooper, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” 1984,
p. 575.
29 Ibid, pp. 5 29-30.
30 Industry sources.
31 Even in 1974, prices of scrap processing machinery
were relatively high, with alligator shears costing between
$8,000 to $35,000; guillotine shears between $60,000 and
$1,600,000; and shredders, $400,000 to $4,000,000. See
The Processing Capacity of the Ferrous Scrap Industry,
1976, p. 18.
32 The Processing Capacity of the Ferrous Scrap Indus
try, 1976, p. 18.
33 See Sawyer, Automotive Scrap Recycling, pp. 121-23.
34 The Processing Capacity of the Ferrous Scrap Indus
try, 1985, pp. 18-19.
35 Ibid., p. 19.
36 In early 1989, just such a situation arose in some
Northeastern metropolitan areas, where a glut of unproc
essed papers overturned the traditional market role of proc
essors. Both reflecting and compounding the problem was a
simultaneous decline in prices for exported wastepaper. See
Jerry Johnson, “Who Wants Yesterday’s Papers?” City
Paper, June 9-15, 1989, pp. 16-21.
Because the nature of reclaimed municipal ferrous scrap,
mainly tin-plated steel cans, limits its use as a raw material
for steel production, scrap processors will not face this prob
lem in the foreseeable future. See Raymond E. Brown,
APPENDIX:
37 Franklin D. Cooper, “Iron and Steel Scrap,” 1984,
p. 586.
Measurement techniques and limitations
Indexes of output per hour of all persons meas
ure changes in the relationship between the out
put of an industry and hours expended on that
output. An index of output per all person hours
is derived by dividing an index of output by an
index of industry all person hours.
The preferred output index for an industry is
obtained using data on quantities of the various
goods produced by the industry, each weighted
(multiplied) by the hours required to produce
one unit of each good in some specified base
period. Thus, those goods which require more
labor time to produce are given more impor
tance in the index. This technique was used to
develop the output index for the scrap and waste
processing industry. The output measure is
based on physical quantities of various groups
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
“Iron and Steel Scrap,” p. 5.
of industry products weighted together using
labor weights.
The indexes of output per hour relate output
to one input— labor time. The indexes do not
measure the specific contributions of labor, cap
ital, or any other single factor. Rather, they
reflect the joint effect of factors such as changes
in technology, capital investment, capacity uti
lization, plant design and layout, skill and effort
of the work force, managerial ability, and labormanagement relations.
The complete data series for the industry, in
cluding indexes of output per hour of all per
sons, hours of all persons, all persons, and ma
trixes showing year-to-year least squares
percent changes in the indexes are available
from the Bureau.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
31
Technical
notes
Employment Cost Index
rebased to June 1989
Albert E. Schwenk
Beginning with the publication of
March 1990 data, the Employment
Cost Index has been rebased from June
1981 to June 1989.1 All published e c i
series are affected and now have a
common base. The employment
weights will continue to be those ob
tained from the 1980 census. While re
basing changes the reference point
from which cumulative changes are
measured, it does not affect percent
changes calculated from the index, ex
cept for rounding.
This technical note describes the
e c i , explains why it was rebased, and
discusses the interpretation of the re
based index and subindexes and how
rebasing differs from re weighting.
What the index measures
The e c i is an employment-weighted
measure of change in the cost of em
ploying a fixed set of labor inputs.
Labor costs measured by the e c i in
clude wages, salaries, and the em
ployer cost for employee benefits. As
noted, the weights currently used are
employment counts from the 1980
census.
The e c i , a quarterly series, relates to
payroll periods including the 12th of
March, June, September, and Decem
ber. The data are presented as index
levels and 3-month and 12-month
changes.
Like other indexes, the e c i indexes
permit users to tell at a glance the cu
mulative change in a series from the
base month to any date for which data
are available. For example, as shown
Albert E. Schwenk is an economist in the Divi
sion o f Employment Cost Trends, Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
8
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized3for
FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
in table 1, the September 1989 index
level for civilian worker compensation
costs was 151.3, which means that
those costs had risen 51.3 percent from
the June 1981 base.
Indexes also permit users to directly
compare cumulative changes between
series that have a common base. For
example, table 1 also shows that by
September 1983, compensation costs
for State and local government workers
had risen 20.8 percent since June
1981, while costs for private industry
workers had risen 15.6 percent. By
September 1989, these costs had in
creased 67.9 percent and 47.9 percent.
Reason for rebasing
Although indexes are useful for eco
nomic analysis, they were not avail
able for all e c i series. For most new
series, only percent changes were pub
lished. A review of the development of
indexes from the e c i will show why
some were not published and why rebasing permits indexes to be published
for all series.
Index numbers from the e c i were
first published in early 1982. June
1981 was selected as the base for the
indexes because that month marked the
beginning of quarterly series in State
and local governments. Previously,
data had been available for private in
dustry only. With June 1981 as the
base, indexes could be developed for
all series published as of March 1982.
Over the 8 years since then, the
number of published series has more
than doubled, to over 200. Among the
new series have been wage and com
pensation cost changes for hospitals
and all health services, as well as busi
ness services, communications, food
stores, and insurance. Also added have
been measures of benefit cost changes
for major occupational and industry
groups.
Publication of most of the additional
series was made possible by a substan
tial increase in the e c i sample, the
result primarily of an effort by the Bu
reau of Labor Statistics to improve the
information available on the serviceproducing sector of the economy.2
However, indexes for the new series
could not be extended back to June
1981. By the September 1989 quarter,
indexes were available for fewer than
half of all e c i published series.
It would have been possible to pro
vide indexes for new series without
changing the index base (June 1981 =
100) for old series. This could have
been done by selecting as the base for
each series the date when data of pub
lishable quality were first available.
For example, 3-month changes for
hospitals became publishable in the
June-to-September-1986 quarter; thus,
June 1986 could have been the base for
this series. The following tabulation
presents compensation cost indexes for
hospitals with the June 1986 base and
for private industry with the June 1981
base:
June June
June
1986
P r iv a te in d u str y
H o s p ita ls
1987
1989
.
1 2 9 .9
1 3 3 .8
1 4 6 .1
____
1 0 0 .0
1 0 4 .6
1 1 8 .4
Note that the indexes are not compara
ble because they have different bases.
The use of quarterly and annual per
cent changes avoids this problem.
Therefore, only these percent changes
have been published for new series
lacking data back to 1981.
Examples of rebasing
Rebasing of the e c i was done, using
indexes with base June 1981 = 100, by
dividing the index value for June 1989
into the other index values and multi
plying by 100.3 To illustrate, in table
1, the civilian worker index level for
September 1989 with June 1989 as
base is found by dividing the former
index by the latter:
151.3/148.9 = 1.016
and then multiplying the relative
change by 100, yielding an index of
101.6.
Similarly, the index level for civil
ian worker compensation costs in Sep
tember 1983 with June 1989 as base is
found by dividing the former index by
the latter:
116.5/148.9 = 0.782
and then multiplying the relative
change by 100 to yield an index of
78.2.
The change in the index from one
quarter to another or from one year to
another is not affected by rebasing (ex
cept for rounding). The percent change
in the index for private industry work
ers between June 1989 and September
1989 is the same whether the index
used to calculate the quarterly change
has as a base June 1981, September
1983, or June 1989.
Rebasing compared to reweighting
In contrast to rebasing, re weighting
(the introduction of new employment
weights by industry and occupation)
alters the interpretation of percent
changes calculated from indexes but
leaves index numbers before reweight
ing unaltered.4 For example, prior to
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Table 1.
[June 1
Employment Cost Index, compensation costs, selected
series and periods
9
8
1
=
1
0
0
]
_______________________________
June
1981
Sept.
1983
Sept.
1985
June
1989
Sept.
1989
Civilian workers1 .................................................................
100.0
116.5
128.4
148.9
151.3
Private industry workers ................................................
State and local government workers ...........................
100.0
100.0
115.6
120.8
126.8
136.5
146.1
162.5
147.9
167.9
Series
1 Excludes farm, household, and Federal Government workers.
introduction of new e c i weights in
1986, the published percent changes
measured the change in the cost of the
1970 set of labor inputs. After 1986,
the changes measured the change in the
cost of the 1980 set of labor inputs.
The indexes for June 1986, using the
new weights, were linked to those for
March 1986, using the old weights,
and the indexes for the period prior to
June 1986 were not changed. After
June 1986, the user cannot tell, from
the published indexes alone, what the
index change would have been had
1970 weights continued to be used. □
Footnotes
1 The March 1990
eci
press release, to be is
sued April 25, presents indexes with the new
base. A complete listing o f eci historical data,
including indexes with the new base, is avail
able. Historical indexes will appear in the eci
annual bulletin, to be published in the fall. Re
based eci indexes will be published in the Cur
rent Labor Statistics section, beginning with the
June 1990 issue. A complete historical listing of
indexes on the old base will be available upon
request for two years.
2 In addition, in March 1989, bls began pub
lishing wage, benefit, and compensation cost
changes for detailed aerospace industries. The
new series were made possible when the
Aerospace Industries Association provided funds
for their development and maintenance.
3 Unpublished indexes with a base later than
June 1981 also were rebased.
4 See Albert E. Schwenk, “Introducing new
weights for the Employment Cost Index,”
Monthly Labor Review, June 1985, pp. 2 2 -2 7 .
The study showed that the reweighting had very
little impact on the indexes.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
39
Major
agreem ents
expiring
next month
This list of selected collective bargain
ing agreements expiring in May is
based on information collected by the
Bureau’s Office of Compensation and
Working Conditions. The list includes
agreements covering 1,000 workers or
more. Private industry is arranged in
order of Standard Industrial Classifica
tion. Labor organizations listed are af
filiated with the a f l - c i o , except where
noted as independent (Ind.).
C o n str u c tio n E m p lo y e r s o f H u d s o n V a l
l e y , I n c ., N e w b u r g h ,
w orkers
NY;
L a b o r e r s , 1 ,0 0 0
( ib
C o n str u c tio n In d u str ie s o f M a s s a c h u s e tts
and
o th e r s ,
m a
;
O p e r a tin g
E n g in e e r s ,
3 .0 0 0 w orkers
C o n str u c tio n In d u str y E m p lo y e r s A s s o
c ia t io n ,
B u f f a lo ,
;
C a r p e n te r s,
1 ,8 6 2
A llie d C o n str u c tio n E m p lo y e r s A s s o c ia
t io n , I n c ., M ilw a u k e e , w i; L a b o r e r s , 1 ,2 0 0
w orkers
1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s
),
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
e w
),
D e tr o it, m i ; E le c tr ic a l
3 ,0 0 0 w orkers
W orkers
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
w orkers
t io n , In terstate; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
3 ,0 0 0 w orkers
C o n str u c tio n In d u str y E m p lo y e r s A s s o
c ia t io n , B u f f a lo , n y ; L a b o r e r s , 1 ,2 0 0
w ork ers
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
t io n , L a s V e g a s , n v ; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
( ib e w ) , 1 ,0 0 0 w orkers
c ia t io n , B u f f a lo ,
1 ,2 0 0 w o r k e r s
Construction
e w
t io n ,
( ib
n y
C o n str u c tio n In d u str y E m p lo y e r s A s s o
Private industry
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
t io n ,
D a lla s ,
t x ;
E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
NY;
O p e r a tin g E n g in e e r s ,
( ib
e w
),
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
t io n , O r a n g e C o u n ty , c a ; E le c tr ic a l W o r k
e r s ( i b e w ) , 1 ,2 0 0 w o r k e r s
C o n tra c t A d m in is tr a tio n F u n d o f N o r th
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
e a ste r n C o lo r a d o an d R e fr ig e r a tio n a n d A ir
t io n , R o c k y M o u n ta in C h a p te r, c o ; E le c tr i
c a l W o r k e r s ( I B E W ) , 1 ,8 0 0 w o r k e r s
C o n d itio n in g
A s s o c ia t io n ,
D enver,
co;
P lu m b e r s , 2 , 0 6 2 w o r k e r s
A llie d C o n str u c tio n E m p lo y e r s A s s o c ia
t io n ,
I n c .,
M ilw a u k e e ,
w i;
C a r p e n te r s,
A s s o c ia t e d
B r ic k
n y
C o n tr a c to r s
A s s o c ia t io n ,
C h ic a g o , i l ; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
7 .0 0 0 w orkers
1 ,8 0 0 w o r k e r s
N e w Y ork,
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tr a c to r s A s s o c ia
E le c tr ic a l
;
M a so n
( ib
e w
),
C o n tr a c to r s,
In d e p e n d e n t
L a b o r e r s, 4 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
c o n tr a c to r s,
D e tr o it,
Mi;
B r ic k la y e r s , 1 ,8 0 0 w o r k e r s
A s s o c ia t e d B r ic k la y e r s a n d M a s o n C o n
tr a cto r s, W h ite P la in s ,
1 ,7 0 0 w o r k e r s
A s s o c ia t e d
NY;
A s s o c ia t e d
o h
C o n tra c to rs
of
C a r p e n te r s, 1 ,0 0 0
;
a z
;
C o n tr a c to r s,
C a r p e n te r s,
1 ,5 0 0
G en eral
C o n tr a c to r s,
w i;
A s s o c ia t e d S te e l E r e c to r s , C h ic a g o ,
;
il
A s s o c ia t io n ,
S t.
B r ic k la y e r s , 1 ,2 0 0 w o r k e r s
P lu m b in g
A s s o c ia t io n o f M a ste r P a in ter s a n d D e c
Y ork,
P a in te r s, 5 , 0 0 0
NY;
S h eet
nia; C a r p e n te r s, 2 , 7 0 0 w o r k e r s
B u ild in g
C o n tra c to rs
A s s o c ia t io n
a nd
C o n s tr u c tio n
L eague,
I n d ia n a p o lis ,
in
;
A s s o c ia t io n
G re a ter C h ic a g o a n d o th e r s , C h ic a g o ,
C em en t
A s s o c ia t io n ,
P lu m b e r s , 3 , 5 0 0 w o r k e r s
C h ic a g o ,
w orkers
M e ta l
il
;
C o n tra c to rs
A s s o c ia t io n ,
S h e e t M e ta l W o r k e r s , 4 , 0 0 0
S o u th w e s te r n M ic h ig a n C o n tr a c to r s , A s
c ia l a n d h e a v y in d u str y ), W e s te r n P e n n s y l
M e c h a n ic a l
il
C o n tra c to rs
A s s o c ia t io n ,
P lu m b e r s , 7 , 5 0 0 w o r k e r s
;
M id -A m e r ic a R e g io n a l B a r g a in in g A s
s o c ia tio n (h e a v y an d h ig h w a y ) ,
il
;
O p e ra t
M id -A m e r ic a R e g io n a l B a r g a in in g A s
s o c ia t io n , C h ic a g o , I L ; O p e r a tin g E n g i
n eers, 2 ,0 0 0 w orkers
C a r p e n te r s, 4 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
and
IL ;
P e n n s y lv a n ia ; L a b o r e r s , 5 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
in g E n g in e e r s , 2 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
C o n tr a c to r s
C o n tr a c to r s
C o o k C o u n ty ,
p e n d e n t c o n tr a c to r s, W e ste r n P e n n s y lv a
C h ic a g o ,
Iron W o r k e r s , 1 ,8 0 0 w o r k e r s
P la ste r e r s
C o n tra c to rs
MO;
t io n , C in c in n a ti, o h ; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
( ib e w ) , 1 ,0 0 0 w orkers
s o c ia t io n , S o u th w e s te r n M ic h ig a n ; L a b o r
e r s , 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s
v a n ia ; O p e r a tin g E n g in e e r s , 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s
C a r p e n te r s, 1 ,5 0 0 w o r k e r s
C o n c r e te
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
M a ste r B u ild e r s A s s o c ia t io n (c o m m e r
ern M ic h ig a n ; C a r p e n te r s, 1 ,5 0 0 w o r k e r s
o r a to r s, N e w
w orkers
M a so n
L o u is ,
N a tio n a l E le c tr ic a l C o n tra c to rs A s s o c ia
t io n , W a s h in g to n , D C ; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
( ib e w ) , 3 ,0 0 0 w orkers
;
M a ste r B u ild e r s A s s o c ia t io n , W e ste r n
A s s o c ia t e d G e n e r a l C o n tr a c to r s , S o u th
A s s o c ia t e d
n y
M a ste r B u ild e r s A s s o c ia t io n an d in d e
G en eral
B u ild e r s C h a p te r,
w orkers
In d e p e n d e n t e m p lo y e r s , N e w Y o r k ,
L ab orers, 2 ,5 0 0 w orkers
G en eral
O h io , I n c ., A k r o n ,
w orkers
B r ic k la y e r s ,
t io n , S a n F r a n c is c o , c a ; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
( i b e w ) , 1 ,3 0 0 w o r k e r s
M a so n s,
of
il
2 ,0 0 0
w orkers
4 0 forMonthly
Digitized
FRASERLabor Review
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
;
M id -A m e r ic a R e g io n a l B a r g a in in g A s
s o c ia t io n , i l ; B r ic k la y e r s , 5 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
M id -A m e r ic a R e g io n a l B a r g a in in g A s
s o c ia t io n ,
April 1990
il
;
C a r p e n te r s, 8 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
Textile mill products
C one
C lo th in g
w orkers
M ills
C o r p .,
G reen sb o ro ,
an d
T e x t ile
W ork ers,
NC;
2 ,5 0 0
Lumber and wood products, except
furniture
W o o d w o r k e r s A s s o c ia t io n , C h ic a g o ,
C a r p e n te r s, 1 ,5 0 0 w o r k e r s
il
;
Paper and allied products
C o n s o lid a te d
P aper,
w o rk ers, 2 ,3 3 2 w orkers
I n c .,
w i;
P a p e r-
L o n g v ie w
F ib re C o . , L o n g v ie w ,
m e n t), D e n v e r ,
Communications
Paper and allied products—Continued
G e n e r a l T e le p h o n e C o . o f th e N o r th
WA;
P u lp a n d P a p e r w o r k e r s ( I n d .) , 1 ,3 0 0 w o r k
w e s t , In terstate; E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
e rs
3 ,4 5 0 w orkers
S c o tt P a p e r , W e s t C o a s t D i v . , E v e r e tt,
w a
;
;
A lb e r ts o n ’s S to r e s (m e a t d e p a r tm e n t),
),
e w
D enver,
Pa
K in g
m a
;
U t ility W o r k
e rs, 3 ,0 0 0 w orkers
Chemicals and allied products
to n ,
E .I . D u P o n t d e N e m o u r s & C o . , W a y
;
U n ite d W o r k e r s , I n c . ( I n d .) ,
t x
;
E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
( ib
e w
),
4 ,9 0 0
Primary metals
K e y s t o n e C o n s o lid a te d In d u str ie s, I n c .,
il
Y ork;
E le c tr ic a l
W ork ers
( ib
e w
in
;
S te e lw o r k e r s , 3 , 7 0 0 w o r k e r s
;
W is c o n s in P o w e r an d L ig h t C o . , w i;
E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
Industrial and commercial machinery
S p er r y R a n d C o r p ., U n iv a c D i v . , S t.
E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s
( ib
e w
),
2 ,0 1 4
w orkers
Transportation equipment
( ib
e w
),
1 ,7 7 0 w o r k e r s
Retail trade—general merchandise
M a c y ’s
and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l W o r k e r s , 6 , 5 0 0
m e n t), D e n v e r ,
CO;
F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l
W ork ers, 4 ,5 0 0 w orkers
E m p o r iu m
d e p a r tm en t
D e n v e r , c o ; F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l W o r k
e r s , 1 ,4 0 0 w o r k e r s
Services
C o u n c il o f H a w a ii H o t e ls , N e ig h b o r I s
s to r e s , S a n F r a n c is c o , CA; F o o d a n d C o m
la n d s a g r e e m e n t,
m e r c ia l W o r k e r s , 3 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
W a r e h o u s e m e n ( I n d .) , 6 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s
Retail trade—food stores
N ew Y ork,
A lb e r ts o n ’s
S to r e s
(g r o c e r y
h i;
L o n g s h o r e m e n an d
H o te l A s s o c ia t io n o f N e w
M c D o n n e ll D o u g la s C o r p ., S t. L o u is ,
MO; M a c h in is ts , 1 0 ,5 4 7 w o r k e r s
;
w orkers
S a f e w a y F o o d S to r e s (m e a t d e p a r tm e n t),
S t e e lw o r k
e r s , 1 ,2 0 0 w o r k e r s
K r o g e r F o o d S to r e s , D a l l a s - F t . W o r th ,
S a f e w a y F o o d S to r e s (g r o c e r y d ep a rt
P a n h a n d le E a ste r n P ip e L in e C o . , In ter
1 ,2 0 0 w o r k e r s
o h
C o m m e r c ia l W o r k e r s , 4 , 5 0 0 w o r k e r s
t x
state; O il, C h e m ic a l an d A t o m ic W o r k e r s ,
tio n ( I n d .) , 1 ,2 0 0 w o r k e r s
D e n v e r , c o ; F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l W o r k
),
;
K e y s t o n e In d e p e n d e n t E m p lo y e e s A s s o c ia
;
d ep a rt
K r o g e r F o o d S to r e s , In terstate; F o o d and
N ia g a r a M o h a w k P o w e r C o r p ., u p sta te
N o r th e r n In d ia n a P u b lic S e r v ic e C o . ,
K e y s t o n e S t e e l a n d W ir e D i v . , P e o r ia ,
m n
(g r o c e r y
F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l
e r s , 1 ,4 0 0 w o r k e r s
8 ,1 0 0 w orkers
P a u l,
S to r e s
CO;
W ork ers, 4 ,0 0 0 w orkers
w orkers
N ew
1 ,4 6 0 w o r k e r s
O r m e t C o r p ., H a n n ib a l,
Soop er
K in g S o o p e r S to r e s (m e a t d e p a r tm e n t),
H o u s to n L ig h tin g an d P o w e r C o . , H o u s
v a
F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l W o r k
m e n t), D e n v e r ,
p e r w o r k e r s, 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s
n esb o ro ,
CO;
e r s , 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s
B o s t o n E d is o n C o . ,
g a
( ib
Utilities
P a p e r w o r k e r s, 1 ,1 0 0 w o r k e r s
U n io n C a m p C o r p ., S a v a n n a h ,
F o o d an d C o m m e r c ia l
CO;
W o r k e r s , 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s
d ep art-
n y
;
Y o r k C ity ,
H o te l and M o te l T r a d e s
C o u n c il, 2 5 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s .
Monthly Labor Review April 1990 41
Developm ents
in industrial
relations
Oil settlement
Amoco and the Oil, Chemical and
Atomic Workers ( o c a w ) reached a 3year agreement, covering 4,500 work
ers at several of the company’s facili
ties across the Nation. The accord sets
the pattern for settlements at other
major companies in the industry.
Nearly 40,000 employees in the
petroleum industry are represented by
o c a w in collective bargaining for some
300-350 agreements across the country.
Although the union bargains at the lo
cal level, bargaining objectives for cer
tain issues, such as wages and health
benefits, are determined at the national
level through the union’s National Oil
Bargaining Policy Committee.
At its conference last year, the Oil
Bargaining Policy Committee set as
bargaining goals a 2-year agreement
providing wage increases of $1.25 per
hour in each year and company contri
butions to the health plan equal to 90
percent of premiums. Other bargaining
objectives included fully paid dental
benefits; maintenance of all previous
terms and conditions of employment; a
$1 million death benefit for survivors
of an employee killed on the job; provi
sion for a guaranteed work force, or
minimum staffing levels; use of ac
crued sick leave for dependent child
care; provision for company paid train
ing for Department of Transportation
driving license tests; identical pay rates
for a specific skilled craft job at all
companies within the industry; a 50cent increase in shift differentials for
both midnight (to $1.50) and evening
(to $1) shifts, and the establishment of
a differential for daylight shiftwork (50
cents); and cooperation in environmen-
tal monitoring, including adding a new
classification (“operator/monitor”) at
the highest rate paid to an operating
employee.
Negotiations at the various oil com
panies began at the end of 1989. After
intermittent bargaining, the o c a w re
jected the first two offers from Amoco.
The union threatened to strike, but
agreed to extend the expiring contract
for 24-hour periods. Amoco and the
union reached an agreement immedi
ately after the expiration of their exist
ing contract.
The new accord provides for an 80cent-an-hour increase in wages in the
first year, a 5-percent increase in the
second year, and a 4.5-percent in
crease in the third year. (The union
estimates the average wage for refinery
workers will increase $2.36 over the
current rate of $15.18 per hour.) The
company will increase its monthly con
tribution to health care insurance by
$55 in the first year (formerly,
$200.50), $45 in the second year, and
$50 in the third year for family cover
age, and by $21 (formerly, $78.11),
$19, and $20, respectively, for single
coverage. Other terms include a
$250,000 death benefit for survivors of
an employee killed on the job; com
pany paid training of marketing and
transportation employees who must
take the Department of Transporta
tion’s driving license tests; and up to
26 weeks of leave at full pay for an
absence due to occupational illness or
injury, and an additional 26 weeks at
half pay. The union and company
were, however, unable to agree on en
vironmental monitoring.
Boeing settlement
“Developments in Industrial Relations” is pre
pared by Michael H. Cimini o f the Division of
Developments in Labor-Management Relations,
Bureau o f Labor Statistics, and is largely based
on information from secondary sources.
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In Seattle, w a , a 3-year agreement,
covering some 15,000 engineers and
scientists, was reached between the
Seattle Professional Engineering Em
ployees Association and The Boeing
Co. Negotiations had resulted in a ten
tative settlement in November, in
which most of the union’s demands
were met, except for those covering
general wage increases, lump-sum
payments, and cost-of-living al
lowances. The union had asked for
wage increases of 19 percent in the first
year and 8 percent in each of the sec
ond and third years, as well as lump
sum payments of 10 percent of gross
earnings during the preceding 12
months in the first year, 5 percent in
the second year, and 4 percent in the
last year of the contract. The com
pany’s final offer included a 3-percent
wage increase retroactive to December
3, 1989, and “selective adjustments”
(for certain employees) of 2 percent
every 6 months during the remaining
term of the contract. (See Monthly
Labor Review, March 1990, pp. 6364.) The rank and file overwhelmingly
rejected this tentative agreement, but
did not authorize a job action. Negotia
tions were resumed early this year, and
an accord was reached.
The new agreement provides for a
3-percent general wage increase retro
active to December 2, 1989; an imme
diate lump-sum payment equal to 10
percent of an employee’s gross earn
ings during the preceding 12 months,
followed by a similar 5-percent pay
ment in December 1991 and a 4-per
cent payment in December 1992; and
six 2-percent semiannual selective
wage adjustment increases.
Other terms include a limit on
mandatory overtime work, to 144
hours (formerly, 200) in a quarter and
to no more than two consecutive week
ends (formerly, four), and overtime
pay at base rate plus $6.50 per hour for
professional unit employees; improve
ments in health care, including cover
age of routine physical exams and
well-baby care, and enhanced benefits
for vision, inhome health and hospice
care, organ donor expenses, and sub
stance abuse and eating disorder treat
ment; a $500 increase in the annual
maximum dental benefit (to $1,500)
and $300 in the orthodontia maximum
(to $1,500); a pretax dependent care
spending account in 1991; and various
retirement plan changes, including a
$30 minimum monthly benefit for all
years of credited service for active em
ployees and an increase in retired em
ployees’ benefits, up to a maximum of
$200 per month.
New York building pact
Facing a strike deadline, the New York
Realty Advisory Board on Labor Rela
tions and the Service Employees
reached a 3-year agreement covering
some 30,000 building and service
maintenance workers in New York
City. The Board bargains for the own
ers of commercial office and loft
manufacturing buildings in four bor
oughs in the city.
Under the terms of the agreement,
wage rates for building supervisors
were raised 67.5 cents an hour on Jan
uary 1, 1990, 70 cents on January 1,
1991, and 75 cents on January 1, 1992.
Workers in other job classifications re
ceived increases of 55 cents, 57.5
cents, and 62.5 cents on the same
dates. In addition, the contract contin
ues the cost-of-living allowances each
year, equal to 4 cents per hour (up to
20 cents annually) for each 1-percent
rise in the b l s Consumer Price Index
for Urban Wage Earners ( c p i - w ) in ex
cess of 8.5 percent in the first year and
8 percent in the second year.
The contract also calls for the com
panies to pay all costs of a new benefit
package. Weekly employer contribu
tions to the health and welfare plans
were set at $52.05 per employee
(previously, $40.38), increasing to
$61.83 on January 1, 1991, and
$70.83 on January 1, 1992. The maxi
mum monthly pension benefit for ac
tive employees was increased to $550
on January 1, 1990 (from $525), and
advances to $575 on January 1, 1992;
pension benefits for retirees were in
creased by 5 percent, up to the maxi
mum rate for active employees. Life
insurance benefits increased to
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$25,000 on January 1, 1992 (previ
ously, $20,000).
Other terms include improvements
in dental benefits, legal services, and
meal allowances; establishment of un
paid parental leave of up to 2 weeks for
employees working in buildings with
more than three employees; and a $100
bonus for employees with perfect
yearly attendance.
Airline developments
After intensive bargaining sessions
conducted by a National Mediation
Board mediator, usAir and the Air Line
Pilots Association settled on a new 3year contract, covering 6,170 pilots,
including 2,700 who had been flying
for Piedmont Airlines before the merger
between the two air carriers. The Air
Line Pilots union previously had repre
sented pilots at both airlines under sep
arate contracts.
Terms of the new agreement, retro
active to September 1, 1988, call for a
two-tiered wage system similar to that
at Northwest Airlines. Salaries for pi
lots on the A-scale (those with more
than 5 years’ service) were increased 2
percent in 1988, 2.5 percent in 1989,
and 2 percent in 1990. For pilots on the
B-scale (those with 5 years or fewer of
service), rates were set at 70 percent of
the original single-tiered wage system
(previously, about 54 percent).
Other terms include the switch to a
managed care health insurance system;
the extension of an optional lump-sum
retirement benefit and joint survivor’s
benefits to all pilots; placement of lim
itations on the amount of flying time
that can be transferred from usAir to an
“alter ego” or subsidiary carrier; exten
sion of loss-of-license insurance to all
pilots; and a change in work rules to
allow training to go beyond midnight.
Elsewhere, in the air transportation
industry, pilots (flight deck crew mem
bers) at the United Parcel Service Co.’s
( u p s ) air express hub in Louisville, k y ,
repudiated the incumbent union, the
Teamsters, in a representation election
conducted by the National Mediation
Board. The Teamsters had been volun
tarily recognized by u p s in August
1987, when the company’s air express
service was started. Of the 811 pilots
eligible to vote, 757 voted for a newly
formed independent union, the Inde
pendent Pilots Association.
In another representation dispute,
the National Mediation Board found
that America West Airlines, a Phoenixbased air carrier, violated its em
ployees’ right to “freedom of choice”
in selecting a representative under the
Railway Labor Act in an election for
about 1,200 flight attendants. The
Board held that the carrier’s action
during the election campaign contami
nated the “laboratory conditions” nec
essary for a fair election. According to
the Board, America West “improperly
interfered with, influenced, and co
erced its flight attendants in their free
dom of choice by the ‘totality’ of its
conduct” by announcing and imple
menting certain work rule changes, by
implementing increases in layover ben
efits, and by distributing profit-sharing
bonuses during the election campaign.
As a remedy for the airline’s actions,
the Board ordered a re-run election
among the flight attendants and dis
tributed special notices to all employees,
as well as ballot materials, informing
eligible voters of the carrier’s past ac
tions and the employees’ right to select
a representative without America West’s
influence or interference.
Port agreement
Ending a 3-day job action, the Steam
ship Trade Association and five Inter
national Longshoremen’s Association
(ila) local unions agreed on a new 10month contract on local issues cover
ing about 2,300 dockworkers in the
Port of Baltimore. Baltimore was the
only port where a local contract was
not signed by October 1, 1989, the
target date set last summer when the
Longshoremen at East Coast and Gulf
Coast ports ratified a 14-month exten
sion of their master labor agreement.
(The master contract covers wages,
hours, benefit fund contributions, and
automation issues, while the local con
tract covers benefit levels and local
work rules and practices. See Monthly
Labor Review, September 1989, p. 46,
for terms of the extended contract.)
Although a tentative agreement had
been reached a week earlier, it unrav
eled, as disagreement between two lo
cals surfaced over staffing levels and
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
43
Developments in Industrial Relations
work rules. Under the tentative pact,
job opportunities for cargo handlers,
represented by Local 333, would have
been enhanced, while staffing for the
clerks and checkers, represented by
Local 953, would have been cut by as
many as 200 jobs. National union offi
cials claimed the provisions affecting
staffing levels for the clerks and check
ers conflicted with language under the
master contract.
The new contract, which expires in
10 months to coincide with the expira
tion of the master labor agreement that
covers all iLA-represented ports on the
Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, reportedly
contains contract language which pro
tects “jurisdiction under the master
contract.” Terms of the agreement in
clude a restructuring of job duties and
classifications, including a new classi
fication (utility worker); an increase in
the size of container crews (from 20 to
23); restoration of some of the jobs the
clerks and checkers would have lost;
clarification of contract language deal
ing with the union’s jurisdiction over
dockworkers’ jobs; and $1.50 an hour
premium pay for working in snow or
rain, as well as company supplied rain
gear. In addition, a 45-cent-an-hour in
crease in employer contributions to the
pension and welfare fund was incorpo
rated into the agreement.
Elsewhere, 1,540 dockworkers in
the port of New York and New Jersey
opted to retire under a 3-month en
hanced pension buyout program of
fered under the contract negotiated last
fall between the New York Shipping
Association and the i l a . T o decrease
the excess number of registered dockworkers, special retirement benefits
were offered to about 2,500 of the
port’s 5,800 workers who were age 55
with at least 25 years’ service. (Dockworkers in the port have an annual
guaranteed pay of 1,900 hours, or
about $34,000.)
Under the terms of the contract, the
retirees will receive special monthly
pension benefits ranging from $1,000
to $1,600, compared with the regular
monthly pensions of $880 to $1,045.
Retirees will also receive annual roy
alty benefits (currently around $3,000)
for the next 3 years and full medical
and clinic benefits until age 65, or for
a minimum of 3 years.
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Utility agreement
Two local unions of the Steelworkers
negotiated separate 3-year contracts in
coordinated bargaining with the North
ern Indiana Public Service, covering
about 2,300 production and 800 cleri
cal workers. The employees had been
working under a 2-year extension of an
agreement that originally was to expire
on May 31, 1988.
The pacts call for general wage in
creases of 2 percent in June of 1991
and 1992, and a lump-sum payment in
June 1990 equal to 7 percent of an em
ployee’s base wage as of May 31,
1990. In addition, the accords provide
for improved job security. Effective
January 1, 1991, the company will
provide reassignments for all em
ployees whose jobs are about to be
eliminated, rather than only for those
with 10 or more years of service as
occurred under the previous agree
ments. The clerical contract also places
a maximum on the number of tempo
rary positions and requires the com
pany to convert about 50 such posi
tions to full-time jobs.
Several improvements were made
in the health and insurance plans, ef
fective June 1, 1990. Major medical
coverage was increased $200,000 a
year (to $450,000) and life insurance
coverage was increased $10,000 (to
$50,000). A separate cap was es
tablished for psychiatric coverage,
$250,000 annually and $500,000 life
time (previously, under the major med
ical coverage cap).
Other terms include liberalized re
tirement eligibility requirements that
will allow employees whose combined
age and years of service equal 90 to
retire with full benefits on January 1,
1991, and those whose age and service
equal 80, on January 1, 1992. (Previ
ously, employees had to be age 60 to
retire with full benefits.) The minimum
monthly pension for future retirees in
creases to $250 (from $200) for em
ployees with 10 years’ service and to
$350 (from $250) for those with more
than 10 years’ service. Current re
tirees’ monthly pensions will increase
4 percent. Part-time employees are
now eligible for sick and personal
leave.
Grocery settlement
The Greater St. Louis Employers
Council and the Food and Commercial
Workers agreed on a new 45-month
contract covering 2,000 meat, deli,
and seafood department workers em
ployed at three area grocery chains in
the St. Louis, m o , area. The three
chains the Council bargained for were
Schnucks Markets, National Super
markets, and Dierbergs.
Wage rates for all job classifications
were increased 10-12 percent over the
term. All employees— head meatcutters, journeymen meatcutters, serv
ice journeymen, full-time wrappers,
clean-up workers, and deli and seafood
employees—received a 70-cent-perhour increase retroactive to September
3, 1989, and will receive 25-cent-perhour increases in September of 1990,
1991, and 1992. Part-time employees
at the top rate of the wage progression
schedule in the deli and seafood de
partments received wage increases of
40 cents per hour (to $6.90) in Septem
ber 1990, and 35 cents in September
1991. In addition, the period to pro
gress to the next wage level for parttimers was cut from 1,040 hours to
520.
The accord also called for improve
ments in the health and welfare plans.
To maintain the level of health and
welfare benefits for full-time workers,
the companies agreed to increase
their contributions to the plan by up
to 5 percent on January 1, 1990, and up
to 7 percent in August of 1990, 1991,
and 1992. Benefit levels for parttimers were also preserved, with com
pany contributions increasing 20 per
cent over the term. In addition,
company contributions to the plan
were increased $9.28 per month (to
$164.73) per employee to fund early
retirement benefits. Early retirement
benefits were liberalized by decreasing
the maximum penalty for early retire
ment from 60 percent to 20 percent of
normal retirement benefits for em
ployees who retire between ages 52
and 62.
The union defeated company at
tempts to continue lump-sum payments
instead of granting wage increases. It
also turned back company proposals to
sell prepackaged meats.
Teacher contracts
The St. Paul School Board and the St.
Paul Federation of Teachers negotiated
a new 2-year contract covering 2,600
teachers in St. Paul, m n . The settle
ment, which is retroactive to July 1,
1989, provides for 5-percent general
wage increases in both years, with
teachers having 2-10 years of experi
ence receiving additional first-year in
creases of $200-$ 1,260, depending on
their position in the salary schedule.
Base pay for teachers with no previous
experience was increased to $22,347
annually (previously, $21,423) in the
first year, and to $22,465 in the second
year.
The time in service to qualify for
longevity pay increases was reduced to
15 years and 20 years of service (previ
ously, 20 and 25). For teachers without
a degree, the longevity pay increase
will be $500 after 15 years, and an
additional $500 after 20 years. Teach
ers with a degree and 45 graduate cred
its will receive comparable payments
of $700 each, while teachers with a
degree and 60 graduate credits will be
paid $900 and $1,000, respectively.
Other terms include a $15 a month
increase per teacher in the school dis
trict’s maximum payment to health in
surance premiums (to $230) in the first
year and an additional $12 in the sec
ond year; up to 5 days of sick leave
(previously, 2) to care for sick family
members; 2 days of paid personal leave
per school year (previously, 1); use of
pretax pay up to a $5,000 maximum
for both child care and health care;
pay raises for teachers who serve as
driver education instructors or as team
leaders; up to 5 days casual leave with
out pay (was 2), depending on the
teacher’s seniority; and the establish
ment of various joint committees to
discuss school related issues, such as
class sizes and peer review procedures.
The Oklahoma City Federation of
Teachers signed a 1-year agreement,
retroactive to July 1, 1989, covering
2,200 teachers in Oklahoma City, o k .
The accord provides for a 2.5-percent
general wage increase, plus a 2.2percent longevity step increase for
teachers with at least 18 years of expe
rience. With the wage boosts, teachers
with a bachelor’s degree will earn
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$17,785-$26,375 annually (formerly,
$17,000-$25,340); those with a mas
ter’s degree, $19,205-$28,185 (for
merly, $18,050-$26,900); and with
a doctorate, $19,800-$29,255 (for
merly, $18,800-$27,950). In addi
tion, teachers with 18 years of ex
perience receive a one-time $400
lump-sum payment in March 1990,
plus an additional 2.2 percent or $400
longevity step increase. Teachers with
advanced degrees will receive an addi
tional $200 per year, plus an additional
$200 if their advanced degree is in
reading.
Other terms include a $10 per month
increase (to $65) in the school district’s
contribution to health premiums for
each teacher; annual school district
payments to the retirement fund of
$1,375 for each teacher earning
$25,000 or less, and $1,575 for those
earning more than $25,000; a $2 in
crease (to $12) in the “sick leave buy
back,” in which teachers who retire are
reimbursed for unused sick leave days;
a $250 increase (to $750) in education
assistance to teachers in declining en
rollment areas; and “severance” pay
ments equal to 20 percent of earnings
to teachers who are forced to resign or
retire during a reduction-in-force.
State government settlements
More than 2,400 teachers were cov
ered by a settlement between Minne
sota’s seven State universities and the
Inter Faculty Organization. Faculty
pay, which had ranged from $19,432 a
year for instructors to $47,598 for full
professors, will be increased by an av
erage of 5 percent in the first year and
6.36 percent in the second year.
Other important provisions included
a compression of the salary schedules,
from a four-track system to a two-track
system which, according to the union,
will allow for more salary advance
ment without promotion; increases in
payments for professional improve
ment and in study and travel; a $550
increase (to $1,000) in the maximum
annual employee contribution to a sup
plemental retirement fund, which is
matched dollar-for-dollar by the State;
and elimination of nontenure track
positions.
For the first time in their bargaining
history, the State of Michigan and the
Auto Workers, which represents
22,000 State employees, negotiated an
agreement with a duration exceeding
1 year. The 2-year agreement, which
covers wages only, provided for two
adjustments which will boost average
annual pay more than $3,650 during
the life of the contract. The increases
are 4 percent, or 50 cents an hour,
whichever is greater, and will become
effective on October 1 of 1990 and
1991.
Supreme Court decisions
The Supreme Court recently issued
two decisions which impinge on im
portant labor relations issues. The first
relates to preemption of Federal law in
collective bargaining and the second,
to age discrimination.
In Golden State Transit v. Los Ange
les, the Court ruled that State and local
governments can be sued for damages
if they improperly interfere in labor
disputes. The decision permits Golden
State Transit, a California taxi com
pany, to sue the City of Los Angeles
under a Reconstruction-era law, the
Civil Rights Act of 1871, commonly
referred to as Section 1983.
The case arose when the city refused
to renew Golden State Transit’s fran
chise at the time the company was in
volved in a bitter dispute with the
Teamsters union. The company then
sued the city, alleging that it had vio
lated Golden State Transit’s civil rights
under Federal labor law.
Writing for the six-member major
ity, Justice John Paul Stevens stated
that in an earlier phase of the case in
1986, the Supreme Court had found
that the city violated the company’s
Federal rights to conduct its collective
bargaining activities without interfer
ence from the city, that is, condition
ing the renewal of Golden State’s fran
chise on settlement of the pending
labor dispute with the Teamsters. The
Court cited the doctrine under which
States are preempted from regulating
activities, such as labor negotiations,
that are properly regulated by Federal
law. In the current phase of the case,
the Court decided that the National
Labor Relations Act granted the com
pany rights enforceable under Section
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
45
Developments in Industrial Relations
1983 and, thus, the body of law per
mits suits for damages.
In Hoffman—La Roche Inc. v. Sper
ling, the Supreme Court affirmed a dis
trict court decision which held that
Federal courts may assist employees
involved in alleged age discrimination
cases to contact other employees who
potentially may be eligible to join the
lawsuit. The district court had ordered
Hoffman-La Roche Inc., a subsidiary
of F. Hoffman-La Roche Co. of
Switzerland, to provide the names and
addresses of some 200 employees who
were potentially eligible to join the
class-action suit against the company
so that they might be contacted.
The suit arose out of action by the
company in 1985 to lay off or down
grade workers as part of their effort to
cut 1,200 jobs. Two employees filed
an age discrimination suit against the
company and were subsequently joined
by 400 other workers. The workers
then petitioned the court to notify an
additional 200 employees who had ac
cepted early retirement of their poten
tial interest in the lawsuit.
In the majority opinion written by
Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Court
found that when an age discrimination
suit is filed, a Federal court may notify
other potentially affected workers and
may require a company to provide
names and addresses of these workers.
This decision could affect future law
suits because age bias suits specifically
require formal notification to the court
of employees’ interests in the suit, un
like other Federal class actions which
assume all “similarly situated” persons
are eligible to participate in the lawsuit
unless they formally notify the court
that they are relinquishing their
interests.
q
A note on communications
The Monthly Labor Review welcomes communications that supplement,
challenge, or expand on research published in its pages. To be considered
for publication, communications should be factual and analytical, not
polemical in tone. Communications should be addressed to the Editorin-Chief, Monthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Depart
ment of Labor, Washington, DC 20212.
4 6 for
Monthly
Labor Review April 1990
Digitized
FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Book
reviews
The rewards of pioneering
The t u c Overseas: The Roots o f Pol
icy. By Marjorie Nicholson. Lon
don, Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1988,
329 pp. Available in the United
States from Allen & Unwin, New
York.
We often forget now at the end of the
1980’s that just a couple of decades
ago trade union officials in the newly
independent nations were being her
alded as the “leaders of the future.”
Conventional wisdom had it that colo
nial powers had so stifled leadership
potential among the colonized that
only two institutions could produce
qualified candidates, that is, the non
commissioned officer ranks of colonial
armies and indigenous trade unions.
Indeed, a number of new states were
guided to democratic development by
former trade union leaders, many of
whom possessed remarkable qualities
for political leadership and the vision
to change former subjects into citizens
capable of transforming colonial insti
tutions into democratic ones. More
often, though, the mantle of leadership
seemed to be taken by the ex-soldiers,
who, while having learned something
about organization, had rarely acquired
the gifts that are required for demo
cratic nation building.
In her book, The t u c Overseas: The
Roots o f Policy, Marjorie Nicholson
has examined in detail the efforts of
one of the world’s great trade union
institutions, the Trades Union Con
gress ( t u c ) , to build a base of trade
unionism in the British colonies. Al
though one might assume that the roots
of colonial trade unionism were first
planted during the period of the postWorld War II Labor Government in
Britain, the roots go back quite a bit
further and Nicholson, a longtime staff
member at the t u c , has done a thor
ough job of bringing them to view.
When the British Trades Union Con
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
gress began to explore international
contacts in the early part of this cen
tury, a natural link existed with the
Dominions. By 1913, the t u c was ex
changing fraternal delegates with the
Canadian Labor Congress. Nicholson
examines in detail the historic conflu
ence of events and personalities char
acterizing the t u c ’ s involvement with
labor movements throughout the Com
monwealth and beyond. The author
takes us to the t u c Congress of 1945 at
which George Meany, then secretary
of the American Federation of Labor,
appeared as a fraternal delegate. In a
vigorous speech, he denounced Soviet
“worker groups” and cautioned dele
gates about cooperating with statecontrolled organizations. It was not the
message that t u c delegates wanted to
hear, poised as they were to embark on
a mission to Paris to help found a new
world labor federation.
This book stops short of the postWorld War II experience that propelled
the t u c and other national trade union
centers into the midst of Third World
trade union development. But in this
work, the author masterfully traces the
steps taken by the t u c between World
War I and World War II to establish its
presence among newly emerging trade
union movements. The experience
gained by t u c leaders in this period
working with (and sometimes against)
the interests of British Government
ministries was invaluable for the future
roles that they and their successors
would play in the role of the t u c over
seas.
This book is an invaluable reference
source for students interested in inter
national trade union expansion and for
those who are curious about how the
t u c
engaged in trade union develop
ment in the former British Empire and
Commonwealth.
— Roger C. Schrader
V ie n n a ,
VA
Flexibility in employment
Labor Market Flexibility : A Compar
ative Anthology. Edited by Hedva
Sarfati and Catherine Kobrin.
Brookfield, V T , Gower, 1988.
355 pp.
One of the services of the International
Labour Office to practitioners and
students of industrial relations is the
quarterly, Social and Labour Bulletin.
It is a useful, succinct, and reliable
update on recent developments in
labor matters throughout the world. In
recent years, the editors of the Bulletin
have added commentaries on some
of the more important issues of the
day. They have also published ab
stracts on collective bargaining devel
opments and on the industrial relations
aspects of technological change. Labor
Market Flexibility, edited by Hedva
Sarfati and Catherine Kobrin, is of this
kind.
Lack of flexibility in the labor mar
ket has been put forward as a contribu
tory factor in the failure of many of the
advanced market economies to achieve
satisfactory economic growth and
lower unemployment. In the debate—
which has been particularly active
in European countries— attention has
been drawn to, for example, the ade
quacy of wage flexibility and labor
mobility, and laws regarding collec
tively agreed provisions and traditional
work practices which, arguably, un
duly restrict the operational efficiency
of enterprises. In line with the new
thinking about flexibility, steps have
been taken in some European countries
to facilitate more flexible working
time arrangements; to ease restrictions
on dismissals; to reduce demarcation
barriers between skills; and to extend
irregular forms of employment.
This present compilation includes a
comprehensive introductory review of
the flexibility debate by the editors,
followed by notes on various aspects
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
47
Book Reviews
by representatives of unions, employ
ers, government, and academic circles,
and selected reports of developments.
Notes and reports were taken from var
ious editions of the Bulletin beginning
in 1984, and touched on the major ele
ments of the debate. The editors con
clude that there is indeed a general
movement toward greater flexibility,
although the extent and means of
change vary between countries. They
note that the originally simplistic posi
tions commonly taken by the parties
have given way to more sophisticated
and less categorical views. They do not
fail to point out some of the dangers
involved in increasing flexibility, di
minishing workers’ protection, and
increasing segmentation the labor mar
ket, for example. Finally, they see a
joint approach and participation as
being desirable in moves to more flex
ible utilization of labor.
Except for the introduction, this is
not a book to read straight through. It
is, rather, a store of information which
will be useful to those who want to
keep track of developments in other
countries where flexibility is involved,
to ascertain the different approaches
followed, and the extent of change.
For such purposes, and to form a judg
ment on the flexibility debate, it is a
particularly valuable resource.
— Oliver Clarke
D e p a r tm e n t o f In d u str ia l R e la tio n s
U n iv e r s ity o f W e ste r n A u str a lia
Balancing work and family responsibilities
The newer family-supportive benefits are not just for protecting
employees and their families from calamities, but from the stresses of
everyday life— or the ability to balance work and family
responsibilities. Employee surveys at major corporations document the
stress and strains of this delicate balancing act. Workers with child
care or elder care responsibilities are three to six times more likely to
experience difficulty combining work and family responsibilities. Even
if successful, other problems, such as finding and paying for child
care, negatively affect work performance.
Parents usually piece together several child care arrangements to
cover their needs. Yet, the more arrangements, the more likely they
are to break down. Various studies show that when arrangements fall
apart, parents either leave early or arrive late—or miss the day
altogether. Even when a stable arrangement is achieved, emergencies
and illnesses are inevitable. Most studies indicate that parents are
absent about five days each year as a result of sick children. Elder
care concerns lead to similar results. In a study at Wang Laboratories,
one-third of caregivers said that elder care responsibilities negatively
affected their work. Caregivers were absent about five days per year
due to elder care.
48
Monthly
Labor Review April 1990
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
— Dana E. Friedman and Wendy B. Gray
“A L if e C y c le A p p r o a c h to
Perspectives,
F a m ily B e n e f it s an d P o li c ie s ,”
N o . 19 (T h e C o n fe r e n c e B o a r d ,
I n c ., 1 9 8 9 ) , p . 5 .
P erth
Current
labor
statistics
TTTTt TTTTTTTT
ttffltfflffltmtfflttttl
Notes on Current Labor Statistics .............
so
Comparative indicators
1. Labor market indicators................................................................
2. Annual and quarterly percent changes in compensation,
prices, and productivity ...........................................................
3. Alternative measures of wage and compensation
c h a n g e s...........................................................................................
60
61
61
Labor force data
4. Employment status of the total population,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
5. Employment status of the civilian population,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
6. Selected employment indicators, data seasonally adjusted .
7. Selected unemployment indicators,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
8. Unemployment rates by sex and age,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
9. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
10.
11.
12.
13.
62
63
64
65
66
66
Duration of unemployment, data seasonally adjusted .........
Unemployment rates of civilian workers, by State .............
Employment of workers, by State .........................................
Employment of workers, by industry,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
14. Average weekly hours, by industry,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
15. Average hourly earnings, by industry,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
66
67
67
16. Average hourly earnings, by industry ..................................
17. Average weekly earnings, by industry ..................................
18. Diffusion indexes of employment change,
data seasonally adjusted ........................................................
19. Annual data: Employment status
of the noninstitutional population .........................................
20. Annual data: Employment levels, by industry ...................
21. Annual data: Average hours and earnings levels,
by industry ...............................................................................
70
71
68
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
27. Average specified compensation and wage adjustments,
bargaining situations covering 1,000 workers or more . . .
28. Average effective wage adjustments, bargaining situations
covering 1,000 workers or m o r e ..............................................
29. Specified compensation and wage adjustments,
State and local government bargaining situations
covering 1,000 workers or m o r e .............................................
30. Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more ..............
79
80
80
80
Price data
31. Consumer Price Index: U .S. city average, by expenditure
category and commodity and service groups ......................
32. Consumer Price Index: U .S. city average and local data,
all items ........................................................................................
33. Annual data: Consumer Price Index, all items
and major g r o u p s.........................................................................
34. Producer Price Indexes, by stage of p rocessin g .....................
35. Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product ................
36. Producer Price Indexes for the net output of major
industry groups ...........................................................................
37. Annual data: Producer Price Indexes, by stage o f
p rocessin g......................................................................................
38. U .S. export price indexes, by Standard International
Trade C lassification ....................................................................
39. U .S. import price indexes, by Standard International
Trade C lassification ....................................
81
84
85
86
86
87
87
88
89
69
70
72
40. U .S. export price indexes by end-use category ....................
41. U .S. import price indexes by end-use ca teg o ry ....................
42. U .S. export price indexes, by Standard Industrial
Classification ...............................................................................
43. U .S. import price indexes, by Standard Industrial
Classification ...............................................................................
90
90
90
91
Productivity data
73
73
74
Labor compensation
and collective bargaining data
22. Employment Cost Index, compensation,
by occupation and industry g ro u p ...........................................
23. Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries,
by occupation and industry g ro u p ...........................................
24. Employment Cost Index, benefits, private industry
workers, by occupation and industry g r o u p .........................
25. Employment Cost Index, private nonfarm workers,
by bargaining status, region, and area size .........................
26. Specified compensation and wage adjustments
from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments,
situations covering 1,000 workers or more .........................
Labor compensation
and collective bargaining data—Continued
44. Indexes of productivity, hourly compensation,
and unit costs, data seasonally a d ju sted ................................
45. Annual indexes of multifactor productivity ...........................
46. Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation,
unit costs, and p r ic e s ..................................................................
47. Annual productivity indexes for selected industries..............
91
92
93
94
International comparisons data
75
76
77
78
79
48. Unemployment rates in nine countries,
data seasonally adjusted ...........................................................
49. Annual data: Employment status of civilian working-age
population, 10 countries ...........................................................
50. Annual indexes of productivity and related measures,
12 countries ..................................................................................
96
97
98
Injury and illness data
51. Annual data: Occupational injury and illness
incidence rates .............................................................................
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
99
49
Notes on Current Labor Statistics
T h is s e c tio n o f th e
Review
p r e se n ts th e
s h o w n in ta b le 1 5 — are a d ju ste d to e lim i
p r in c ip a l sta tistic a l s e r ie s c o lle c t e d a n d c a l
n a te th e e f f e c t o f c h a n g e s in p r ic e . T h e s e
c u la te d b y th e B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis
a d ju stm e n ts are m a d e b y d iv id in g cu rren t-
tics: s e r ie s o n la b o r fo r c e ; e m p lo y m e n t;
d o lla r v a lu e s b y th e C o n s u m e r P r ic e In d e x
u n e m p lo y m e n t; c o lle c t iv e b a r g a in in g s e t
o r th e a p p ro p ria te c o m p o n e n t o f th e in d e x ,
tle m e n ts; c o n s u m e r , p r o d u c e r , a n d in te rn a
th e n m u ltip ly in g
tio n a l
in te rn a tio n a l
g iv e n a c u rren t h o u r ly w a g e rate o f $ 3 and
c o m p a r is o n s ; a n d in ju r y an d illn e s s s ta tis
tic s . In th e n o te s that f o l lo w , th e d a ta in
a cu rren t p r ic e in d e x n u m b e r o f 1 5 0 , w h e r e
e a c h g r o u p o f ta b le s are b r ie fly d e sc r ib e d ;
1 9 7 7 d o lla r s is $ 2 ( $ 3 /1 5 0
p r ic e s;
p r o d u c tiv ity ;
by
100.
Symbols
n . e .c .
=
n o t e ls e w h e r e c la s s if ie d ,
n .e .s .
=
n o t e ls e w h e r e s p e c ifie d .
p
=
p r e lim in a r y .
F o r e x a m p le ,
1 9 7 7 = 1 0 0 , th e h o u r ly rate e x p r e s s e d in
x
s u e d b a s e d o n r e p r e se n ta
100 = $ 2 ).
k e y d e fin itio n s are g iv e n ; n o te s o n th e d a ta
T h e $ 2 (o r a n y o th e r r e s u ltin g v a lu e s ) are
are s e t forth ; a n d s o u r c e s o f a d d itio n a l in
fo r m a tio n are c ite d .
d e s c r ib e d a s “r e a l,” “c o n s ta n t,” o r “ 1 9 7 7 ”
d o lla r s .
General notes
Additional information
T h e f o llo w in g n o te s a p p ly to s e v e r a l ta b le s
in th is se c tio n :
tio n are p u b lis h e d b y th e B u r e a u in a v a r i
e ty o f s o u r c e s . N e w s r e le a s e s p r o v id e th e
T o in c r e a s e th e
tim e lin e s s o f s o m e s e r ie s ,
p r e lim in a r y fig u r e s are i s
t iv e b u t in c o m p le te retu rn s.
r
=
r e v is e d .
G e n e r a lly , th is
v is io n
r e fle c ts
a b ility
of
th e
la ter
d a ta
m ay
a ls o
r e fle c t
a d ju stm e n ts.
re
a v a il
but
o th e r
D a ta th a t s u p p le m e n t th e ta b le s in th is s e c
Seasonal adjustment.
C e rta in m o n th ly
la te s t sta tistic a l in fo r m a tio n p u b lis h e d b y
an d q u a rterly d a ta are a d ju ste d to e lim in a te
th e B u r e a u ; th e m a jo r rec u r rin g r e le a s e s are
th e e f f e c t o n th e d a ta o f s u c h fa c to r s as
p u b lis h e d a c c o r d in g to th e s c h e d u le a p
c lim a tic
p e a r in g o n th e b a c k c o v e r o f th is is s u e .
c o n d it io n s ,
in d u str y
p r o d u c tio n
Comparative Indicators
(T a b le s 1 - 3 )
C o m p a r a tiv e in d ic a to r s ta b le s p r o v id e an
o v e r v ie w an d c o m p a r is o n o f m a jo r B L S
s c h e d u le s , o p e n in g a n d c lo s in g o f s c h o o ls ,
M o r e in fo r m a tio n a b o u t la b o r fo r c e , e m
h o lid a y b u y in g p e r io d s , an d v a c a tio n p r a c
sta tistic a l s e r ie s . C o n s e q u e n tly , a lth o u g h
p lo y m e n t ,
and
t ic e s , w h ic h m ig h t p r e v e n t sh o rt-te rm e v a l
m a n y o f th e in c lu d e d s e r ie s are a v a ila b le
th e h o u s e h o ld an d e s ta b lis h m e n t su r v e y s
u n d e r ly in g th e d ata are a v a ila b le in Em
c o n ta in in g d a ta that h a v e b e e n a d ju ste d are
m o n th ly , a ll m e a s u r e s in th e s e c o m p a r a tiv e
ta b le s are p r e s e n te d q u a rte r ly an d a n n u a lly .
ployment and Earnings,
id e n tifie d a s “ s e a s o n a lly
tio n o f th e B u r e a u . M o r e d ata fr o m th e
Labor market indicators in c lu d e e m
p lo y m e n t m e a su r e s fr o m t w o m a jo r su r
u a tio n
of
th e
sta tistic a l
s e r ie s .
T a b le s
a d ju s te d .” ( A ll
o th e r d a ta are n o t s e a s o n a lly
and
u n e m p lo y m e n t
d a ta
a m o n th ly p u b lic a
a d ju s te d .)
h o u s e h o ld su r v e y are p u b lis h e d in th e d ata
S e a s o n a l e f fe c t s are e s tim a te d o n th e b a s is
Revised Seasonally
Adjusted
Labor Force Statistics , B u lle tin 2 3 0 6 , an d
Labor Force Statistics Derived From the
Current Population Survey, B u lle tin 2 3 0 7 .
o f p a s t e x p e r ie n c e . W h e n n e w s e a s o n a l f a c
tors are c o m p u te d e a c h y e a r , r e v is io n s m a y
a ffe c t s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d d a ta fo r se v e r a l
p r e c e d in g y e a r s .
S e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d d a ta a p p ea r in ta b le s
1 - 3 , 4 - 1 0 , 1 3 - 1 5 , 1 7 - 1 8 , 4 4 , an d 4 8 .
b ook s—
M o r e d a ta fr o m th e e s ta b lis h m e n t su r v e y
a p p ea r in tw o d a ta b o o k s — Employment,
v e y s an d in fo r m a tio n o n ra tes o f c h a n g e in
c o m p e n s a tio n p r o v id e d b y th e E m p lo y m e n t
C o st In d ex
(e
p a r tic ip a tio n
c i)
p r o g r a m . T h e la b o r fo r c e
r a te,
th e
e m p lo y m e n t-to -
p o p u la tio n r a tio , a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t ra tes
fo r m a jo r d e m o g r a p h ic g r o u p s b a s e d o n th e
C u rren t P o p u la tio n ( “h o u s e h o ld ”) S u r v e y
Hours, and Earnings, United States, and
Employment, Hours, and Earnings, States
and Areas, a n d th e s u p p le m e n ts to th e s e
m e n t an d a v e r a g e w e e k ly h o u rs b y m a jo r
r e fle c t th e
d a ta b o o k s . M o r e d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n o n
e x p e r ie n c e th r o u g h 1 9 8 9 . S e a s o n a lly a d
tural p a y r o ll d ata. T h e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t
e m p lo y e e c o m p e n s a tio n an d c o lle c t iv e bar
j u s te d e s ta b lis h m e n t su r v e y d a ta s h o w n in
In d e x (c o m p e n s a tio n ), b y m a jo r se c to r and
g a in in g
th e
b y b a r g a in in g sta tu s, is c h o s e n fr o m a v a r i
Current Wage Devel
e ty o f bls c o m p e n s a tio n an d w a g e m e a
S e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d la b o r fo r c e d a ta in ta
b le s 1 an d 4 - 1 0 w e r e r e v is e d in th e F eb ru
ary 1 9 9 0 is s u e o f th e
Review a n d
ta b le s 1 3 - 1 5 a n d 1 7 - 1 8 w e r e r e v is e d in th e
J u ly 1 9 8 9
Review a n d r e fle c t
th e e x p e r ie n c e
s e ttle m e n ts
m o n th ly p e r io d ic a l,
opments.
is
p u b lis h e d
in
M o r e d e ta ile d d a ta o n c o n s u m e r
th r o u g h M a rc h 1 9 8 9 . A b r ie f e x p la n a tio n
a n d p r o d u c e r p r ic e s are p u b lis h e d in th e
o f th e s e a s o n a l a d ju stm e n t m e th o d o lo g y
ap p ea r s in “N o t e s o n th e d a ta .”
port,
R e v is io n s
in
th e p r o d u c tiv ity
d a ta in
The c p i Detailed Re
Producer Price Indexes. D e ta ile d
m o n th ly p e r io d ic a ls ,
and
d a ta o n a ll o f th e s e r ie s in th is s e c tio n are
ta b le 4 4 are u s u a lly in tr o d u c e d in th e S e p
p r o v id e d in th e
te m b e r is s u e . S e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d in d e x e s
tics,
Handbook of Labor Statis
w h ic h is p u b lis h e d b ie n n a lly b y th e
are p r e s e n te d , w h ile m e a s u r e s o f e m p lo y
in d u str y s e c to r are g iv e n u s in g n o n a g r ic u l-
su r e s b e c a u s e it p r o v id e s a c o m p r e h e n s iv e
m e a su r e o f e m p lo y e r c o s t s fo r h ir in g la b o r ,
n o t ju s t o u tla y s fo r w a g e s , and it is n o t
a ffe c te d b y e m p lo y m e n t s h ifts a m o n g o c
c u p a tio n s an d in d u str ie s.
D a ta o n changes in compensation,
prices, and productivity are p r e se n te d in
a n d p e r c e n t c h a n g e s fr o m m o n th -to -m o n th
B ureau,
b u lle tin s are is s u e d c o v e r in g
a n d q u a rter-to -q u a rter are p u b lis h e d fo r n u
ta b le 2 . M e a s u r e s o f ra tes o f c h a n g e o f
c o m p e n s a tio n a n d w a g e s fr o m th e E m p lo y
bls
m e r o u s C o n s u m e r an d P r o d u c e r P r ic e In
p r o d u c tiv ity , in ju ry an d illn e s s , an d o th e r
d a ta in th is s e c tio n . F in a lly , th e Monthly
d e x s e r ie s . H o w e v e r , s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d
Labor Review
in d e x e s are n o t p u b lis h e d fo r th e U . S . a v e r
a g e A ll Ite m s c p i . O n ly s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d
a n n u a l a n d lo n g e r term d e v e lo p m e n ts in
la b o r
p ercen t
s e r ie s .
p lo y m e n t; e m p lo y e e c o m p e n s a tio n an d
c o lle c t iv e b a r g a in in g ; p r ic e s; p r o d u c tiv ity ;
changes
Adjustments
are
a v a ila b le
for
price
fo r
th is
changes.
S o m e d ata— su c h a s th e “r e a l” e a r n in g s
50
Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
fo r c e ,
c a r r ie s a n a ly tic a l a r tic le s o n
e m p lo y m e n t,
an d
un em
in te r n a tio n a l c o m p a r is o n s ; an d in ju r y and
illn e s s d ata.
m e n t C o s t I n d e x p r o g r a m are p r o v id e d fo r
a ll c iv ilia n
n o n fa r m
w orkers
(e x c lu d in g
F e d e r a l an d h o u s e h o ld w o r k e r s ) an d fo r all
p r iv a te
n o n fa r m
w ork ers.
M easu res
of
c h a n g e s in: c o n s u m e r p r ic e s fo r a ll urban
c o n s u m e r s ; p r o d u c e r p r ic e s b y
s ta g e o f
p r o c e s s in g ; an d th e o v e r a ll e x p o r t and im
p o rt p r ic e in d e x e s are g iv e n . M e a s u r e s o f
t h o s e w h o d id
A t th e e n d o f e a c h c a le n d a r y e a r , s e a s o n
are p r o v id e d fo r m a jo r s e c to r s .
n o t w o r k d u rin g th e su r v e y w e e k , b u t w e r e
a lly a d ju ste d d a ta fo r th e p r e v io u s 5 y e a r s
Alternative measures of wage and
compensation rates of change, w h ic h reflect
a v a ila b le fo r w o r k e x c e p t fo r te m p o r a r y ill
are r e v is e d , an d p r o je c te d s e a s o n a l a d ju st
n e s s an d h a d lo o k e d fo r j o b s w ith in th e
th e o v e r a ll tren d in la b o r c o s t s , are s u m m a
r iz e d in ta b le 3 . D if f e r e n c e s in c o n c e p ts
p r e c e d in g 4 w e e k s . P e r so n s w h o d id n o t
a n d s c o p e , r e la te d to th e s p e c if ic p u r p o se s
o r w a itin g to start n e w j o b s w ith in th e n e x t
m e n t fa c to r s are c a lc u la te d fo r u s e d u rin g
t h e J a n u a r y - J u n e p e r io d . In J u ly , n e w
s e a s o n a l a d ju stm e n t fa c to r s , w h ic h in c o r
p o r a te th e e x p e r ie n c e th r o u g h J u n e , are
p r o d u c e d fo r th e J u ly - D e c e m b e r p e r io d b u t
p r o d u c tiv ity (o u tp u t p er h o u r o f a ll p e r s o n s )
Unemployed persons are
lo o k fo r w o r k b e c a u s e th e y w e r e o n la y o f f
o f th e s e r ie s , c o n tr ib u te to th e v a r ia tio n in
3 0 d a y s are a ls o c o u n te d a m o n g th e u n e m
c h a n g e s a m o n g th e in d iv id u a l m e a s u r e s .
p lo y e d . T h e
overall unemployment rate
r e p r e se n ts th e n u m b e r u n e m p lo y e d a s a per
c e n t o f th e la b o r fo r c e , in c lu d in g th e r e s i
Notes on the data
d en t A rm ed F o rc es. T h e
civilian unemploy
D e f in it io n s o f e a c h s e r ie s a n d n o te s o n th e
ment rate represents the nu m ber u n em p lo y e d
d a ta are c o n ta in e d in la ter s e c tio n s o f th e s e
a s a p e r c e n t o f th e c iv ilia n la b o r f o r c e .
n o te s d e s c r ib in g e a c h s e t o f d a ta . F o r d e
ta ile d d e s c r ip tio n s o f e a c h d a ta s e r ie s , s e e
bls
Handbook of Methods,
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5
The
labor force c o n s is t s
o r u n e m p lo y e d c iv ilia n s p lu s m e m b e r s o f
th e A r m e d F o r c e s sta tio n e d in th e U n ite d
(B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ) , a s w e ll
S ta te s . P e r s o n s
a s th e a d d itio n a l b u lle tin s , a r tic le s , a nd
th o s e n o t c la s s if ie d a s e m p lo y e d o r u n e m
o th e r p u b lic a tio n s n o te d in th e se p a r a te s e c
p lo y e d ; th is g r o u p in c lu d e s p e r s o n s w h o are
are
L abor
r etire d , th o s e e n g a g e d in th e ir o w n h o u s e
S ta tis tic s N o t e s . ” U s e r s m a y a ls o w is h to
w o r k , th o s e n o t w o r k in g w h ile a tte n d in g
c o n s u lt Major Programs, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, R e p o r t 7 1 8 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r
lo n g -te r m illn e s s , t h o s e d is c o u r a g e d fr o m
S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ).
s e e k in g w o r k b e c a u s e o f p e r so n a l o r jo b -
tio n s
of
th e
Review's
“ C u rren t
s c h o o l, th o s e u n a b le to w o r k b e c a u s e o f
m a r k e t fa c to r s , an d th o s e w h o are v o lu n ta r
ily id le . T h e
Additional sources of information
F o r d e ta ile d e x p la n a tio n s o f th e d a ta , s e e
Handbook of Methods, B u lle tin 2 2 8 5
BLS
(B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ) , an d fo r
o f a ll e m p lo y e d
not in the labor force
n o r é v is o n s are m a d e in th e h is to r ic a l d ata.
noninstitutional population
c o m p r is e s a ll p e r s o n s 1 6 y e a r s o f a g e and
a d d itio n a l d a ta , Handbook of Labor Statis
tics , B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis
tic s , 1 9 8 9 ) . H is to r ic a l u n a d ju ste d d ata fr o m
1 9 4 8 to 1 9 8 7 are a v a ila b le in Labor Force
Statistics Derived from the Current Popu
lation Survey, B u lle tin 2 3 0 7 (B u r e a u o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ) . H is to r ic a l s e a s o n
a lly a d ju ste d d a ta ap p ea r in Labor Force
Statistics Derived from the Current Popu
lation Survey: A Databook, V o l . II, B u l
le tin 2 0 9 6 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
1 9 8 2 ) , an d Revised Seasonally Adjusted
Labor Force Statistics, 1978-87, B u lle tin
2 3 0 6 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ).
A c o m p r e h e n s iv e d is c u s s io n o f th e d if
Employment
and Unemployment Data
o ld e r w h o are n o t in m a te s o f p e n a l or m e n
th e a g e d , in fir m , o r n e e d y , an d m e m b e r s o f
f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n h o u s e h o ld an d e s ta b lis h
m e n t d a ta o n e m p lo y m e n t a p p ea rs in G lo r ia
(T a b le s 1; 4 - 2 1 )
th e A r m e d F o r c e s sta tio n e d in th e U n ite d
P . G r e e n , “ C o m p a r in g e m p lo y m e n t e s t i
labor force participation rate
m a te s fr o m h o u s e h o ld an d p a y r o ll su r
v e y s , ” Monthly Labor Review, D e c e m b e r
tal in s titu tio n s , sa n ita r iu m s, o r h o m e s fo r
S ta te s . T h e
Household survey data
is th e p r o p o r tio n o f th e n o n in s titu tio n a l
p o p u la tio n th at is in th e la b o r fo r c e . T h e
employment-population ratio is to ta l e m
1969, pp. 9 -2 0 .
Description of the series
p lo y m e n t ( in c lu d in g th e r e s id e n t A r m e d
F o r c e s ) a s a p e r c e n t o f th e n o n in stitu tio n a l
Establishment survey data
p o p u la tio n .
Description of the series
Notes on the data
E M P L O Y M E N T , H O U R S , A N D E A R N IN G S D A T A
h o ld s s e le c t e d to r e p r e se n t th e U . S . p o p u la
F r o m tim e to t im e , an d e s p e c ia lly a fter a
tio n 1 6 y e a r s o f a g e a n d o ld e r . H o u s e h o ld s
are in te r v ie w e d o n a r o ta tin g b a s is , s o th a t
d e c e n n ia l c e n s u s , a d ju stm e n ts are m a d e in
in th is s e c tio n are c o m p ile d fr o m p a y r o ll
r e c o r d s r ep o rte d m o n th ly o n a v o lu n ta r y
b a s is to th e B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s and
its c o o p e r a tin g S ta te a g e n c ie s b y m o r e th an
3 0 0 , 0 0 0 e s ta b lis h m e n ts r e p r e se n tin g a ll in
th r e e -fo u r th s o f th e s a m p le is th e s a m e fo r
r ec t fo r e s tim a tin g errors d u rin g th e in ter-
a n y 2 c o n s e c u t iv e m o n th s .
c e n s a l y e a r s . T h e s e a d ju stm e n ts a f f e c t th e
E
m p l o y m e n t d a t a
in th is s e c tio n are o b
ta in e d fr o m th e C u rren t P o p u la tio n S u r v e y ,
a p rogram o f p e r so n a l in te r v ie w s c o n
d u c te d m o n th ly b y th e B u r e a u o f th e C e n
s u s fo r th e B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s . T h e
s a m p le c o n s is t s o f a b o u t 6 0 , 0 0 0 h o u s e
th e C urrent P op u lation S u rv ey figu res to co r
c o m p a r a b ility o f h is to r ic a l d a ta . A d e s c r ip
Definitions
tio n o f th e s e a d ju stm e n ts an d th e ir e f f e c t o n
the variou s data series appear in the E xp lan a
Employed persons
in c lu d e (1 ) a ll c iv i l
to ry N o t e s o f
Employment and Earnings.
ia n s w h o w o r k e d fo r p a y a n y tim e d u rin g
L a b o r fo r c e d a ta in ta b le s 1 an d 4 - 1 0 are
th e w e e k w h ic h in c lu d e s th e 1 2 th d a y o f th e
s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d b a s e d o n th e e x p e r i
m o n th o r w h o w o r k e d u n p a id fo r 15 h o u rs
o r m o r e in a f a m ily - o p e r a t e d e n te r p r is e
e n c e th r o u g h D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 9 . S in c e Jan u
a n d (2 ) th o s e w h o w e r e te m p o r a r ily a b s e n t
b e e n s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d w ith a p r o c e d u r e
fr o m th e ir r e g u la r j o b s b e c a u s e o f illn e s s ,
c a lle d X - l l
v a c a tio n , in d u str ia l d is p u te , o r s im ila r r ea
at S ta tis tic s C a n a d a a s an e x t e n s io n o f th e
s o n s . M e m b e r s o f th e A r m e d F o r c e s sta
sta n d ard X - l l m e th o d p r e v io u s ly u s e d b y
tio n e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s are a ls o in c lu d e d
ary 1 9 8 0 , n a tio n a l la b o r fo r c e d a ta h a v e
b l s
.
A R IM A
w h ic h w a s d e v e lo p e d
A d e ta ile d d e s c r ip tio n o f d ie p r o c e
in th e e m p lo y e d to ta l. A p e r so n w o r k in g at
d u re ap p ea r s in th e
X - ll ARIMA Seasonal
m o r e th a n o n e j o b is c o u n te d o n ly in th e j o b
Adjustment Method ,
b y E s te la B e e D a g u m
at w h ic h h e o r s h e w o r k e d th e g r e a te s t
( S t a t i s t i c s C a n a d a , C a t a lo g u e N o .
n u m ber o f hou rs.
5 6 4 E , F eb ru a ry 1 9 8 0 ).
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
12-
d u str ie s e x c e p t a g r ic u ltu r e . In m o s t in d u s
tr ie s , th e sa m p lin g p r o b a b ilitie s are b a s e d
o n th e s iz e o f th e e s ta b lis h m e n t; m o s t la r g e
e s ta b lis h m e n ts are th e r e fo r e in th e s a m p le .
(A n e s ta b lis h m e n t is n o t n e c e s s a r ily a firm ;
it m a y b e a b r a n c h p la n t, fo r e x a m p le , or
w a r e h o u s e .) S e lf - e m p lo y e d p e r s o n s an d
o th e r s n o t o n a r e g u la r c iv ilia n p a y r o ll are
o u ts id e th e s c o p e o f th e su r v e y b e c a u s e
th e y are e x c lu d e d fr o m e s ta b lis h m e n t
r e c o r d s. T h is la r g e ly a c c o u n ts fo r th e d if
fe r e n c e in e m p lo y m e n t fig u r e s b e t w e e n th e
h o u s e h o ld an d e s ta b lis h m e n t s u r v e y s .
Definitions
A n establishment is an e c o n o m ic u n it
w h ic h p r o d u c e s g o o d s o r s e r v ic e s (s u c h as
a fa c to r y o r sto r e ) at a s in g le lo c a tio n an d is
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
51
Current Labor Statistics
e n g a g e d in o n e ty p e o f e c o n o m ic a c tiv ity .
Employed persons
are a ll p e r s o n s w h o
m e n t (c a lle d “b e n c h m a r k s”) . T h e la te s t a d
ju s tm e n t, w h ic h in c o r p o r a te d M a rc h 1 9 8 8
r e c e iv e d p a y (in c lu d in g h o lid a y a n d s ic k
b e n c h m a r k s , w a s m a d e w ith th e r e le a s e o f
p a y ) fo r a n y part o f th e p a y r o ll p e r io d in
M a y 1 9 8 9 d a ta , p u b lis h e d in th e J u ly 1 9 8 9
c lu d in g th e
1 2 th o f th e m o n th . P e r so n s
Review.
is s u e o f th e
C o in c id e n t w ith th e
h o ld in g m o r e th a n o n e j o b (a b o u t 5 p e r c e n t
b e n c h m a r k a d j u s t m e n t s , s e a s o n a ll y a d
of
are
j u s te d d a ta w e r e r e v is e d to r e fle c t th e e x p e
c o u n te d in e a c h e s ta b lis h m e n t w h ic h re
p o r ts th e m .
r ie n c e th r o u g h M a r c h 1 9 8 9 . U n a d ju s te d
a ll
p erson s
in
th e
la b o r
Production workers
fo rce)
in m a n u fa c tu r in g
d a ta h a v e b e e n r e v is e d b a c k to A p r il 1 9 8 7 ;
s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d d ata b a c k to Jan u ary
in c lu d e w o r k in g s u p e r v is o r s a n d n o n su p e r -
1 9 8 4 . T h e s e r e v is io n s w e r e p u b lis h e d in
v is o r y
th e
w orkers
c lo s e l y
a s s o c ia te d
w ith
w orkers
Supplement to Employment and Earn
ings (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 9 ) .
m e n tio n e d in ta b le s 1 2 —17 in c lu d e p r o d u c
U n a d ju ste d d a ta fr o m A p r il 1 9 8 8 fo r w a rd
tio n w o r k e r s in m a n u fa c tu r in g a n d m in in g ;
a n d s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d d a ta fr o m Jan u ary
c o n s tr u c tio n w o r k e r s in c o n str u c tio n ; a nd
1 9 8 5 fo r w a r d are su b je c t to r e v is io n in fu
ture b e n c h m a r k s .
p r o d u c tio n
o p e r a tio n s .
T h ose
n o n s u p e r v is o r y w o r k e r s in th e f o llo w in g
in d u str ies: tra n sp o rta tio n a n d p u b lic u tili
tie s ; w h o le s a le a n d r eta il trade; fin a n c e , in
su ran ce,
and
r ea l
e sta te ;
and
The
b l s
a ls o u s e s th e
X - ll
A R IM A
m e th o d o lo g y to s e a s o n a lly a d ju st e s ta b lis h
s e r v ic e s .
m e n t su r v e y d a ta . B e g in n in g in J u n e 1 9 8 9 ,
T h e s e g r o u p s a c c o u n t fo r a b o u t fo u r -fifth s
p r o je c te d s e a s o n a l a d ju stm e n t fa c to r s are
o f th e to ta l e m p lo y m e n t o n p r iv a te n o n a g r icu ltu r a l p a y r o lls .
Earnings
are th e p a y m e n ts p r o d u c tio n
c a lc u la te d o n ly fo r th e fir s t 6 m o n th s a fter
b e n c h m a r k in g , rath er th an fo r 1 2 m o n th s
(A p r il- M a r c h ) a s w a s p r e v io u s ly d o n e . A
o r n o n s u p e r v is o r y w o r k e r s r e c e iv e d u rin g
s e c o n d s e t o f p r o je c te d fa c to r s , w h ic h in
th e s u r v e y p e r io d , in c lu d in g p r e m iu m p a y
c o r p o r a te th e e x p e r ie n c e th o u g h S e p te m
fo r o v e r tim e o r la te -s h ift w o r k b u t e x c lu d
b e r , w ill b e p r o d u c e d fo r th e su b s e q u e n t
in g irr eg u la r b o n u s e s a n d o th e r s p e c ia l p a y
p e r io d a n d in tr o d u c e d w ith th e p u b lic a tio n
m e n ts .
Real earnings are e a r n in g s
a d ju ste d
o f d a ta fo r O c to b e r . T h e c h a n g e m a k e s th e
to r e fle c t th e e f fe c t s o f c h a n g e s in c o n
p r o c e d u r e u s e d fo r th e e s ta b lis h m e n t sur
s u m e r p r ic e s . T h e d e fla to r fo r th is s e r ie s is
v e y d a ta m o r e p a r a lle l to th at u s e d in a d
d e r iv e d fr o m th e C o n s u m e r P r ic e In d e x fo r
j u s tin g th e h o u s e h o ld su r v e y d ata. R e v i
U r b a n W a g e E a rn ers a n d C le r ic a l W o r k e r s
s io n s o f h is to r ic a l d a ta w ill c o n tin u e to b e
(C P l-w ).
m a d e o n c e a y e a r c o i n c i d e n t w it h th e
b e n c h m a r k r e v is io n s .
Hours
h o u rs
of
r e p r e se n t
th e
p r o d u c tio n
average
or
w e e k ly
n o n s u p e r v is o r y
In th e e s ta b lis h m e n t s u r v e y , e s tim a te s
w o r k e r s fo r w h ic h p a y w a s r e c e iv e d , a nd
fo r th e 2 m o s t r e c e n t m o n th s are b a s e d o n
are d iffe r e n t fr o m sta n d a rd o r s c h e d u le d
in c o m p le t e retu rn s a n d are p u b lis h e d a s
h o u r s . Overtime hours r e p r e se n t th e p o r
tio n o f a v e r a g e w e e k ly h o u rs w h ic h w a s in
p r e lim in a r y in th e ta b le s ( 1 3 to 18 in th e
Review). W h e n a ll retu rn s h a v e b e e n re
e x c e s s o f r e g u la r h o u rs a n d fo r w h ic h o v e r
tim e p r e m iu m s w e r e p a id .
c e iv e d , th e e s tim a te s are r e v is e d a n d p u b
lis h e d a s “ f in a l” (p r io r to a n y b e n c h m a r k
The Diffusion Index r e p r e se n ts
th e p e r
r e v is io n s ) in th e th ird m o n th o f th e ir a p
c e n t o f in d u s tr ie s in w h ic h e m p lo y m e n t
p e a r a n c e . T h u s , D e c e m b e r d a ta are p u b
w a s r is in g o v e r th e in d ic a te d p e r io d , p lu s
lis h e d a s p r e lim in a r y in J an u ary a n d F e b r u
o n e - h a lf o f th e in d u str ie s w ith u n c h a n g e d
ary a n d a s fin a l in M a r c h . F o r th e s a m e
e m p lo y m e n t; 5 0 p e r c e n t in d ic a te s a n e q u a l
r e a s o n s , q u a rte r ly e s ta b lis h m e n t d a ta (ta b le
b a la n c e b e tw e e n in d u str ie s w ith in c r e a s in g
1) are p r e lim in a r y fo r th e fir s t 2 m o n th s o f
an d d e c r e a s in g e m p lo y m e n t. In lin e w ith
B u r e a u p r a c tic e , d a ta fo r th e 1 -, 3 - , a nd
p u b lic a tio n a n d fin a l in th e th ird m o n th .
6 - m o n t h s p a n s a re s e a s o n a ll y a d j u s t e d ,
w h ile th o s e fo r th e 1 2 -m o n th sp a n are u n
T h u s , fo u r th -q u a r ter d a ta are p u b lis h e d a s
p r e lim in a r y in Jan u ary an d F eb ru a ry and
fin a l in M a rc h .
a d ju ste d . D a ta are c e n te r e d w ith in th e sp a n .
T h e M a rc h 1 9 8 9
Review
in tr o d u c e d an e x
p a n d e d in d e x o n p r iv a te n o n a g r ic u ltu r a l
e m p lo y m e n t b a s e d o n 3 4 9 in d u s tr ie s , a n d a
n e w m a n u fa c tu r in g in d e x b a s e d o n 141 in
d u str ie s. T h e s e in d e x e s are u s e fu l fo r m e a
su r in g th e d is p e r s io n o f e c o n o m ic g a in s o r
lo s s e s a n d are a ls o e c o n o m ic in d ic a to r s .
D e t a ile d n a tio n a l d a ta fr o m th e e s ta b lis h
m e n t su r v e y are p u b lis h e d m o n th ly in th e
b ls
p e r io d ic a l,
Employment and Earnings.
E a r lie r c o m p a r a b le u n a d ju ste d an d s e a s o n
a lly a d ju ste d d a ta are p u b lis h e d in Employ
E s ta b lis h m e n t su r v e y d a ta are a n n u a lly a d
p le m e n t. F o r a d e ta ile d d is c u s s io n o f th e
j u s te d to c o m p r e h e n s iv e c o u n ts o f e m p lo y -
m e th o d o lo g y o f th e s u r v e y , s e e b ls
April 1990
Unemployment data by State
Description of the series
D a ta p r e s e n te d in th is s e c tio n are o b ta in e d
fr o m tw o m a jo r s o u r c e s — th e C u rren t P o p
u la tio n S u r v e y ( c p s ) an d th e L o c a l A r e a
U n e m p lo y m e n t S ta tis tic s ( l a u s ) p r o g r a m ,
w h ic h is c o n d u c t e d in c o o p e r a t io n w ith
S ta te e m p lo y m e n t se c u r ity a g e n c ie s .
M o n th ly e s tim a te s o f th e la b o r f o r c e ,
e m p lo y m e n t, an d u n e m p lo y m e n t fo r S ta te s
a n d su b -S ta te a r ea s are a k e y in d ic a to r o f
lo c a l e c o n o m ic c o n d itio n s a n d fo r m th e b a
s is fo r d e te r m in in g th e e lig ib ilit y o f a n a rea
fo r b e n e fits u n d e r F e d e r a l e c o n o m ic a s s is
ta n c e p r o g r a m s su c h a s th e J o b T r a in in g
P a rtn er sh ip A c t an d th e P u b lic W o r k s and
E c o n o m ic D e v e lo p m e n t A c t . I n s o f a r a s
p o s s ib le , th e c o n c e p ts a n d d e fin itio n s u n
d e r ly in g th e s e d ata are t h o s e u s e d in th e
n a tio n a l e s tim a te s o b ta in e d fr o m th e c p s .
Notes on the data
D a ta r e fe r to S ta te o f r e s id e n c e . M o n th ly
d ata fo r 11 S ta te s — C a lifo r n ia , F lo r id a , Il
l i n o i s , M a s s a c h u s e t t s , M ic h i g a n , N e w
Y o r k , N e w J e r s e y , N o r th C a r o lin a , O h io ,
P e n n s y lv a n ia , an d T e x a s — are o b ta in e d d i
r e c tly fr o m th e c p s , b e c a u s e th e s iz e o f th e
s a m p le is la r g e e n o u g h to m e e t b l s sta n d
ard s o f r e lia b ility . D a ta fo r th e r e m a i n i n g
3 9 S ta te s an d th e D is tr ic t o f C o lu m b ia are
d e r iv e d u s in g sta n d a r d iz e d p r o c e d u r e s e s
ta b lis h e d b y b l s . O n c e a y e a r , e s tim a te s fo r
th e 11 S ta te s are r e v is e d to n e w p o p u la tio n
c o n tr o ls . F o r th e r e m a in in g S ta te s an d th e
D i s t r i c t o f C o l u m b ia , d a ta a r e b e n c h m a r k e d to a n n u a l a v e r a g e c p s le v e ls .
Additional sources of information
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 5 ) an d its a n n u a l su p
5 2 Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
A c o m p r e h e n s iv e d is c u s s io n o f th e d if
fe r e n c e s b e t w e e n h o u s e h o ld an d e s ta b lis h
m e n t d a ta o n e m p lo y m e n t ap p ea r s in G lo r ia
P . G r e e n , “ C o m p a r in g e m p lo y m e n t e s t i
m a t e s f r o m h o u s e h o ld a n d p a y r o ll s u r
v e y s , ” Monthly Labor Review, D e c e m b e r
1 9 69, pp. 9 - 2 0 .
Additional sources of information
ment, Hours, and Earnings, United States,
1909—84, B u lle t in 1 3 1 2 —1 2 ( B u r e a u o f
Notes on the data
book of Methods, B u lle tin 2 2 8 5 (B u r e a u o f
L a b o r S t a t i s t i c s , 1 9 8 8 ) . F o r a d d itio n a l
d a ta , s e e Handbook of Labor Statistics,
B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
1 9 8 9 ).
Hand-
I n fo r m a tio n o n th e c o n c e p t s , d e f in it io n s ,
an d te c h n ic a l p r o c e d u r e s u s e d to d e v e lo p
la b o r fo r c e d a ta fo r S ta te s an d su b -S ta te
areas a s w e ll a s a d d itio n a l d ata o n su b S ta te s are p r o v id e d in th e m o n th ly B u r e a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s p e r io d ic a l, Employment
and Earnings, an d th e a n n u a l r ep o rt, Geo
graphic Profile of Employment and Unem
ployment (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ). S e e
a ls o b ls Handbook of Methods, B u lle tin
2 2 8 5 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ).
Compensation and Wage Data
in g sta tu s, r e g io n , an d m e tr o p o lita n /n o n -
f o llo w in g th e r e fe r e n c e m o n th s o f M a r c h ,
m e tr o p o lita n area s e r ie s , h o w e v e r , e m p lo y
J u n e , S e p te m b e r , an d D e c e m b e r ; an d fr o m
(T a b le s 1 - 3 ; 2 2 - 3 0 )
m e n t d ata b y in d u str y an d o c c u p a tio n are
th e
n o t a v a ila b le fr o m th e c e n s u s . In ste a d , th e
2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 9 ).
are g a th
1 9 8 0 e m p lo y m e n t w e ig h ts are r e a llo c a te d
e r e d b y th e B u r e a u fr o m b u s in e s s e s ta b lis h
w ith in th e s e s e r ie s e a c h qu arter b a s e d o n
m e n ts , S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n ts , la b o r
th e cu rren t s a m p le . T h e r e fo r e , th e s e in
u n io n s , c o lle c t iv e b a r g a in in g a g r e e m e n ts
d e x e s are n o t s tr ic tly c o m p a r a b le to th o s e
o n f ile w ith th e B u r e a u , a n d se c o n d a r y
fo r th e a g g r e g a te , in d u str y , an d o c c u p a tio n
so u rces.
s e r ie s .
C O M P E N S A T IO N
a n d
w a g e
d a t a
Employment Cost Index
The
(e
c i)
is a
Collective bargaining settlements
Description of the series
d ata
p r o v id e sta tistic a l m e a su r e s o f n e g o tia te d
a d ju stm e n ts
Total compensation
Employment Cost Index
B u lle tin
Collective bargaining settlements
Definitions
Description of the series
Handbook of Labor Statistics,
( in c r e a s e s ,
d ecrea ses,
an d
f r e e z e s ) in c o m p e n s a tio n (w a g e and b e n e fit
c o s t s in c lu d e w a g e s ,
c o s t s ) and w a g e s a lo n e , q u a rterly fo r p ri
s a la r ie s , an d th e e m p lo y e r ’s c o s t s fo r e m
v a te in d u str y an d s e m ia n n u a lly fo r S ta te
p lo y e e b e n e fits .
an d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t. C o m p e n s a tio n m e a
Wages and salaries c o n s is t
o f e a r n in g s
su re s c o v e r a ll c o lle c t iv e b a r g a in in g situ a
in
b e fo r e p a y r o ll d e d u c tio n s , in c lu d in g p r o
tio n s in v o lv in g 5 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s or m o r e and
c lu d e s w a g e s , s a la r ie s , a n d e m p lo y e r c o s ts
d u c tio n b o n u s e s , in c e n tiv e e a r n in g s , c o m
w a g e m e a su r e s c o v e r a ll s itu a tio n s in v o lv
o f e m p lo y e e b e n e fits . It u s e s a f ix e d m a rk et
m is s io n s , an d c o s t - o f - liv in g a d ju stm e n ts.
in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s o r m o r e . T h e s e d a ta ,
q u a rte r ly m e a su r e o f th e rate o f c h a n g e in
c o m p e n s a tio n
per hour w ork ed
and
Benefits
in c lu d e th e c o s t to e m p lo y e r s
c o v e r in g p r iv a te n o n a g r ic u ltu r a l in d u str ie s
C o n s u m e r P r ic e I n d e x ’s f ix e d m a rk et b a s
fo r p a id le a v e , su p p le m e n ta l p a y (in c lu d in g
an d S ta te an d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n ts , are c a lc u
ket o f g ood s
n o n p r o d u c tio n b o n u s e s ) , in su r a n c e , retire
la te d u s in g in fo r m a tio n o b ta in e d fr o m bar
c h a n g e o v e r tim e in e m p lo y e r c o s t s o f e m
m ent
le g a lly
g a in in g a g r e e m e n ts o n f ile w ith th e B u r e a u ,
p lo y in g la b o r . T h e in d e x is n o t s e a s o n a lly
r eq u ire d b e n e fits (s u c h a s S o c ia l S e c u r
p a r ties to th e a g r e e m e n ts , an d se c o n d a r y
a d ju ste d .
S ta tis tic a l s e r ie s o n to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n
it y ,
b a s k e t o f la b o r — s im ila r in c o n c e p t to th e
a n d s e r v ic e s — to
m e a su r e
an d
s a v in g s
p la n s ,
an d
an d u n e m
s o u r c e s , su c h a s n e w s p a p e r a c c o u n ts . T h e
p lo y m e n t in su r a n c e ).
E x c lu d e d fr o m w a g e s an d s a la r ie s and
d a ta are n o t s e a s o n a lly a d ju ste d .
S e ttle m e n t d ata are m e a su r e d in te rm s o f
c o s t s are a v a ila b le fo r p r iv a te n o n fa r m
w o r k e r s e x c lu d in g p r o p r ie to r s, th e s e lf -
e m p lo y e e b e n e fits are su c h ite m s a s p a y
fu tu re s p e c if ie d a d ju stm e n ts: th o s e th at w ill
m e n t-in -k in d , fr e e r o o m an d b o a r d , and
o c c u r w ith in 12 m o n th s o f th e c o n tr a c t e f
e m p lo y e d ,
tip s .
f e c t iv e
c o s t s , o n w a g e s a n d s a la r ie s , a n d o n b e n e fit
a n d h o u s e h o ld
w ork ers.
The
w o r k e r s ’ c o m p e n s a tio n ,
to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n c o s t s a n d w a g e s a nd
sa la r ie s s e r ie s are a ls o a v a ila b le fo r S ta te
d a te — fir s t-y e a r — an d
a ll
a d ju st
m e n ts th at w ill o c c u r o v e r th e lif e o f th e
Notes on the data
c o n tr a c t e x p r e s s e d a s an a v e r a g e a n n u a l
a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o r k e r s a n d fo r th e
rate.
A d ju stm e n ts are w o r k e r w e ig h te d .
c iv ilia n n o n fa r m e c o n o m y , w h ic h c o n s is t s
T h e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x fo r c h a n g e s in
B o th fir s t-y e a r an d o v e r - t h e - lif e m e a su r e s
o f p r iv a te in d u str y a n d S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v
e r n m e n t w o r k e r s c o m b in e d . F e d e r a l w o r k
w a g e s an d sa la r ie s in th e p r iv a te n o n fa r m
e c o n o m y w a s p u b lis h e d b e g in n in g in 1 9 7 5 .
C h a n g e s in to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n c o s t —
e x c lu d e w a g e c h a n g e s th at m a y o c c u r
u n d e r c o s t - o f - liv in g c la u s e s th at are trig
w a g e s an d sa la r ie s an d b e n e fits c o m
b in e d — w e r e p u b lis h e d b e g in n in g in 1 9 8 0 .
su m e r P r ic e In d e x .
T h e s e r ie s o f c h a n g e s in w a g e s an d s a la r ie s
a d ju stm e n ts o c c u r r in g in th e r e fe r e n c e p e
a n d fo r to ta l c o m p e n s a tio n in th e S ta te and
lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t se c to r and in th e c iv ilia n
r io d , r e g a r d le s s o f th e s e ttle m e n t d a te . In
n o n fa r m e c o n o m y (e x c lu d in g F e d e r a l e m
r e a c h e d d u rin g th e p e r io d , c h a n g e s d e
e r s are e x c lu d e d .
T h e E m p lo y m e n t C o s t I n d e x p r o b a b ility
sa m p le c o n s is t s o f a b o u t 4 , 2 0 0 p r iv a te n o n
fa r m
e s ta b lis h m e n ts
p r o v id in g
about
2 2 , 0 0 0 o c c u p a tio n a l o b s e r v a tio n s a n d 8 0 0
S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t e s ta b lis h m e n ts
p r o v id in g 4 , 2 0 0 o c c u p a tio n a l o b s e r v a tio n s
b e g in n in g
c lu d e d
are
changes
fr o m
all
s e ttle m e n ts
s e le c t e d to r e p r e se n t to ta l e m p lo y m e n t in
p lo y e e s )
in
fe rr ed fr o m c o n tr a c ts n e g o tia te d in e a rlier
1 9 8 1 . H is to r ic a l in d e x e s (J u n e 1 9 8 1 = 1 0 0 )
p e r io d s , an d c h a n g e s u n d e r c o s t - o f - liv in g
u n it p r o v id e s w a g e a n d c o m p e n s a tio n in
fo r m a tio n o n f iv e w e ll- s p e c if ie d o c c u p a
o f th e q u a rterly ra tes o f c h a n g e are p re
a d ju stm e n t c la u s e s . E a c h w a g e c h a n g e is
s e n te d in th e M a rc h is s u e o f th e
w o r k e r w e ig h te d . T h e c h a n g e s are p rorated
t io n s . D a ta are c o lle c t e d e a c h q u arter fo r
ic a l,
M a r c h , J u n e , S e p te m b e r , a n d D e c e m b e r .
p u b lis h e d
Effective wage adjustments m e a su r e
e a c h se c to r . O n a v e r a g e , e a c h r ep o rtin g
th e p a y p e r io d in c lu d in g th e 1 2 th d a y o f
w ere
g e r e d b y fu tu re m o v e m e n ts in th e C o n
bls
p e r io d
Current Wage Developments.
o v e r a ll w o r k e r s u n d e r a g r e e m e n ts d u rin g
Additional sources of information
th e r e fe r e n c e p e r io d y ie ld in g th e a v e r a g e
a d ju stm e n t.
B e g in n in g w ith J u n e 1 9 8 6 d a ta , f ix e d
e m p lo y m e n t w e ig h ts fr o m th e 1 9 8 0 C e n s u s
F o r a m o r e d e ta ile d d is c u s s io n o f th e E m
o f P o p u la tio n are u s e d e a c h qu arter to c a l
p lo y m e n t C o s t I n d e x , s e e th e bls
c u la te th e c iv ilia n a n d p r iv a te in d e x e s an d
book of Methods,
th e in d e x fo r S ta te an d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n ts .
Wage rate changes
e m p lo y m e n t
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ); Employment Cost
Indexes and Levels, 1975-88, B u lle tin
w e ig h t s are fr o m th e 1 9 7 0 C e n s u s o f P o p u
2 3 1 9 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 );
a g e str a ig h t-tim e h o u r ly w a g e rate p lu s
(P rio r
to
June
1986,
th e
Hand
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5 (B u r e a u o f
Monthly Labor Review
Definitions
are c a lc u la te d b y d i
v id in g n e w ly n e g o tia te d w a g e s b y th e a v e r
s h ift p r e m iu m at th e tim e th e a g r e e m e n t is
la t io n .) T h e s e f ix e d w e ig h t s , a ls o u s e d to
a n d th e f o llo w in g
d e r iv e a ll o f th e in d u str y a n d o c c u p a tio n
a r tic le s:
th e
r e a c h e d . C o m p e n s a tio n c h a n g e s are c a lc u
s e r ie s in d e x e s , e n su r e th a t c h a n g e s in th e s e
E m p lo y m e n t C o s t I n d e x ,” M a y 1 9 8 2 ; and
la te d b y d iv id in g th e c h a n g e in th e v a lu e o f
in d e x e s r e fle c t o n ly c h a n g e s in c o m p e n s a
“ In tr o d u c in g n e w w e ig h ts fo r th e E m p lo y
th e
t io n , n o t e m p lo y m e n t s h ifts a m o n g in d u s
p a c k a g e b y e x is t in g a v e r a g e h o u r ly c o m
tr ie s o r o c c u p a tio n s w ith d iffe r e n t le v e ls o f
m e n t C o s t I n d e x ,” J u n e 1 9 8 5 .
D a ta o n th e E C I are a ls o a v a ila b le in
BLS
p e n s a tio n , w h ic h in c lu d e s th e c o s t o f p r e v i
w a g e s a n d c o m p e n s a tio n . F o r th e b a r g a in -
q u a rterly p r e ss r e le a s e s is s u e d in th e m o n th
o u s ly n e g o tia te d b e n e f it s , le g a lly r eq u ired
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
“E s tim a tio n
p roced u res
fo r
n e w ly
n e g o tia te d
w age
Monthly Labor Review
and b e n e fit
April 1990
53
Current Labor Statistics
s o c ia l in su r a n c e
h o u r ly e a r n in g s.
p r o g r a m s,
and a v era g e
a m o u n t o f tim e lo s t b e c a u s e o f sto p p a g e .
D a ta are la r g e ly
fr o m
s io n a l, t e c h n ic a l, m a in te n a n c e , to o lr o o m ,
n ew sp ap er ac
p o w e r p la n t,
m a te r ia l
m o v e m e n t,
a nd
Compensation changes are c a lc u la te d
b y p la c in g a v a lu e o n th e b e n e fit p o r tio n o f
r e c tly in v o lv e d in a s to p p a g e . T h e y d o n o t
th e s e ttle m e n ts at th e tim e th e y are r e a c h e d .
v a r ie ty o f in d u str ie s in th e area s (la b o r m ar
m e a su r e th e in d ir e c t o r se c o n d a r y e f f e c t o f
k e ts ) su r v e y e d . R e p o r ts are is s u e d th r o u g h
c o u n ts a n d c o v e r o n ly e s ta b lis h m e n ts d i
c u s to d ia l o c c u p a tio n s c o m m o n to a w id e
T h e c o s t e s tim a te s are b a s e d o n th e a s
s to p p a g e s o n o th e r e s ta b lis h m e n ts w h o s e
o u t th e y e a r a s th e s u r v e y s are c o m p le te d .
su m p tio n that c o n d itio n s e x is t in g at th e
e m p lo y e e s are id le o w in g to m a te r ia l sh o r t
a g e s o r la c k o f s e r v ic e .
S u m m a r ie s o f th e d a ta an d s p e c ia l a n a ly s e s
a ls o ap p ea r in th e Review.
Definitions
The National Survey of Professional,
Administrative, Technical, and Clerical
Pay p r o v id e s d e ta ile d in fo r m a tio n a n n u a l l y
tim e o f s e ttle m e n t (fo r e x a m p le , m e th o d s
o f fin a n c in g p e n s io n s o r c o m p o s it io n o f
la b o r fo r c e ) w ill r e m a in c o n s ta n t. T h e d a ta ,
th e r e fo r e ,
are
m ea su res
of
n e g o tia te d
c h a n g e s a n d n o t o f to ta l c h a n g e s o f e m
p lo y e r c o s t.
Contract duration ru n s
fr o m th e e f f e c
Number of stoppages:
T h e num ber o f
o n sa la r y le v e ls an d d istr ib u tio n s fo r th e
str ik e s a n d lo c k o u ts in v o lv in g 1 ,0 0 0 w o r k
ty p e s o f j o b s m e n tio n e d in th e s u r v e y ’s title
e r s o r m o r e a n d la s tin g a fu ll s h ift o r lo n g e r .
t iv e d a te o f th e a g r e e m e n t to th e e x p ir a tio n
d a te o r fir s t w a g e r e o p e n in g d a te , i f a p p li
c a b le .
A verage
annual
Workers involved:
The
num ber
in p r iv a te e m p lo y m e n t. A lth o u g h th e d e f i
of
n itio n s o f th e j o b s su r v e y e d r e fle c t th e d u
w o r k e r s d ir e c tly in v o lv e d in th e s to p p a g e .
p ercen t ch an ges
Number of days idle:
tie s an d r e s p o n s ib ilitie s in p r iv a te in d u str y ,
T h e a g g r e g a te
th e y are d e s ig n e d to m a tc h s p e c if ic p a y
c o m p o u n d in g o f s u c c e s s iv e c h a n g e s .
n u m b e r o f w o r k d a y s lo s t b y w o r k e r s in
v o lv e d in th e s to p p a g e s .
u n d e r th e G e n e r a l S c h e d u le p a y s y s te m .
Notes on the data
Days of idleness as a percent of esti
mated working time: A g g r e g a te w o r k
g a lly r e q u ire d in fo r m a tio n fo r c o m p a r in g
d a y s lo s t a s a p e r c e n t o f th e a g g r e g a te
n u m b e r o f sta n d ard w o r k d a y s in th e p e r io d
th e p a y o f sa la r ie d e m p lo y e e s in th e F e d e r a l
c iv il s e r v ic e w ith p a y in p r iv a te in d u str y .
m u ltip lie d
p e r io d .
( S e e F e d e r a l P a y C o m p a r a b ility A c t o f
o v e r th e c o n tr a c t te rm ta k e a c c o u n t o f th e
C o m p a r is o n s o f m a jo r c o lle c t iv e b a r g a in
in g s e ttle m e n ts fo r S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n
m e n t w ith th o s e fo r p r iv a te in d u str y s h o u ld
n o te
d iffe r e n c e s
in
o c c u p a tio n a l
to ta l
e m p lo y m e n t
in
th e
P r o fe s s io n a l a n d w h ite -c o lla r
a
g o v e r n m e n t th a n b y p r iv a te in d u str y s e ttle
m e n ts . L u m p -s u m p a y m e n ts a n d c o s t - o f liv in g a d ju stm e n ts
(c
o l a
)
an d in a b u lle tin e a c h fa ll; s u m m a r ie s and
T h is s e r ie s is n o t c o m p a r a b le w ith th e o n e
Review.
Employee Benefits Survey
a n a ly tic a l
te r m in a te d in 1 9 8 1 th at c o v e r e d str ik e s in
v o lv in g s ix w o r k e r s o r m o r e .
Additional sources of information
c o m m o n in p r iv a te in d u str y s e ttle m e n ts .
A ls o ,
S ta te
and
lo c a l
govern m en t
bar
D a ta fo r e a c h c a le n d a r y e a r are r e p o rte d in
g a in in g fr e q u e n tly e x c lu d e s ite m s s u c h as
a
p e n s io n b e n e fits a n d h o lid a y s , th a t are p r e
o f th e f o llo w in g y e a r . M o n th ly an d h is to r i
sc r ib e d b y la w , w h ile th e s e ite m s are t y p i
c a l d a ta a p p ea r in th e b l s p e r io d ic a l, Cur
rent Wage Developments. H is to r ic a l d ata
a p p ea r in th e Handbook of Labor Statistics,
c a l b a r g a in in g is s u e s in p r iv a te in d u str y .
Additional sources of information
b ls
p r e ss r e le a s e is s u e d in th e fir s t qu arter
Handbook of Methods,
in p r e ss r e le a s e s is s u e d q u a rte r ly (in J a n u
a r y , A p r il, J u ly , a n d O c to b e r ) fo r p r iv a te
in d u str y , an d s e m ia n n u a lly (in F eb ru a ry
an d A u g u s t) fo r S ta te a n d lo c a l g o v e r n
th e
p r o v id e s n a
tio n w id e in fo r m a tio n o n th e in c id e n c e an d
m e d iu m an d la r g e e s ta b lis h m e n ts in th e
U n ite d S ta te s , e x c lu d in g A la s k a an d
H a w a ii. D a ta are p u b lis h e d in a n a n n u a l
bls
n e w s r e le a s e an d b u lle tin , a s w e ll a s in
s p e c ia l a r tic le s a p p e a r in g in th e
Review.
Price Data
L a b o r S ta tis tic s fr o m r e ta il a n d p rim a ry
Other b l s data on pay and benefits, not
included in the Current Labor Statistics sec
tion of the Monthly Labor Review, appear
in and consist of the following:
are g iv e n
P
r ic e
are g a th e r e d b y th e B u r e a u o f
d a t a
m a r k e ts in th e U n ite d S ta te s . P r ic e in d e x e s
Industry Wage Surveys
p r o v id e d ata fo r
s p e c if ic o c c u p a tio n s s e le c t e d to r e p r e se n t
ta ile d ta b u la tio n s fo r th e p rio r c a le n d a r y e a r
a n in d u s t iy ’s w a g e stru ctu re a n d th e ty p e s
a p p ea r in th e A p r il is s u e o f th e b l s p e r io d
ic a l, Current Wage Developments.
o f a c tiv itie s p e r fo r m e d b y its w o r k e r s . T h e
B u r e a u c o lle c t s in fo r m a tio n o n w e e k ly
w o r k s c h e d u le s , s h ift o p e r a tio n s an d p a y
d iffe r e n tia ls ,
Description of the series
in
Other compensation data
m e n t. H is to r ic a l d a ta a n d a d d itio n a l d e
Work stoppages
ap p ea r
(T a b le s 2; 3 1 - 4 3 )
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
1 9 8 8 ) . C o m p r e h e n s iv e d a ta are p u b lis h e d
a ls o
B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
1 9 8 9 ).
F o r a m o r e d e ta ile d d is c u s s io n o n th e s e
r ie s , s e e th e bls
a r tic le s
c h a r a c te r istic s o f e m p lo y e e b e n e fit p la n s in
c la u s e s , o n th e
o th e r h a n d , are rare in g o v e r n m e n t b u t
n e w s r e le a s e is s u e d in th e su m m e r
b ls
Notes on the data
e m p lo y e e s , fo r e x a m p le , m a k e u p a m u c h
la rg e r p r o p o r tio n o f th e w o r k e r s c o v e r e d b y
A c c o r d in g ly , th is su r v e y p r o v id e s th e l e
1 9 7 0 , 5 U .S .C . 5 3 0 5 .) D a ta are p u b lis h e d in
m ix ,
b a r g a in in g p r a c tic e s , a n d s e ttle m e n t c h a r
a c te r is tic s .
by
g r a d e s o f F e d e r a l w h ite -c o lla r e m p lo y e e s
p a id
h o lid a y
an d
v a c a tio n
in
r e la tio n
to
a base
p e r io d
( 1 9 8 2 = 1 0 0 fo r m a n y P r o d u c e r P r ic e In
d e x e s o r 1 9 8 2 - 8 4 = 1 0 0 fo r m a n y C o n
su m e r P r ic e
n o te d ).
In d exes,
u n le s s
o th e r w is e
Consumer Price Indexes
Description of the series
p r a c tic e s , a n d in fo r m a tio n o n in c id e n c e o f
T h e Consumer Price Index ( c p i ) is a m e a
su re o f th e a v e r a g e c h a n g e in th e p r ic e s
h e a lth , in s u r a n c e ,
p a id b y urb an c o n s u m e r s fo r a f ix e d m a rk et
an d r e tir e m e n t p la n s .
R e p o r ts are is s u e d th r o u g h o u t th e y e a r as
th e n u m
b a s k e t o f g o o d s an d s e r v ic e s . T h e
th e s u r v e y s are c o m p le te d . S u m m a r ie s o f
b e r an d d u ra tio n o f m a jo r str ik e s o r lo c k
c a lc u la te d
th e d a ta a n d s p e c ia l a n a ly s e s a ls o ap p ea r in
th e Monthly Labor Review.
groups,
Area Wage Surveys a n n u a lly p r o v id e
d a ta fo r s e le c t e d o f f i c e , c le r ic a l, p r o fe s -
c o m e is d e r iv e d fr o m th e e m p lo y m e n t o f
D a ta o n
work stoppages m e a s u r e
o u ts (in v o lv in g
1 ,0 0 0 w o r k e r s o r m o r e )
o c c u r r in g d u r in g th e m o n th (o r y e a r ), th e
nu m ber
of
w orkers
in v o lv e d ,
and
th e
5 4 Monthly Labor Review April 1990
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
m o n th ly
one
fo r
c o n s is t in g
tw o
o n ly
c p i
is
p o p u la tio n
of
urban
h o u s e h o ld s w h o s e p r im a ry s o u r c e o f in
w a g e e a rn ers an d c le r ic a l w o r k e r s , an d th e
o th e r c o n s is t in g o f a ll u rb an h o u s e h o ld s .
d is c u s s e d in R o b e r t G illin g h a m a n d W a lte r
s p e c ia l c o m p o s it e
T h e w a g e e a rn er in d e x
L a n e , “ C h a n g in g th e tr ea tm e n t o f sh e lte r
R i c e I n d e x d a ta are su b je c t to r e v is io n 4
(c
p i- w
)
is a c o n tin
Monthly
u a tio n o f th e h isto r ic in d e x th at w a s in tr o
c o s t s fo r h o m e o w n e r s in th e
d u c e d w e ll o v e r a h a lf-c e n tu r y a g o fo r u s e
Labor Review,
in w a g e n e g o tia tio n s . A s n e w u s e s w e r e
o v e r v ie w o f th e r e c e n tly in tr o d u c e d r e v is e d
d e v e lo p e d fo r th e
c p i,
in r e c e n t y e a r s , th e
CPI
n e e d fo r a b r o a d e r a n d m o r e r e p r e se n ta tiv e
in d e x b e c a m e a p p a ren t. T h e a ll urb an c o n
C P I,”
groups.
A ll P ro d u c e r
m o n th s a fter o r ig in a l p u b lic a tio n .
J u ly 1 9 8 2 , p p . 9 - 1 4 . A n
r e fle c tin g
Notes on the data
1 9 8 2 - 8 4 e x p e n d itu r e p a t
te r n s, is c o n ta in e d in The Consumer Price
Index: 1987Revision, R e p o r t 7 3 6 (B u r e a u
B e g in n in g w ith th e Jan u ary 1 9 8 6 is s u e , th e
Review
is n o lo n g e r p r e se n tin g ta b le s o f
P rod u cer
b u y in g
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 7 ).
A d d itio n a l d e ta ile d c p i d ata an d reg u la r
h a b its o f a b o u t 8 0 p e r c e n t o f th e n o n in stitu -
a n a ly ses o f con su m er p rice ch a n g e s are pro
H o w e v e r , th e s e d a ta w ill c o n tin u e to b e
tio n a l p o p u la tio n o f th e U n ite d S ta te s at
v id e d in th e CPI Detailed Report, a m o n th ly
p r e s e n te d in th e B u r e a u ’s m o n th ly p u b lic a
th at t im e , c o m p a r e d w ith 3 2 p e r c e n t r ep re
p u b lic a tio n o f th e B u r e a u . H is to r ic a l d ata
tio n
se n te d in th e
fo r th e o v e r a ll
su m e r in d e x
(c
p i- u
r e p r e se n ta tiv e
),
of
in tr o d u c e d in 1 9 7 8 , is
th e
1 9 8 2 -8 4
In a d d itio n to w a g e
C P I-W .
e a rn er s a n d c le r ic a l w o r k e r s , th e
C P I-U
cov
CPI
an d fo r s e le c t e d g r o u p
c o m m o d ity
grou p s.
Producer Price Indexes.
T h e B u r e a u h a s c o m p le te d th e fir s t m a jo r
s ta g e o f its c o m p r e h e n s iv e o v e r h a u l o f th e
th e
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 9 ).
w orkers,
th e
r e tir e e s ,
fo r
th e o r y , m e th o d s , an d p r o c e d u r e s u s e d to
w orkers,
u n e m p lo y e d ,
In d ex es
o r s p e c ia l c o m p o s it e
Handbook of
e r s p r o f e s s io n a l, m a n a g e r ia l, a n d te c h n ic a l
sh o rt-te rm
P r ic e
B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f
in g s m a y b e fo u n d in th e
Labor Statistics,
s e lf - e m p lo y e d ,
g r o u p in g s
c o n str u c t
th e
P rod ucer
P r ic e
In d ex es.
C h a n g e s in c lu d e th e r e p la c e m e n t o f j u d g
a nd
o th e r s n o t in th e la b o r f o r c e .
T h e C P I is b a s e d o n p r ic e s o f f o o d , c lo th
Producer Price Indexes
m e n t sa m p lin g w ith p r o b a b ility s a m p lin g
in g ,
Description of the series
a g e o f th e n e t o u tp u t o f v ir tu a lly a ll in
sh e lte r ,
f u e l,
d ru gs,
tr a n sp o rta tio n
fa r e s , d o c t o r s ’ a n d d e n t is t s ’ f e e s , a n d o th e r
te c h n iq u e s ; e x p a n s io n to s y s te m a tic c o v e r
d u str ie s in th e m in in g an d m a n u fa c tu r in g
g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s th a t p e o p le b u y fo r d a y -
Producer Price Indexes ( p p i )
m easu re a v
se c to r s; a s h ift fr o m a c o m m o d ity to an
to -d a y liv in g . T h e q u a n tity an d q u a lity o f
e r a g e c h a n g e s in p r ic e s r e c e iv e d b y d o m e s
in d u str y o r ie n ta tio n ; th e e x c lu s io n o f im
th e s e ite m s are k e p t e s s e n t ia lly u n c h a n g e d
tic p r o d u c e r s o f c o m m o d it ie s in a ll s ta g e s
p o rts fr o m , an d th e in c lu s io n o f e x p o r ts in ,
b e t w e e n m a jo r r e v is io n s s o th at o n ly p r ic e
o f p r o c e s s in g . T h e s a m p le u s e d fo r c a lc u
th e su r v e y u n iv e r se ; an d th e r e s p e c ific a tio n
c h a n g e s w ill b e m e a su r e d . A ll ta x e s d i
la tin g
c o n ta in s
o f c o m m o d it ie s p r ic e d to c o n fo r m to B u
r e c tly a s s o c ia te d w ith th e p u r c h a s e a n d u s e
a b o u t 3 , 1 0 0 c o m m o d it ie s an d a b o u t 7 5 , 0 0 0
r ea u o f th e C e n s u s d e fin itio n s . T h e s e an d
o f ite m s are in c lu d e d in th e in d e x .
D a ta c o lle c t e d fr o m m o r e th a n 2 1 ,0 0 0
q u o ta tio n s p e r m o n th , s e le c t e d to r e p re se n t
o th e r c h a n g e s h a v e b e e n p h a s e d in g ra d u
th e m o v e m e n t o f p r ic e s o f a ll c o m m o d itie s
a lly s in c e 1 9 7 8 . T h e r e s u lt is a s y s t e m o f
r eta il e s ta b lis h m e n ts a nd 6 0 , 0 0 0 h o u s in g
p r o d u c e d in th e m a n u fa c tu r in g , a g r ic u l
in d e x e s th at is e a s ie r to u s e in c o n ju n c tio n
u n its in 91 urb an a r ea s a c r o s s th e c o u n tr y
tu r e , fo r e s tr y , f is h in g , m in in g , g a s and
w ith d a ta o n w a g e s , p r o d u c tiv ity , an d e m
are u s e d to d e v e lo p th e “U . S . c ity a v e r
e le c tr ic ity , a n d p u b lic u tilitie s s e c to r s . T h e
p lo y m e n t an d o th e r s e r ie s th at are o r g a
a g e . ” S e p a r a te e s tim a te s fo r 2 7 m a jo r u rb an
s ta g e o f p r o c e s s in g stru ctu re o f P ro d u c e r
n iz e d in te rm s o f th e S tan d ard In d u stria l
c e n te r s are p r e se n te d in ta b le 3 2 . T h e a rea s
P r ic e I n d e x e s o r g a n iz e s p r o d u c ts b y c la s s
C la s s ific a tio n and th e C e n s u s p r o d u c t c la s s
lis t e d are a s in d ic a te d in f o o tn o te 1 to th e
o f b u y e r an d d e g r e e o f fa b r ic a tio n (th a t is ,
d e s ig n a tio n s .
ta b le . T h e a rea in d e x e s m e a su r e o n ly th e
a v e r a g e c h a n g e in p r ic e s fo r e a c h a rea s in c e
fin is h e d g o o d s , in te r m e d ia te g o o d s , an d
c ru d e m a te r ia ls ). T h e tr a d itio n a l c o m m o d
Additional sources of information
th e b a s e p e r io d , a n d d o n o t in d ic a te d iffe r
ity stru ctu re o f
e n c e s in th e le v e l o f p r ic e s a m o n g c it ie s .
sim ila r ity o f e n d u s e or m a te r ia l c o m p o s i
tio n . T h e in d u str y an d p r o d u c t stru ctu re o f
th e s e
in d e x e s
ppi
c u r re n tly
o r g a n iz e s p r o d u c ts b y
o r g a n iz e s d a ta in a c c o r d a n c e w ith th e
F o r a d is c u s s io n o f th e m e th o d o lo g y fo r
c o m p u tin g P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x e s , s e e bls
Handbook of Methods,
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5 ( B u
Notes on the data
ppi
In Jan u a ry 1 9 8 3 , th e B u r e a u c h a n g e d th e
w a y in w h ic h h o m e o w n e r s h ip c o s t s are
th e p r o d u c t c o d e e x t e n s io n o f th e s i c d e v e l
reau o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ).
A d d itio n a l d e ta ile d d a ta an d a n a ly s e s o f
o p e d b y th e U . S . B u r e a u o f th e C e n s u s .
T o d ie e x te n t p o s s ib le , p r ic e s u s e d in
p r ic e c h a n g e s are p r o v id e d m o n th ly in Pro
ducer Price Indexes. S e le c t e d h isto r ic a l
m e a su r e d fo r th e
S ta n d a rd In d u str ia l C la s s if ic a t io n
C P I-U .
A r en ta l e q u iv a
(S IC )
and
le n c e m e th o d r e p la c e d th e a s s e t-p r ic e a p
p r o a c h to h o m e o w n e r s h ip c o s t s fo r th at
c a lc u la tin g P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x e s a p p ly to
d a ta m a y b e fo u n d in th e
th e fir s t s ig n ific a n t c o m m e r c ia l tr a n sa c tio n
Labor Statistics,
s e r ie s . In J a n u a ry 1 9 8 5 , th e s a m e c h a n g e
in th e U n ite d S ta te s fr o m th e p r o d u c tio n o r
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 9 ).
w a s m a d e in th e
T h e c en tra l p u r p o se
c e n tr a l m a r k e tin g p o in t. P r ic e d a ta are g e n
o f th e c h a n g e w a s to se p a r a te sh e lte r c o s t s
fr o m th e in v e s tm e n t c o m p o n e n t o f h o m e -
e r a lly c o lle c t e d m o n th ly , p r im a rily b y m a il
q u e s tio n n a ir e . M o s t p r ic e s are o b ta in e d d i
o w n e r s h ip s o th a t th e in d e x w o u ld r e fle c t
r e c tly fr o m p r o d u c in g c o m p a n ie s o n a v o l
o n ly th e c o s t o f sh e lte r s e r v ic e s p r o v id e d b y
u n tary an d c o n fid e n tia l b a s is . P r ic e s g e n e r
o w n e r - o c c u p ie d h o m e s . A n u p d a te d
a lly are r e p o rte d fo r th e T u e s d a y o f th e
an d
c p i- w
C P I-W .
c p i- u
w e r e in tr o d u c e d w ith r e le a s e o f
w e e k c o n ta in in g th e 1 3 th d a y o f th e m o n th .
Handbook of
B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f
International Price Indexes
Description of the series
The
bls
International Price Program
S in c e Jan u ary 1 9 8 7 , p r ic e c h a n g e s fo r
p r o d u c e s q u a rte r ly e x p o r t an d im p o r t p r ice
th e v a r io u s c o m m o d it ie s h a v e b e e n a v e r a
in d e x e s fo r n o n m ilita r y g o o d s trad ed b e
g e d to g e th e r w ith im p lic it q u a n tity w e ig h ts
t w e e n th e U n ite d S ta te s an d th e rest o f th e
r e p r e se n tin g th e ir im p o r ta n c e in th e to ta l
w o r ld . T h e e x p o r t p r ic e in d e x p r o v id e s a
F o r a d is c u s s io n o f th e g e n e r a l m e th o d fo r
n e t s e llin g v a lu e o f a ll c o m m o d it ie s a s o f
m e a su r e o f p r ic e c h a n g e fo r a ll p r o d u c ts
Handbook of
1 9 8 2 . T h e d e ta ile d d a ta are a g g r e g a te d to
s o ld b y U . S . r e s id e n ts to fo r e ig n b u y e r s.
th e Jan u a ry 1 9 8 7 d a ta .
Additional sources of information
c o m p u tin g th e
Methods,
c p i,
see
bls
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r
S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ) . T h e r e c e n t c h a n g e in th e
m e a s u r e m e n t o f h o m e o w n e r s h ip c o s t s is
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
s ta g e -o f-p r o c e s s in g
(“ R e s id e n ts ” is d e fin e d a s in th e n a tio n a l
g r o u p in g s , c o m m o d ity g r o u p in g s , d u ra b il-
in c o m e a c c o u n ts: it in c lu d e s c o r p o r a tio n s ,
ity -o f-p r o d u c t g r o u p in g s , an d a n u m b e r o f
b u s in e s s e s , an d in d iv id u a ls b u t d o e s n o t
o b ta in
in d e x e s
fo r
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
55
Current Labor Statistics
req u ire th e o r g a n iz a tio n s to b e U . S . o w n e d
s a m e ite m s b e in g p r ic e d fr o m p e r io d to p e
n o r th e in d iv id u a ls to h a v e U . S . c it iz e n
r io d , it is n e c e s s a r y to r e c o g n iz e w h e n a
s h ip .) T h e im p o r t p r ic e in d e x p r o v id e s a
p r o d u c t’s s p e c ific a tio n s o r te rm s o f tran s
m e a su r e o f p r ic e c h a n g e fo r g o o d s p u r
a c tio n h a v e b e e n m o d if ie d . F o r th is r e a s o n ,
c h a s e d fr o m o th e r c o u n tr ie s b y U . S . r e s i
th e B u r e a u ’s q u a rterly q u e s tio n n a ir e re
d e n ts . W ith p u b lic a tio n o f a n a ll-im p o r t
q u e s ts d e ta ile d d e s c r ip tio n s o f th e p h y s ic a l
in d e x in F eb ru a ry 1 9 8 3 a n d an a ll-e x p o r t
an d fu n c tio n a l c h a r a c te r istic s o f th e p r o d
in d e x in F eb ru a ry 1 9 8 4 , a ll U . S . m e r c h a n
u c ts b e in g p r ic e d , a s w e ll a s in fo r m a tio n o n
d is e im p o r ts an d e x p o r ts n o w are r ep re
th e n u m b e r o f u n its b o u g h t o r s o ld , d is
se n te d
r e fe r e n c e
c o u n ts , c r e d it te r m s , p a c k a g in g , c la s s o f
p e r io d fo r th e in d e x e s is 1 9 8 5 = 1 0 0 , u n
b u y e r o r s e lle r , an d s o fo r th . W h e n th ere
in
th e s e
in d e x e s .
The
le s s o th e r w is e in d ic a te d .
are c h a n g e s in e ith e r th e s p e c ific a tio n s or
T h e p r o d u c t u n iv e r s e fo r b o th th e im p o r t
te rm s o f tr a n sa c tio n o f a p r o d u c t, th e d o lla r
an d e x p o r t in d e x e s in c lu d e s ra w m a te r ia ls ,
v a lu e o f e a c h c h a n g e is d e le te d fr o m th e
a g r ic u ltu r a l p r o d u c ts , s e m ifin is h e d m a n u
to ta l p r ic e c h a n g e to o b ta in th e “ p u r e ”
fa c tu r e s , a n d fin is h e d m a n u fa c tu r e s,
in
c h a n g e . O n c e th is v a lu e is d e te r m in e d , a
c lu d in g b o th c a p ita l a n d c o n s u m e r g o o d s .
lin k in g p r o c e d u r e is e m p lo y e d w h ic h a l
P r ic e d a ta fo r th e s e ite m s are c o lle c t e d
q u a rte r ly b y m a il q u e s tio n n a ir e . In n e a r ly
lo w s fo r th e c o n tin u e d r e p r ic in g o f th e
ite m .
a ll c a s e s , th e d a ta are c o lle c t e d d ir e c tly
F o r th e e x p o r t p r ic e in d e x e s , th e p r e
fr o m th e e x p o r te r o r im p o r te r , a lth o u g h in
ferr ed p r ic in g b a s is is f . a . s . (fr e e a lo n g s id e
a f e w c a s e s , p r ic e s are o b ta in e d fr o m o th e r
so u rces.
s h ip ) U . S . p o rt o f e x p o r ta tio n . W h e n fir m s
rep o rt e x p o r t p r ic e s f . o . b . (fr e e o n b o a r d ),
T o th e e x te n t p o s s ib le , th e d a ta g a th e r e d
p r o d u c tio n p o in t in fo r m a tio n is c o lle c t e d
r e fe r to p r ic e s at th e U . S . b o rd er fo r e x p o r ts
w h ic h e n a b le s th e B u r e a u to c a lc u la te a
an d at e ith e r th e fo r e ig n b o r d e r o r th e U . S .
sh ip m e n t c o s t to th e p o rt o f e x p o r ta tio n . A n
Productivity Data
(T a b le s 2; 4 4 - 4 7 )
Business sector and major sectors
Description of the series
T h e p r o d u c tiv ity m e a s u r e s r ela te r ea l p h y s
ic a l o u tp u t to r ea l in p u t. A s s u c h , th e y e n
co m p a ss
a
f a m ily
of
m ea su res
w h ic h
in c lu d e s in g le fa c to r in p u t m e a s u r e s , su c h
a s o u tp u t p e r u n it o f la b o r in p u t (o u tp u t p er
h o u r) o r o u tp u t p e r u n it o f c a p ita l in p u t, as
w e ll a s m e a s u r e s o f m u ltifa c to r p r o d u c tiv
ity (o u tp u t p e r u n it o f c o m b in e d la b o r an d
c a p ita l in p u ts). T h e B u r e a u in d e x e s s h o w
th e c h a n g e in o u tp u t r e la tiv e to c h a n g e s in
th e v a r io u s in p u ts. T h e m e a su r e s c o v e r th e
b u s in e s s , n o n fa r m b u s in e s s , m a n u fa ctu r
in g , an d n o n fin a n c ia l c o r p o r a te s e c to r s .
C o r r e sp o n d in g in d e x e s o f h o u r ly c o m
p e n s a tio n , u n it la b o r c o s t s , u n it n o n la b o r
p a y m e n ts , an d p r ic e s are a ls o p r o v id e d .
Definitions
b o rd er fo r im p o r ts. F o r n e a r ly a ll p r o d u c ts ,
a ttem p t is m a d e to c o lle c t tw o p r ic e s fo r
Output per hour of all persons (la b o r p r o
th e p r ic e s r e fe r to tr a n sa c tio n s c o m p le te d
im p o r ts. T h e first is th e im p o r t p r ic e f .o . b .
d u c tiv ity ) is th e v a lu e o f g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s
d u rin g th e first 2 w e e k s o f th e third m o n th
at th e fo r e ig n p o rt o f e x p o r ta tio n , w h ic h is
in c o n s ta n t p r ic e s p r o d u c e d p e r h o u r o f
o f e a c h c a le n d a r q u arter— M a r c h , J u n e ,
c o n s is te n t w ith th e b a s is fo r v a lu a tio n o f
la b o r in p u t.
S e p te m b e r ,
im p o r ts in th e n a tio n a l a c c o u n ts . T h e s e c
services
and
D ecem ber.
S u rvey
re
Output per unit of capital
(c a p ita l p r o d u c tiv ity ) is th e v a lu e
sp o n d e n ts are a s k e d to in d ic a te a ll d is
o n d is th e im p o r t p r ic e c . i . f .
( c o s t , in
o f g o o d s an d s e r v ic e s in c o n s ta n t d o lla r s
c o u n ts , a llo w a n c e s , a n d r e b a te s a p p lic a b le
s u r a n c e , a n d fr e ig h t) at th e U . S . p o r t o f
p r o d u c e d p e r u n it o f c a p ita l s e r v ic e s in p u t.
to th e r e p o rte d p r ic e s , s o th at th e p r ic e u s e d
im p o r ta tio n , w h ic h a ls o in c lu d e s th e o th e r
in th e c a lc u la tio n o f th e in d e x e s is th e a c
c o s t s a s s o c ia te d w ith b r in g in g th e p r o d u ct
goods
tu al p r ic e fo r w h ic h th e p r o d u c t w a s b o u g h t
o r s o ld .
to th e U . S . b o r d e r . It d o e s n o t, h o w e v e r ,
p r o d u c e d p e r c o m b in e d u n it o f la b o r and
in c lu d e d u ty c h a r g e s . F o r a g iv e n p r o d u c t,
c a p ita l in p u ts. C h a n g e s in th is m e a su r e re
In a d d itio n to g e n e r a l in d e x e s o f p r ic e s
fo r U . S . e x p o r ts a n d im p o r ts , in d e x e s are
o n ly o n e p r ic e b a s is s e r ie s is u s e d in th e
c o n s tr u c tio n o f an in d e x .
a f fe c t
a ls o p u b lis h e d fo r d e ta ile d p r o d u c t c a te
B e g in n in g in 1 9 8 8 , th e B u r e a u h a s a ls o
Multifactor productivity is
an d
s e r v ic e s
in
th e v a lu e o f
c o n s ta n t
p r ic e s
f le c t c h a n g e s in a n u m b e r o f fa c to r s w h ic h
th e
p r o d u c tio n
p rocess,
su ch
as
c h a n g e s in t e c h n o lo g y , s h ifts in th e c o m p o
g o r ie s o f e x p o r ts a n d im p o r ts. T h e s e c a te
b e e n p u b lis h in g a s e r ie s o f in d e x e s w h ic h
s itio n o f th e la b o r fo r c e , c h a n g e s in c a p a c
g o r ie s are d e fin e d b y th e 4 - a n d 5 -d ig it
r e p r e se n t th e p r ic e o f U . S . e x p o r ts an d im
ity u tiliz a tio n , r e s e a r c h a n d d e v e lo p m e n t,
le v e l o f d e ta il o f th e S ta n d a rd In d u str ia l
p o rts in fo r e ig n c u r r e n c y te r m s.
(snc).
T r a d e C la s s if ic a t io n S y s t e m
c a lc u la tio n o f in d e x e s b y
c ilita te s
th e
srrc
c o m p a r is o n
c a te g o r y fa
of
U .S .
s k ill an d e ffo r ts o f th e w o r k fo r c e , m a n a g e
The
p r ic e
tren d s an d s e c to r p r o d u c tio n w ith s im ila r
m e n t, an d s o fo r th . C h a n g e s in th e o u tp u t
Additional sources of information
p e r h o u r m e a su r e s r e fle c t th e im p a c t o f
F o r a d is c u s s io n o f th e g e n e r a l m e th o d o f
th e s e fa c to r s a s w e ll a s th e su b s titu tio n o f
c a p ita l fo r la b o r .
d ata fo r o th e r c o u n tr ie s . D e ta ile d in d e x e s
c o m p u tin g In ter n a tio n a l P r ic e I n d e x e s , s e e
are a ls o
b ls
S tan d ard
c o m p u te d
and
In d u str ia l
p u b lis h e d
C la s s ific a tio n
on
a
(sic-
b a s e d ) b a s is , a s w e ll a s b y e n d -u s e c la s s .
Notes on the data
T h e e x p o r t a nd im p o r t p r ic e in d e x e s are
w e ig h te d in d e x e s o f th e L a s p e y r e s ty p e .
P r ic e r e la tiv e s are a s s ig n e d e q u a l im p o r
ta n c e w ith in e a c h w e ig h t c a te g o r y a nd are
th e n a g g r e g a te d to th e
s it c
le v e l. T h e v a l
u e s a s s ig n e d to e a c h w e ig h t c a te g o r y are
b ased
on
trade
v a lu e
fig u r e s
c o m p ile d
b y th e B u r e a u o f th e C e n s u s . T h e trade
w e ig h t s c u r re n tly u s e d to c o m p u te b o th in
d e x e s r ela te to 1 9 8 5 .
B e c a u s e a p r ic e in d e x d e p e n d s o n th e
Digitized5 6for Monthly
FRASERLabor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
Handbook of Methods ,
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5
(B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ).
Compensation per hour
is th e w a g e s
an d s a la r ie s o f e m p lo y e e s p lu s e m p lo y e r s ’
c o n tr ib u tio n s fo r s o c ia l in su r a n c e an d p ri
A d d itio n a l d e ta ile d d ata an d a n a ly s e s o f
v a te b e n e fit p la n s , an d th e w a g e s , s a la r ie s ,
in te r n a tio n a l p r ic e d e v e lo p m e n ts are p r e
an d s u p p le m e n ta r y p a y m e n ts fo r th e s e lf -
se n te d in th e B u r e a u ’s q u a rte r ly p u b lic a tio n
e m p lo y e d ( e x c e p t fo r n o n fin a n c ia l c o r p o r a
U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes and
in o c c a s io n a l Monthly Labor Review arti
th e s u m d iv id e d b y h o u rs at w o r k .
c le s p rep a red b y
compensation per hour is
bls
a n a ly s ts . S e le c t e d h is
to r ic a l d a ta m a y b e fo u n d in th e
of Labor Statistics ,
Handbook
B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 9 ). F o r fu rth er in
fo r m a tio n o n th e fo r e ig n c u r r e n c y in d e x e s ,
see
and
“b
ls
p u b lis h e s a v e r a g e e x c h a n g e rate
fo r e ig n
currency
Monthly Labor Review,
pp. 4 7 -4 9 .
p r ic e
i n d e x e s ,”
D ecem ber 1987,
tion s in w h ic h there are n o se lf-e m p lo y e d )—
Real
c o m p e n sa tio n per
hour d eflated b y the ch a n g e in the C on su m er
P rice In d ex for A ll U rban C on su m ers.
Unit labor costs are the labor c o m p e n sa
tion c o sts e x p e n d e d in the p rodu ction o f a
unit o f output and are d erived b y d iv id in g
c o m p e n sa tio n
by
output.
Unit nonlabor
payments in clu d e profits,
dep reciation , inter
e st, and indirect ta x e s per unit o f output.
T h e y are c o m p u ted b y subtracting co m p e n -
s a tio n o f a ll p e r s o n s fr o m cu rren t d o lla r
m any
in
F o r m o s t in d u s tr ie s , th e p r o d u c tiv ity in
v a lu e o f o u tp u t a n d d iv id in g b y o u tp u t.
t e c h n o lo g y ;
le v e l o f
d e x e s r e fe r to th e o u tp u t p er h o u r o f all
Unit nonlabor costs c o n ta in
a ll th e c o m p o
o u tp u t; u tiliz a tio n o f c a p a c ity , e n e r g y , and
e m p lo y e e s . F o r s o m e tr a n sp o rta tio n in d u s
except u n it
m a ter ia ls; th e o r g a n iz a tio n o f p r o d u c tio n ;
tr ie s , o n ly in d e x e s o f o u tp u t p e r e m p lo y e e
m a n a g e r ia l sk ill; an d th e c h a r a c te r istic s an d
are p r ep a red . F o r s o m e trad e and s e r v ic e
n e n ts o f u n it n o n la b o r p a y m e n ts
p r o fits.
Unit profits
in c lu d e c o r p o r a te p r o fits
in f lu e n c e s ,
in c lu d in g
changes
c a p ita l in v e stm e n t;
in d u str ie s, in d e x e s o f o u tp u t p e r h o u r o f all
e ffo r ts o f th e w o r k f o r c e .
p e r s o n s (in c lu d in g th e s e lf - e m p lo y e d ) are
w ith in v e n to r y v a lu a tio n a n d c a p ita l c o n
Additional sources of information
c o n str u c te d .
a t w o r k o f p a y r o ll w o r k e r s , s e lf - e m p lo y e d
D e s c r ip tio n s o f m e th o d o lo g y
Additional sources of information
p e r s o n s , a n d u n p a id f a m ily w o r k e r s .
th e m e a su r e m e n t o f o u tp u t p e r h o u r and
su m p tio n a d ju stm e n ts p e r u n it o f o u tp u t.
Hours of all persons are
Capital services
th e to ta l h o u rs
is th e f lo w o f s e r v ic e s
u n d e r ly in g
m u ltifa c to r p r o d u c tiv ity are fo u n d in th e
Handbook of Methods,
fr o m th e c a p ita l s to c k u s e d in p r o d u c tio n . It
BLS
is d e v e lo p e d fr o m m e a s u r e s o f th e n e t s to c k
(B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ) . H is to r i
o f p h y s ic a l a s s e t s — e q u ip m e n t, str u c tu r es,
c a l d ata are p r o v id e d in
la n d , a n d in v e n to r ie s — w e ig h te d b y ren ta l
Statistics,
p r ic e s fo r e a c h ty p e o f a s s e t.
S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 9 ).
Combined units of labor and capital
inputs are d e r iv e d b y c o m b in in g c h a n g e s
Industry productivity measures
in la b o r a n d c a p ita l in p u t w ith w e ig h ts
w h ic h r e p r e se n t e a c h c o m p o n e n t ’s sh a re
B u lle tin 2 2 8 5
Handbook of Labor
B u lle tin 2 3 4 0 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r
F o r a c o m p le te lis t in g o f a v a ila b le in d u str y
p r o d u c tiv ity in d e x e s an d th e ir c o m p o n e n ts ,
s e e Productivity Measures for Selected In
dustries and Government Services, B u l
le tin
2322
(B u r e a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
1 9 8 9 ). F o r a d d itio n a l in fo r m a tio n a b o u t the
m e th o d o lo g y fo r c o m p u tin g th e in d u str y
p r o d u c tiv ity m e a s u r e s , s e e BLS
of Methods,
B u lle tin
2285
Handbook
(B u r e a u
of
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 8 8 ) , c h a p te r 11.
Description of the series
o f to ta l o u tp u t. T h e in d e x e s fo r c a p ita l
s e r v ic e s a n d c o m b in e d u n its o f la b o r a nd
The
c a p ita l
p le m e n t
are
based
on
c h a n g in g
w e ig h ts
BLS
in d u str y p r o d u c tiv ity d a ta s u p
th e
m easu res
fo r
th e
b u s in e s s
w h ic h are a v e r a g e s o f th e sh a re s in th e c u r
e c o n o m y an d m a jo r s e c to r s w ith a n n u a l
ren t a n d
m e a su r e s o f la b o r p r o d u c tiv ity fo r s e le c t e d
p r e c e d in g
year
(th e T o m q u is t
in d u str ie s at th e 3 - an d 4 - d ig it l e v e ls o f th e
in d e x -n u m b e r fo r m u la ).
S ta n d ard In d u str ia l C la s s ific a tio n s y s te m .
T h e in d u str y m e a su r e s d iffe r in m e th o d o l
Notes on the data
International Comparisons
(T a b le s 4 8 - 5 0 )
Labor force and unemployment
Description of the series
o g y an d d a ta so u r c e s fr o m th e p r o d u c tiv ity
T h e o u tp u t m e a su r e fo r th e
business sector
m e a s u r e s fo r th e m a jo r s e c to r s b e c a u s e th e
T a b le s
in d u str y m e a s u r e s are d e v e lo p e d in d e p e n d
m e a s u r e s o f th e la b o r fo r c e , e m p lo y m e n t,
48
an d
49
p r e se n t c o m p a r a tiv e
is e q u a l to c o n s ta n t-d o lla r g r o s s n a tio n a l
e n tly o f th e N a tio n a l I n c o m e an d P ro d u c t
and u n e m p lo y m e n t— a p p r o x im a tin g U . S .
p r o d u c t b u t e x c lu d e s th e ren ta l v a lu e o f
A c c o u n ts fr a m e w o r k u s e d fo r th e m a jo r
c o n c e p ts — fo r th e U n ite d S ta te s , C a n a d a ,
o w n e r -o c c u p ie d
s e c to r m e a s u r e s .
A u str a lia ,
Definitions
c o u n tr ie s . T h e u n e m p lo y m e n t sta tistic s
(a n d , to a le s s e r e x te n t, e m p lo y m e n t sta tis
tic s ) p u b lis h e d b y o th e r in d u str ia l c o u n tr ie s
d w e llin g s ,
th e
r e s t-o f-
w o r ld s e c to r , th e o u tp u t o f n o n p r o fit in s ti
tu tio n s , th e o u tp u t o f p a id e m p lo y e e s o f
p r iv a te h o u s e h o ld s , g e n e r a l g o v e r n m e n t,
J ap an ,
an d
several
E uropean
is e q u a l to
O u tp u t p e r e m p lo y e e h o u r is d e r iv e d b y
d iv id in g an in d e x o f in d u str y o u tp u t b y an
b u s in e s s s e c to r o u tp u t le s s fa r m in g . T h e
in d e x o f a g g r e g a te h o u r s o f a ll e m p lo y e e s .
u n e m p lo y m e n t s ta tis tic s . T h e r e fo r e , th e
B u r e a u a d ju sts th e fig u r e s fo r s e le c te d
m e a s u r e s are d e r iv e d fr o m d a ta s u p p lie d b y
O u tp u t in d e x e s are b a s e d o n q u a n tifia b le
c o u n tr ie s , w h e r e n e c e s s a r y , fo r a ll k n o w n
th e B u r e a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a ly s is , U . S .
u n its o f p r o d u c ts o r s e r v ic e s , or b o th , c o m
m a jo r d e fin itio n a l d iffe r e n c e s .
D e p a r tm e n t o f C o m m e r c e , a n d th e F e d e r a l
R e s e r v e B o a r d . Q u a r ter ly m a n u fa c tu r in g
b in e d w ith f ix e d -p e r io d w e ig h t s . W h e n e v e r
p r e c is e c o m p a r a b ility m a y n o t b e a c h ie v e d ,
p o s s ib le , p h y s ic a l q u a n titie s are u s e d a s th e
th e s e a d ju ste d fig u r e s p r o v id e a b e tter b a s is
o u tp u t in d e x e s are a d ju ste d b y th e B u r e a u
u n it o f m e a su r e m e n t fo r o u tp u t. I f q u a n tity
fo r in te r n a tio n a l c o m p a r is o n s th an th e f i g
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s to a n n u a l e s tim a te s o f
d a ta are n o t a v a ila b le fo r a g iv e n in d u str y ,
u r e s r e g u la r ly p u b lis h e d b y e a c h c o u n tr y .
m a n u fa c tu r in g o u tp u t (g r o s s p r o d u c t o r ig i
d a ta o n th e c o n s ta n t-d o lla r v a lu e o f p r o d u c
n a tin g ) fr o m th e B u r e a u o f E c o n o m ic A n a l
y s is . C o m p e n s a tio n a n d h o u r s d a ta are d e
tio n are u s e d .
T h e la b o r in p u t s e r ie s c o n s is t o f th e
v e lo p e d fr o m d a ta o f th e B u r e a u o f L a b o r
h o u rs o f a ll e m p lo y e e s (p r o d u c tio n an d
S ta tis tic s
n o n p r o d u c tio n w o r k e r s ), th e h o u r s o f all
a n d th e sta tistic a l d is c r e p a n c y . O u tp u t o f
th e
nonfarm business sector
and
th e
A n a ly s is .
T h e p r o d u c tiv ity
B ureau
o f E c o n o m ic
p e r s o n s (p a id e m p lo y e e s , p a r tn e r s, p r o p r i
cost
e to r s , an d u n p a id f a m ily w o r k e r s ), o r th e
m e a s u r e s in ta b le s 4 4 —4 7 d e s c r ib e th e r e la
n u m b e r o f e m p lo y e e s , d e p e n d in g u p o n th e
tio n s h ip b e t w e e n o u tp u t in r ea l te r m s a nd
in d u str y .
a nd
a s s o c ia te d
th e la b o r tim e a n d c a p ita l s e r v ic e s in v o lv e d
are n o t, in m o s t c a s e s , c o m p a r a b le to U . S .
A lth o u g h
Definitions
F o r th e p r in c ip a l U . S . d e fin itio n s o f th e
labor force, employment, and unemploy
ment, s e e th e N o t e s s e c tio n o n E M P L O Y
M ENT A N D UNEM PLO YM ENT DATA:
H o u s e h o ld S u r v e y D a ta .
Notes on the data
Notes on the data
g o o d s a n d s e r v ic e s p r o d u c e d p er u n it o f
T h e in d u str y m e a su r e s are c o m p ile d fr o m
T h e a d ju ste d sta tistic s h a v e b e e n a d a p ted to
in p u t. A lth o u g h th e s e m e a s u r e s r ela te o u t
d a ta p r o d u c e d b y
th e a g e at w h ic h c o m p u ls o r y
p u t to h o u r s a n d c a p ita l s e r v ic e s , th e y d o
S ta tis tic s , th e D e p a r tm e n ts o f C o m m e r c e ,
n o t m e a su r e th e c o n tr ib u tio n s o f la b o r , c a p
In ter io r, an d A g r ic u ltu r e , th e F e d e r a l R e
U . S . stan d ard o f 1 6 y e a r s o f a g e an d o v e r .
ita l, o r a n y o th e r s p e c if ic fa c to r o f p r o d u c
se r v e B o a r d , r e g u la to r y a g e n c ie s , trad e a s
T h e r e fo r e , th e a d ju ste d sta tis tic s r ela te to
tio n . R a th e r , th e y r e fle c t th e jo in t e f f e c t o f
s o c ia t io n s , an d o th e r s o u r c e s .
th e p o p u la tio n a g e 16 an d o v e r in F r a n c e ,
in its p r o d u c tio n . T h e y s h o w th e c h a n g e s
fr o m p e r io d to p e r io d in th e a m o u n t o f
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
th e B u r e a u o f L a b o r
s c h o o lin g
e n d s in e a c h c o u n tr y , rather th an to th e
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
57
Current Labor Statistics
Sw ed en ,
and
fr o m
1973
on w ard ,
th e
U n ite d K in g d o m ; 15 a n d o v e r in C a n a d a ,
Q u e s tio n s
a v a ila b ility
sa m p lin g w ith a N e y m a n a llo c a tio n an d a
w e r e a d d e d a n d th e p e r io d o f a c tiv e w o r k
r e g a r d in g
cu rren t
ra tio e stim a to r . T h e c h a r a c te r istic s u s e d to
A u s tr a lia , J a p a n , G e r m a n y , th e N e th e r
s e e k in g w a s r e d u c e d fr o m 6 0 d a y s to 4
str a tify th e e s ta b lis h m e n ts are th e Stan d ard
la n d s , an d p rio r to 1 9 7 3 , th e U n ite d K in g
w e e k s . T h e s e c h a n g e s r e s u lt in lo w e r in g
In d u str ia l C la s s ific a tio n (sic ) c o d e and s iz e
d o m ; a n d 14 a n d o v e r in I ta ly . T h e in s titu
S w e d e n ’s u n e m p lo y m e n t rate b y 0 . 5 p e r
o f e m p lo y m e n t.
tio n a l
c e n ta g e p o in t.
p o p u la tio n
is
in c lu d e d
in
th e
d e n o m in a to r o f th e la b o r fo r c e p a r tic ip a tio n
r a tes an d e m p lo y m e n t-p o p u la tio n ra tio s fo r
J a p a n an d G er m a n y ; it is e x c lu d e d fo r th e
U n ite d S ta te s a n d th e o th e r c o u n tr ie s .
In th e U . S . la b o r fo r c e s u r v e y , p e r so n s
o n la y o f f w h o are a w a itin g r e c a ll to th eir
j o b are c la s s if ie d a s u n e m p lo y e d . E u r o p e a n
an d J a p a n e se l a y o f f p r a c tic e s are q u ite d if
fe r e n t in n a tu re fr o m th o s e in th e U n ite d
S ta te s; th e r e fo r e , str ict a p p lic a tio n o f th e
U . S . d e fin itio n h a s n o t b e e n m a d e o n th is
p o in t. F o r fu rth er in fo r m a tio n , s e e
Labor Review,
Monthly
D ecem b er 1 9 81, pp. 8 - 1 1 .
Additional sources of information
International
Comparisons of Unemployment, B u lle tin
F o r fu rth er in fo r m a tio n , s e e
1 9 7 9 (B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s , 1 9 7 8 ) ,
A p p e n d ix B , a n d S u p p le m e n ts to A p p e n d ix
B . T h e sta tis tic s are a ls o a n a ly z e d p e r io d i
c a lly in th e
Monthly Labor Review .
A d d i
tio n a l h is to r ic a l d a ta , g e n e r a lly b e g in n in g
w ith 1 9 5 9 , are p u b lis h e d in th e
of Labor Statistics
Handbook
a n d are a v a ila b le in
sta tistic a l su p p le m e n ts to B u lle tin 1 9 7 9 .
T h e f ig u r e s fo r o n e o r m o r e r e c e n t y e a r s
la b o r fo r c e s u r v e y s fo r e a r lie r y e a r s a n d are
c o n s id e r e d
p r e lim in a r y .
The
r e c e n t-y e a r
m e a s u r e s fo r th e s e c o u n tr ie s a r e, th e r e fo r e ,
su b je c t to r e v is io n w h e n e v e r d a ta fr o m
Recordable occupational injuries and ill
nesses are: (1 ) o c c u p a tio n a l d e a th s , reg a r d
le s s o f th e tim e b e tw e e n in ju ry a n d d e a th ,
o r th e le n g th o f th e illn e s s ; o r (2 ) n o n fa ta l
o c c u p a tio n a l illn e s s e s ; o r (3 ) n o n fa ta l o c c u
p a tio n a l in ju r ie s w h ic h in v o lv e o n e o r m o r e
o f th e fo llo w in g : lo s s o f c o n s c io u s n e s s , re
str ic tio n o f w o r k or m o tio n , tr a n sfe r to a n
o th e r j o b , o r m e d ic a l tr ea tm e n t (o th e r than
first a id ).
Occupational injury is
a n y in ju r y , su c h
a s a c u t, fr a ctu r e , sp r a in , a m p u ta tio n , and
fo r F r a n c e , G e r m a n y , I ta ly , th e N e th e r
la n d s, an d th e U n ite d K in g d o m are c a lc u
la te d u s in g a d ju stm e n t fa c to r s b a s e d o n
Definitions
s o fo r th , w h ic h r e s u lts fr o m a w o r k a c c i
Occupational Injury and
Illness Data
d e n t o r fr o m e x p o s u r e in v o lv in g a s in g le
in c id e n t in th e w o r k e n v ir o n m e n t.
(T a b le 5 1 )
c o n d itio n o r d iso r d e r , o th e r th an o n e r e s u lt
Description of the series
e x p o s u r e to e n v ir o n m e n ta l fa c to r s a s s o c i
Occupational illness
is
an
a b n o rm a l
in g fr o m an o c c u p a tio n a l in ju r y , c a u s e d b y
m o r e cu rren t la b o r fo r c e s u r v e y s b e c o m e
a v a ila b le .
T h e A n n u a l S u r v e y o f O c c u p a tio n a l In
an d c h r o n ic illn e s s e s o r d is e a s e w h ic h m a y
T h e r e are b r e a k s in th e d a ta s e r ie s fo r
ju r ie s a n d I lln e s s e s is d e s ig n e d to c o lle c t
b e c a u s e d b y in h a la tio n , a b s o r p tio n , in g e s
t io n , o r d ir e c t c o n ta c t.
a te d w ith e m p lo y m e n t. It in c lu d e s a c u te
G e r m a n y ( 1 9 8 3 a nd 1 9 8 7 ) , Ita ly ( 1 9 8 6 ) ,
d a ta o n
th e
S w ed en
r e c o r d s w h ic h e m p lo y e r s in th e f o llo w in g
( 1 9 8 7 ) . F o r b o th G e r m a n y a n d th e N e th e r
in d u str ie s m a in ta in u n d e r th e O c c u p a tio n a l
v o lv e d a y s a w a y fr o m w o r k , o r d a y s o f
N e th e r la n d s
(1 9 8 3 ),
and
in ju r ie s a n d illn e s s e s b a s e d o n
Lost workday cases are
c a s e s w h ic h in
la n d s , th e 1 9 8 3 b r e a k s r e fle c t th e r e p la c e
S a fe ty a n d H e a lth A c t o f 1 9 7 0 : a g r ic u ltu r e ,
r e str ic te d w o r k a c tiv ity , or b o th .
m e n t o f la b o r fo r c e su r v e y r e s u lts ta b u la te d
fo r e s tr y , a n d fis h in g ; o il a n d g a s e x tr a c tio n ;
b y th e n a tio n a l sta tistic a l o f f ic e s w ith th o s e
c o n str u c tio n ; m a n u fa c tu r in g ; tr a n sp o rta tio n
Lost workday cases involving re
stricted work activity are th o s e c a s e s
C o m m u n ity
a n d p u b lic u tilitie s ; w h o le s a le an d r eta il
w h ic h result in restricted w o rk activity o n ly .
T h e D u tc h
trade; fin a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d r ea l e sta te ;
Lost workdays away from work are th e
fig u r e s fo r 1 9 8 3 o n w a r d a ls o r e fle c t th e
a n d s e r v ic e s . E x c lu d e d fr o m th e su r v e y are
n u m b e r o f w o r k d a y s ( c o n s e c u t iv e or n o t)
r e p la c e m e n t o f m a n -y e a r e m p lo y m e n t d ata
s e lf - e m p lo y e d
o n w h ic h th e e m p lo y e e w o u ld h a v e w o r k e d
w ith d ata fr o m th e D u tc h S u r v e y o f E m
f e w e r th a n 11 e m p lo y e e s , e m p lo y e r s r e g u
b u t c o u ld n o t b e c a u s e o f o c c u p a tio n a l in
p lo y e d P e r s o n s . T h e im p a c t o f th e c h a n g e s
la te d b y o th e r F e d e r a l s a fe ty an d h e a lth
ju r y o r illn e s s .
w a s to lo w e r th e a d ju ste d u n e m p lo y m e n t
la w s , a n d F e d e r a l, S ta te , an d lo c a l g o v e r n
rate b y 0 . 3 p e r c e n ta g e p o in t fo r G e r m a n y
m e n t a g e n c ie s .
Lost workdays—restricted work ac
tivity are th e n u m b e r o f w o r k d a y s ( c o n s e c
ta b u la te d
by
th e
S ta tistic a l O f f ic e
E uropean
(e
u r o s t a t
).
in d iv id u a ls ,
fa r m e r s
w ith
an d b y a b o u t 2 p e r c e n ta g e p o in ts fo r th e
B e c a u s e th e su r v e y is a F e d e r a l-S ta te c o
u tiv e o r n o t) o n w h ic h , b e c a u s e o f in ju r y or
N e th e r la n d s . T h e 1 9 8 7 b r e a k fo r G e r m a n y
o p e r a tiv e p r o g r a m a n d th e d ata m u s t m e e t
illn e s s : (1 ) th e e m p lo y e e w a s a s s ig n e d to
r e fle c ts th e in c o r p o r a tio n o f e m p lo y m e n t
th e n e e d s o f p a r tic ip a tin g S ta te a g e n c ie s , an
a n o th e r j o b o n a te m p o ra r y b a s is ; or ( 2 ) th e
sta tistic s b a s e d o n
P o p u la tio n
in d e p e n d e n t s a m p le is s e le c t e d fo r e a c h
e m p lo y e e w o r k e d at a p e r m a n e n t j o b le s s
th an f u ll tim e ; o r (3 ) th e e m p lo y e e w o r k e d
th e
1987
C e n s u s , w h ic h in d ic a te d th a t th e le v e l o f
S ta te . T h e sa m p le is s e le c t e d to r ep r e se n t
e m p lo y m e n t w a s a b o u t 1 m illio n h ig h e r
a ll p r iv a te in d u str ie s in th e S ta te s an d terri
at a p e r m a n e n tly a s s ig n e d j o b b u t c o u ld n o t
th a n p r e v io u s ly e s tim a te d . T h e im p a c t o f
to r ie s . T h e s a m p le s iz e fo r th e su r v e y is
perform all d u ties n orm ally con n e c ted w ith it.
th is c h a n g e w a s to lo w e r th e a d ju ste d u n
d e p e n d e n t u p o n (1 ) th e c h a r a c te r istic s fo r
e m p lo y m e n t rate b y 0 . 3 p e r c e n ta g e p o in t.
w h ic h e s tim a te s are n e e d e d ; (2 ) th e in d u s
The number of days away from work
or days of restricted work activity d o e s
W hen
h is to r ic a l
d a ta
benchm arked
to
tr ie s fo r w h ic h e s tim a te s are d e sir e d ; ( 3 ) th e
n o t in c lu d e th e d a y o f in ju ry o r o n s e t o f
w ill
c h a r a c te r istic s o f th e p o p u la tio n b e in g sa m
illn e s s o r a n y d a y s o n w h ic h th e e m p lo y e e
r ev ise its co m parative m ea su res for G erm a n y .
p le d ; (4 ) th e ta r g et r e lia b ility o f th e e s t i
F o r I ta ly , th e b r e a k in s e r ie s r e fle c ts
m a tes; a n d (5 ) th e su r v e y d e s ig n e m p lo y e d .
w o u ld n o t h a v e w o r k e d e v e n th o u g h a b le to
w ork.
m o r e a c c u r a te e n u m e r a tio n o f tim e o f la st
j o b se a r c h . T h is r e s u lte d in a s ig n ific a n t
W h ile th e r e are m a n y c h a r a c te r istic s
u p o n w h ic h th e s a m p le d e s ig n c o u ld b e
Incidence rates r e p r e se n t th e n u m b e r o f
in ju r ie s a n d /o r illn e s s e s o r lo s t w o r k d a y s
in c r e a s e in th e n u m b e r o f p e o p le r ep o rte d
b a s e d , th e to ta l r e c o r d e d c a s e in c id e n c e
p e r 1 0 0 f u ll-tim e w o r k e r s .
a s s e e k in g w o r k in th e la st 3 0 d a y s . T h e
rate is u s e d b e c a u s e it is o n e o f th e m o s t
th e 1 9 8 7 c e n s u s b e c a m e a v a ila b le ,
bls
im p a c t w a s to in c r e a s e th e Ita lia n u n e m
im p o r ta n t c h a r a c te r istic s an d th e le a s t v a r i
p lo y m e n t ra tes a p p r o x im a tin g U . S .
a b le ; th e r e fo r e , it r eq u ire s th e s m a lle s t s a m
con
c e p ts b y a b o u t 1 p e r c e n ta g e p o in t.
S w e d e n in tr o d u c e d a n e w q u e s tio n n a ir e .
8 FRASER
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized5 for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
p le s iz e .
T h e su r v e y is b a s e d o n str a tifie d r a n d o m
Notes on the data
E stim ates
are
e m p lo y m e n t-siz e
m ade
for
c la s se s
industries
and
for
and
severity
cla ssifica tio n : fa ta lities, lo st w o rk d a y c a se s,
and non fatal c a se s w ith o u t lo st w o rk d a y s.
L o st w ork d a y c a se s are separated into th o se
a g e n c ie s . T h e W o r k In jury R e p o r t p r o g r a m
H e a lth , an d W o r k in g C o n d itio n s .
M in in g an d r a ilr o a d d ata are fu r n ish e d to
BLS
b y th e M in e S a fe ty an d H e a lth A d m in
e x a m in e s
s e le c t e d
ty p e s
of
a c c id e n ts
th r o u g h an e m p lo y e e su r v e y w h ic h f o c u s e s
w h er e the e m p lo y e e w o u ld h a v e w o rk ed but
istr a tio n an d th e F e d e r a l R a ilr o a d A d m in is
o n th e c ir c u m s ta n c e s su rr o u n d in g th e in
c o u ld not and th o se in w h ic h w o rk a ctivity
tr a tio n ,
ju r y . T h e s e d ata are n o t in c lu d e d in th e
r e s p e c t iv e ly .
D a ta
fr o m
th e s e
o r g a n iz a tio n s are in c lu d e d in
p u b lic a tio n s . F e d e r a l e m p lo y e e e x p e r ie n c e
a b le fr o m th e
is c o m p ile d an d p u b lis h e d b y th e O c c u p a
an d W o r k in g C o n d itio n s .
for both ca teg o ries.
BLS
an d S ta te
Handbook of Labor Statistics b u t
w a s restricted. E stim ates o f the nu m ber o f
c a se s and the nu m ber o f d a y s lo st are m ade
bls
are a v a il
O f f ic e o f S a fe ty , H e a lth ,
M o s t o f th e e s tim a te s are in th e fo r m o f
tio n a l S a fe ty an d H e a lth A d m in is tr a tio n .
T h e d e fin itio n s o f o c c u p a tio n a l in ju r ies
in c id e n c e r a te s, d e fin e d a s th e n u m b e r o f
D a ta o n S ta te an d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t e m
and illn e s s e s an d lo s t w o r k d a y s are fr o m
in ju r ie s a n d illn e s s e s , o r lo s t w o r k d a y s , per
p lo y e e s are c o lle c t e d b y a b o u t h a lf o f th e
1 0 0 f u ll-tim e e m p lo y e e s . F o r th is p u r p o s e ,
S ta te s and territo ries; th e s e d ata are n o t
2 0 0 ,0 0 0
c o m p ile d n a tio n a lly .
Recordkeeping Requirements under the Oc
cupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
F o r a d d itio n a l d a ta , s e e Occupational In
juries and Illnesses in the United States, by
Industry, a n n u a l B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s
b u lle tin ; bls Handbook of Methods , B u l
e m p lo y e e
e m p lo y e e
years
h o u rs
( 2 ,0 0 0
r e p r e se n t
h o u rs
p er
100
em
p lo y e e ) . O n ly a f e w o f th e a v a ila b le m e a
su r e s are in c lu d e d
Labor Statistics .
in th e
F u ll d e ta il is p r e se n te d in
Occupational In
juries and Illnesses in the United States, by
Industry.
th e
annual
b u lle tin ,
C o m p a r a b le d a ta fo r in d iv id u a l S ta te s
are a v a ila b le fr o m th e
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
b ls
Additional sources of information
Handbook of
O f f ic e o f S a f e t y ,
T h e S u p p le m e n ta r y D a ta S y s t e m p r o v id e s
le tin
d e ta ile d
in fo r m a tio n
d e s c r ib in g
1988) ;
fa c to r s
a s s o c ia te d
w ith
v a r io u s
w o r k -r e la te d
le tin
2285
(B u r e a u
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
Handbook of Labor Statistics,
2340
(B u r e a u
B u l
o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s ,
in ju r ie s an d illn e s s e s . T h e s e d ata are o b
1 9 8 9 ) , p p . 4 1 1 - 1 4 ; a n n u a l r ep o rts in th e
ta in e d
Monthly Labor Review,
fr o m
employers
in fo r m a tio n
r ep o rte d
by
to S ta te w o r k e r s ’ c o m p e n s a tio n
an d a n n u a l U . S .
D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r p r e ss r e le a s e s .
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
59
Current Labor Statistics:
1.
Comparative Indicators
Labor market indicators
1988
Selected indicators
1988
1989
1989
I
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
E m p lo y m e n t d a ta
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutionalized population
(household survey):'
Labor force participation rate........................................................
Employment-population ratio.........................................................
Unemployment rate ........................................
Men ...............................................................
16 to 24 years ..........................................................................
25 years and over....................................................................
Women ......................................................
16 to 24 years ..........................................................................
25 years and over....................................................................
Unemployment rate, 15 weeks and over..........................
65.9
62.3
5.5
5.5
11.4
4.2
5.6
10.6
4.3
1.3
66.5
63.0
5.3
5.2
11.4
3.9
5.4
10.4
4.2
1.1
65.8
62.0
5.7
5.6
11.9
4.3
5.8
11.0
4.5
1.4
65.8
62.2
5.5
5.4
11.2
4.2
5.6
10.7
4.3
1.3
66.0
62.3
5.5
5.5
11.5
4.2
5.5
10.5
4.3
1.3
66.1
62.6
5.3
5.3
11.1
4.1
5.3
10.3
4.1
1.2
66.3
62.9
5.2
5.2
11.2
3.9
5.2
10.2
4.1
1.1
66.5
63.0
5.3
5.1
11.1
3.9
5.4
10.4
4.2
1.1
66.5
63.0
5.3
5.2
11.4
3.9
5.4
10.5
4.2
1.1
66 5
63.0
5.3
5.3
11.8
4.0
5.4
10.4
43
1.1
105,584
88,212
25,249
19,403
80,335
108,581
90,854
25,634
19,612
82,947
104,355
87,111
25,022
19,271
79,333
105,184
87,851
25,202
19,360
79,983
105,976
88,577
25,313
19,435
80,663
106,799
89,288
25,452
19,550
81,346
107,680
90,104
25,634
19,659
82,047
108,339
90,661
25,664
19,663
82,676
108,917
91,110
25,659
19,617
83,258
109,398
91,550
25,581
19,514
83,816
34.7
41.1
3.9
34.7
41.0
3.8
34.7
41.0
3.8
34.7
41.1
3.9
34.7
41.1
3.9
34.7
41.1
3.9
34.7
41.1
3.9
34.7
41.1
3.8
34.7
41.0
3.8
34.6
40.7
3.7
Percent change in the ECI, compensation:
All workers (excluding farm, household, and Federal workers) ......
Private industry workers ...................................................
Goods-producing2 ...................................................
Service-producing2 ............................................
State and local government workers..........................................
5.0
4.9
4.4
5.1
5.6
5.0
4.8
4.3
5.1
6.2
1.4
1.5
1.8
1.3
1.3
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.4
.3
1.3
1.0
.6
1.2
2.7
1.0
1.0
.8
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.0
1.5
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.2
.6
16
1.2
11
1.3
3.3
10
10
10
9
1.0
Workers by bargaining status (private industry):
Union......................................................................
Nonunion ...........................................................
3.9
5.1
3.7
5.1
1.6
1.5
1.0
1.3
.7
1.1
.5
1.2
.8
1.5
1.0
1.2
.9
1.4
1.0
.9
Employment, nonagricultural (payroll data), in thousands:1
Total ....................................................................
Private sector ................................................................................
Goods-producing............................................................................
Manufacturing ..............................................................................
Service-producing ..........................................................................
Average hours:
Private sector .............................................................
Manufacturing ....................................................
Overtime....................................................
E m p lo y m e n t C o s t In d e x
1 Quarterly data seasonally adjusted.
2 Goods-producing industries include mining, construction, and manufacturing. Service-producing industries include all other private sector industries.
60
Monthly Labor Review
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
2.
Annual and quarterly percent changes in compensation, prices, and productivity
1988
Selected measures
1988
I
C o m p e n s a t io n d a ta
1989
1989
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
2
Employment Cost Index-compensation (wages, salaries,
benefits):
Civilian nonfarm ...................................................................
Private nonfarm ..................................................................
Employment Cost Index-wages and salaries
Civilian nonfarm ...................................................................
Private nonfarm ..................................................................
5.0
4.9
5.0
4.8
1.4
1.5
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.2
1.3
1.1
1.2
1.6
1.2
1.0
1.0
4.3
4.1
4.4
4.2
1.0
1.0
.9
1.1
1.3
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.1
1.1
.8
1.0
1.6
1.2
.8
.8
P r ic e d a t a 1
Consumer Price Index (All urban consumers): All items......
4.4
4.6
1.0
1.3
1.5
.6
1.5
1.5
.7
.9
Producer Price Index:
Finished goods.....................................................................
Finished consumer goods..................................................
Capital equipment ...............................................................
Intermediate materials, supplies, components ....................
Crude materials....................................................................
4.0
4.0
3.6
5.6
3.1
4.8
5.3
3.7
2.4
6.9
.5
.4
.7
1.1
-.3
1.3
1.4
.6
2.6
4.0
.8
1.0
.4
1.2
-1.2
1.3
1.1
1.8
.6
.6
1.9
2.2
.9
1.9
6.1
2.0
2.3
1.1
1.1
.9
-.6
-.8
.1
-.3
-1.7
1.5
1.5
1.5
-.4
1.7
P r o d u c t iv ity d a t a 3
Output per hour of all persons:
Business sector..................................................................
Nonfarm business sector...................................................
Nonfinancial corporations 4 .................................................
1.7
2.0
2.3
1.1
.9
2.5
2.8
3.9
-
' Annual changes are December-to-December change. Quarterly changes
are calculated using the last month of each quarter. Compensation and price
data are not seasonally adjusted and the price data are not compounded.
2 Excludes Federal and private household workers.
3 Annual rates of change are computed by comparing annual averages.
3.
-2.1
-1.6
.4
3.1
3.3
1.3
.2
1.9
-.4
1.1
-1.3
-1.7
1.6
1.1
.1
1.5
2.4
3.0
.2
.2
-
Quarterly percent changes reflect annual rates of change in quarterly in
dexes. The data are seasonally adjusted.
4 Output per hour of all employees.
- Data not available.
Alternative measures of wage and compensation changes
Quarterly average
1988
Components
1989
IV
III
Four quarters ended-
I
II
1988
III
IV
III
1989
IV
I
II
III
IV
Average hourly compensation:’
All persons, business sector.................................................................
All persons, nonfarm business sector..................................................
5.8
5.4
5.2
5.9
4.8
4.9
6.8
5.6
4.7
5.3
5.5
6.0
5.3
5.1
4.8
4.8
5.4
5.4
5.6
5.5
5.4
5.4
5.5
5.4
Employment Cost Index-compensation:
Civilian nonfarm 2 ..................................................................................
Private nonfarm ..................................................................................
Union................................................................................................
Nonunion...........................................................................................
State and local governments..............................................................
1.3
1.0
.7
1.1
2.7
1.0
1.0
.5
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.3
.8
1.5
1.2
1.1
1.2
1.0
1.2
.6
1.6
1.2
.9
1.4
3.3
1.0
1.0
1.0
.9
1.0
4.7
4.5
4.5
4.5
5.4
5.0
4.9
3.9
5.1
5.6
4.8
4.6
3.0
5.1
5.5
4.8
4.5
3.1
5.0
5.8
5.1
4.7
3.2
5.3
6.4
5.0
4.8
3.7
5.1
6.2
Employment Cost Index-wages and salaries:
Civilian nonfarm2 ...................................................................................
Private nonfarm ..................................................................................
Union ................................................................................................
Nonunion...........................................................................................
State and local governments...............................................................
1.3
1.0
.7
1.0
2.6
1.0
1.0
.4
1.1
1.0
1.1
1.1
.7
1.3
.8
.8
1.0
.8
1.0
.5
1.6
1.2
.6
1.3
3.1
.8
.8
1.0
.8
.8
3.9
3.7
2.9
3.9
4.7
4.3
4.1
2.2
4.5
4.8
4.4
4.2
2.5
4.8
4.8
4.3
4.1
2.6
4.6
5.0
4.6
4.4
2.5
4.9
5.5
4.4
4.2
3.1
4.5
5.3
Total effective wage adjustments3 ...............................................................
From current settlements......................................................................
From prior settlements ..........................................................................
From cost-of-living provision.................................................................
.8
.2
.4
.2
.5
.1
.2
.2
.5
.1
.3
.1
1.0
.3
.5
.2
1.0
.4
.4
.2
.7
.4
.2
.1
2.9
1.0
1.4
.5
2.6
.7
1.3
.6
2.7
.8
1.3
.6
2.8
.7
1.3
.8
3.0
.9
1.3
.8
3.2
1.2
1.3
.7
Negotiated wage adjustments from settlements:3
First-year adjustments ...........................................................................
Annual rate over life of contract...........................................................
2.7
2.8
2.6
2.2
3.2
3.1
3.9
3.3
3.6
3.0
4.9
4.0
2.5
2.2
2.5
2.4
2.7
2.5
3.2
2.9
3.5
3.0
4.0
3.4
Negotiated wage and benefit adjustments from settlements:4
First-year adjustment .............................................................................
Annual rate over life of contract...........................................................
3.4
3.2
3.5
2.1
3.2
3.1
5.1
3.4
3.9
2.7
5.3
4.3
3.1
2.5
3.1
2.5
3.3
2.6
3.8
3.0
4.0
2.8
4.5
3.4
' Seasonally adjusted.
2 Excludes Federal and household workers.
3 Limited to major collective bargaining units of 1,000 workers or more. The
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
most recent data are preliminary.
4 Limited to major collective bargaining units of 5,000 workers or more. The
most recent data are preliminary.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
61
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
4.
Employment status of the total population, by sex, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Employment status
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
186,322
123,378
66.2
116,677
188,081
125,557
66.8
119,030
187,461
124,801
66.6
118,441
187,581
124,929
66.6
118,731
187,708
125,299
66.8
118,768
187,854
125,224
66.7
118,805
187,995
125,777
66.9
119,208
188,149
125,679
66.8
119,102
188,286
125,758
66.8
119,238
188,428
125,725
66.7
119,121
188,580
125,857
66.7
119,294
188,721
126,192
66.9
119,540
188,865
126,246
66.8
119,588
188,990
126,094
66.7
119,560
189,090
126,308
66.8
119,713
62.6
1,709
114,968
3,169
111,800
6,701
5.4
62,944
63.3
1,688
117,342
3,199
114,142
6,528
5.2
62,523
63.2
1,684
116,757
3,196
113,561
6,360
5.1
62,660
63.3
1,684
117,047
3,185
113,862
6,198
5.0
62,652
63.3
1,684
117,084
3,144
113,940
6,531
5.2
62,409
63.2
1,673
117,132
3,137
113,995
6,419
5.1
62,630
63.4
1,666
117,542
3,138
114,404
6,569
5.2
62,218
63.3
1,666
117,436
3,217
114,219
6,577
5.2
62,470
63.3
1,688
117,550
3,275
114,275
6,520
5.2
62,528
63.2
1,702
117,419
3,219
114,200
6,604
5.3
62,703
63.3
1,709
117,585
3,197
114,388
6,563
5.2
62,723
63.3
1,704
117,836
3,160
114,676
6,652
5.3
62,529
63.3
1,700
117,888
3,197
114,691
6,658
5.3
62,619
63.3
1,697
117,863
3,134
114,728
6,535
5.2
62,896
63.3
1,678
118,035
3,079
114,957
6,594
5.2
62,782
89,404
68,474
76.6
64,820
90,283
69,360
76.8
65,835
89,973
69,033
76.7
65,529
90,032
69,100
76.8
65,814
90,094
69,293
76.9
65,727
90,167
69,142
76.7
65,713
90,237
69,542
77.1
66,078
90,315
69,366
76.8
65,939
90,384
69,404
76.8
65,919
90,456
69,360
76.7
65,681
90,535
69,599
76.9
66,046
90,606
69,635
76.9
66,011
90,678
69,725
76.9
66,143
90,772
69,539
76.6
65,943
90,822
69,639
76.7
66,108
72.5
1,547
63,273
3,655
5.3
72.9
1,520
64,315
3,525
5.1
72.8
1,521
64,008
3,504
5.1
73.1
1,52T
64,293
3,286
4.8
73.0
1,521
64,206
3,566
5.1
72.9
1,511
64,202
3,429
5.0
73.2
1,501
64,577
3,464
5.0
73.0
1,499
64,440
3,427
4.9
72.9
1,519
64,400
3,485
5.0
72.6
1,531
64,150
3,679
5.3
73.0
1,533
64,513
3,553
5.1
72.9
1,529
64,482
3,624
5.2
72.9
1,525
64,618
3,582
5.1
72.6
1,523
64,420
3,597
5.2
72.8
1,506
64,602
3,530
5.1
96,918
54,904
56.6
51,858
97,798
56,198
57.5
53,195
97,488
55,768
57.2
52,912
97,550
55,829
57.2
52,917
97,614
56,006
57.4
53,041
97,687
56,082
57.4
53,092
97,758
56,235
57.5
53,130
97,834
56,313
57.6
53,163
97,902
56,354
57.6
53,319
97,972
56,365
57.5
53,440
98,045
56,258
57.4
53,248
98,115
56,557
57.6
53,529
98,187
56,521
57.6
53,445
98,218
56,555
57.6
53,617
98,268
56,669
57.7
53,605
53.5
162
51,696
3,046
5.5
54.4
168
53,027
3,003
5.3
54.3
163
52,749
2,856
5.1
54.2
163
52,754
2,912
5.2
54.3
163
52,878
2,965
5.3
54.3
162
52,930
2,990
5.3
54.3
165
52,965
3,105
5.5
54.3
167
52,996
3,150
5.6
54.5
169
53,150
3,035
5.4
54.5
171
53,269
2,925
5.2
54.3
176
53,072
3,010
5.4
54.6
175
53,354
3,028
5.4
54.4
175
53,270
3,076
5.4
54.6
174
53,443
2,938
5.2
54.5
172
53,433
3,064
5.4
Jan.
Feb.
TO TAL
Noninstitutional population 2 .......
Labor force2 ..................................
Participation rate 3 ................
Total employed 2 .......................
Employment-population
ratio 4 ...................................
Resident Armed Forces 1 .......
Civilian employed ...................
Agriculture ............................
Nonagricultural industries.....
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate 5 ...........
Not in labor force ........................
M e n , 16 y e a rs a n d o v e r
Noninstitutional population \ 2 ......
Labor force2 ..................................
Participation rate 3 ................
Total employed 2 .......................
Employment-population
ratio 4 ...................................
Resident Armed Forces 1 .......
Civilian employed ....................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate 5 ...........
W o m e n , 16 y e a rs a n d o v e r
Noninstitutional population ', 2 ......
Labor force2 ..................................
Participation rate 3 ................
Total employed2 ........................
Employment-population
ratio 4 ...................................
Resident Armed Forces 1 .......
Civilian employed ....................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate 5 ...........
1 The population and Armed Forces figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation.
2 Includes members of the Armed Forces stationed in the United States.
3 Labor force as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
62
Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
4 Total employed as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
5 Unemployment as a percent of the labor force (including the resident Armed Forces).
5. Employment status of the civilian population, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, monthly data seasonally
adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Employment status
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
184,613
121,669
65.9
114,968
186,393
123,869
66.5
117,342
185,777
123,117
66.3
116,757
185,897
123,245
66.3
117,047
186,024
123,615
66.5
117,084
186,181
123,551
66.4
117,132
186,329
124,111
66.6
117,542
186,483
124,013
66.5
117,436
186,598
124,070
66.5
117,550
186,726
124,023
66.4
117,419
186,871
124,148
66.4
117,585
187,017
124,488
66.6
117,836
187,165
124,546
66.5
117,888
187,293
124,397
66.4
117,863
187,412
124,630
66.5
118,035
62.3
6,701
5.5
62,944
63.0
6,528
5.3
62,523
62.8
6,360
5.2
62,660
63.0
6,198
5.0
62,652
62.9
6,531
5.3
62,409
62.9
6,419
5.2
62,630
63.1
6,569
5.3
62,218
63.0
6,577
5.3
62,470
63.0
6,520
5.3
62,528
62.9
6,604
5.3
62,703
62.9
6,563
5.3
62,723
63.0
6,652
5.3
62,529
63.0
6,658
5.3
62,619
62.9
6,535
5.3
62,896
63.0
6,594
5.3
62,782
80,553
62,768
77.9
59,781
81,619
63,704
78.1
60,837
81,256
63,393
78.0
60,566
81,333
63,468
78.0
60,783
81,413
63,638
78.2
60,716
81,524
63,535
77.9
60,774
81,592
63,874
78.3
61,072
81,679
63,736
78.0
60,915
81,754
63,717
77.9
60,861
81,790
63,771
78.0
60,729
81,905
63,918
78.0
61,026
81,968
63,967
78.0
61,033
82,055
64,071
78.1
61,154
82,168
63,958
77.8
60,976
82,248
64,101
77.9
61,172
74.2
2,271
57,510
2,987
4.8
74.5
2,307
58,530
2,867
4.5
74.5
2,312
58,254
2,827
4.5
74.7
2,309
58,474
2,685
4.2
74.6
2,270
58,446
2,922
4.6
74.5
2,295
58,479
2,761
4.3
74.9
2,279
58,793
2,802
4.4
74.6
2,329
58,586
2,821
4.4
74.4
2,340
58,521
2,856
4.5
74.2
2,330
58,399
3,042
4.8
74.5
2,304
58,722
2,892
4.5
74.5
2,292
58,741
2,934
4.6
74.5
2,293
58,861
2,917
4.6
74.2
2,269
58,706
2,983
4.7
74.4
2,254
58,918
2,929
4.6
89,532
50,870
56.8
48,383
90,550
52,212
57.7
49,745
90,153
51,816
57.5
49,455
90,242
51,876
57.5
49,467
90,318
52,009
57.6
49,560
90,432
52,120
57.6
49,649
90,526
52,219
57.7
49,687
90,607
52,385
57.8
49,817
90,684
52,352
57.7
49,875
90,771
52,358
57.7
49,984
90,860
52,281
57.5
49,796
90,952
52,541
57.8
50,043
91,042
52,586
57.8
50,048
91,091
52,686
57.8
50,255
91,157
52,814
57.9
50,287
54.0
625
47,757
2,487
4.9
54.9
642
49,103
2,467
4.7
54.9
646
48,809
2,361
4.6
54.8
647
48,820
2,409
4.6
54.9
638
48,922
2,449
4.7
54.9
633
49,016
2,471
4.7
54.9
622
49,065
2,532
4.8
55.0
639
49,178
2,568
4.9
55.0
642
49,233
2,477
4.7
55.1
660
49,324
2,374
4.5
54.8
641
49,155
2,485
4.8
55.0
624
49,419
2,498
4.8
55.0
618
49,430
2,538
4.8
55.2
594
49,661
2,431
4.6
55.2
582
49,704
2,527
4.8
14,527
8,031
55.3
6,805
14,223
7,954
55.9
6,759
14,367
7,908
55.0
6,736
14,323
7,901
55.2
6,797
14,293
7,968
55.7
6,808
14,224
7,896
55.5
6,709
14,211
8,018
56.4
6,783
14,196
7,892
55.6
6,704
14,160
8,001
56.5
6,814
14,166
7,894
55.7
6,706
14,107
7,949
56.3
6,763
14,097
7,980
56.6
6,760
14,067
7,889
56.1
6,686
14,034
7,752
55.2
6,631
14,008
7,715
55.1
6,577
46.8
273
6,532
1,226
15.3
47.5
250
6,510
1,194
15.0
46.9
238
6,498
1,172
14.8
47.5
229
6,568
1,104
14.0
47.6
236
6,572
1,160
14.6
47.2
209
6,500
1,187
15.0
47.7
237
6,546
1,235
15.4
47.2
249
6,455
1,188
15.1
48.1
293
6,521
1,187
14.8
47.3
229
6,477
1,188
15.0
47.9
252
6,511
1,186
14.9
48.0
244
6,516
1,220
15.3
47.5
286
6,400
1,203
15.2
47.3
270
6,361
1,121
14.5
47.0
243
6,334
1,138
14.8
158,194
104,756
66.2
99,812
159,338
106,355
66.7
101,584
158,947
105,760
66.5
101,187
159,020
105,926
66.6
101,413
159,098
106,208
66.8
101,400
159,200
106,152
66.7
101,432
159,297
106,474
66.8
101,683
159,400
106,384
66.7
101,546
159,470
106,485
66.8
101,684
159,549
106,393
66.7
101,579
159,644
106,618
66.8
101,862
159,736
106,834
66.9
101,991
159,832
106,896
66.9
102,032
159,938
106,884
66.8
102,074
160,007
107,080
66.9
102,117
63.1
4,944
4.7
63.8
4,770
4.5
63.7
4,573
4.3
63.8
4,513
4.3
63.7
4,808
4.5
63.7
4,720
4.4
63.8
4,791
4.5
63.7
4,838
4.5
63.8
4,801
4.5
63.7
4,814
4.5
63.8
4,756
4.5
63.8
4,843
4.5
63.8
4,864
4.6
63.8
4,811
4.5
63.8
4,962
4.6
20,692
13,205
63.8
11,658
21,021
13,497
64.2
11,953
20,905
13,443
64.3
11,883
20,930
13,429
64.2
11,952
20,956
13,336
63.6
11,872
20,986
13,454
64.1
11,962
21,012
13,569
64.6
11,969
21,038
13,548
64.4
12,063
21,060
13,476
64.0
11,961
21,085
13,518
64.1
11,938
21,108
13,507
64.0
11,923
21,136
13,576
64.2
11,954
21,164
13,522
63.9
11,920
21,163
13,510
63.8
11,978
21,188
13,437
63.4
12,030
56.3
1,547
11.7
56.9
1,544
11.4
56.8
1,560
11.6
57.1
1,477
11.0
56.7
1,464
11.0
57.0
1,492
11.1
57.0
1,600
11.8
57.3
1,485
11.0
56.8
1,515
11.2
56.6
1,580
11.7
56.5
1,584
11.7
56.6
1,622
11.9
56.3
1,602
11.8
56.6
1,532
11.3
56.8
1,407
10.5
TO TAL
Civilian noninstitutional
population’ ....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
Not in labor force ........................
M en, 20 y e a rs a n d o v e r
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Agriculture...............................
Nonagricultural industries.......
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
W o m e n , 20 y e a rs o n d o v e r
Civilian noninstitutional
population1....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Agriculture...............................
Nonagricultural industries.......
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
B o t h s e x e s , 16 t o 19 y e a r s
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Agriculture...............................
Nonagricultural industries.......
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
W h it e
Civilian noninstitutional
population’ ....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ...................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
B la c k
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ..................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
63
Current Labor Statistics.
Employment Data
5. Continued— Employment status of the civilian population, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, monthly data seasonally
adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Employment status
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
13,325
8,982
67.4
8,250
13,791
9,323
67.6
8,573
13,606
9,192
67.6
8,549
13,649
9,201
67.4
8,581
13,690
9,288
67.8
8,531
13,731
9,359
68.2
8,619
13,772
9,289
67.4
8,543
13,813
9,403
68.1
8,579
13,853
9,361
67.6
8,541
13,894
9,342
67.2
8,564
13,936
9,339
67.0
8,595
13,977
9,424
67.4
8,672
14,019
9,495
67.7
8,691
14,080
9,440
67.0
8,769
14,119
9,400
66.6
8,666
61.9
732
8.2
62.2
750
8.0
62.8
643
7.0
62.9
620
6.7
62.3
757
8.2
62.8
740
7.9
62.0
746
8.0
62.1
824
8.8
61.7
820
8.8
61.6
778
8.3
61.7
744
8.0
62.0
752
8.0
62.0
804
8.5
62.3
671
7.1
61.4
734
7.8
H is p a n ic o r ig in
Civilian noninstitutional
population1....................................
Civilian labor force.......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate..............
1 The population figures are not seasonally adjusted.
because data for the “other races” groups are not presented and Hispanics are included
in both the white and black population groups.
2 Civilian employment as a percent of the civilian noninstitutional population.
NOTE:
6.
Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals
Selected employment indicators, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Selected categories
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
114,968
63,273
51,696
40,472
117,342
64,315
53,027
40,760
116,757
64,008
52,749
40,880
117,047
64,293
52,754
40,976
117,084
64,206
52,878
40,857
117,132
64,202
52,930
40,932
117,542
64,577
52,965
41,025
117,436
64,440
52,996
41,067
117,550
64,400
53,150
40,723
117,419
64,150
53,269
40,649
117,585
64,513
53,072
40,839
117,836
64,482
53,354
40,886
117,888
64,618
53,270
41,041
117,863
64,420
53,443
40,982
118,035
64,602
53,433
41,347
28,756
6,211
29,404
6,338
29,379
6,381
29,485
6,267
29,563
6,263
29,608
6,354
29,499
6,401
29,520
6,446
29,259
6,371
29,506
6,429
29,544
6,354
29,767
6,351
29,695
6,349
29,897
6,215
29,704
6,378
1,621
1,398
150
1,665
1,403
131
1,644
1,411
146
1,651
1,403
137
1,630
1,414
126
1,647
1,377
127
1,557
1,411
126
1,685
1,424
127
1,723
1,410
133
1,680
1,424
132
1,678
1,406
124
1,687
1,373
122
1,677
1,369
125
1,634
1,354
107
1,578
1,375
118
103,021
17,114
85,907
1,153
84,754
8,519
260
105,259
17,469
87,790
1,101
86,689
8,605
279
104,815
17,318
87,497
1,131
86,366
8,541
290
104,948
17,376
87,572
1,149
86,423
8,631
319
104,981
17,266
87,715
1,118
86,597
8,643
277
105,232
17,305
87,927
1,123
86,804
8,573
299
105,430
17,328
88,102
1,128
86,974
8,578
245
105,353
17,501
87,852
1,094
86,758
8,602
248
105,317
17,559
87,758
1,147
86,611
8,621
272
105,476
17,613
87,863
1,065
86,798
8,581
279
105,504
17,595
87,909
987
86,922
8,610
280
105,960
17,681
88,279
1,051
87,228
8,528
264
105,643
17,728
87,915
1,077
86,838
8,653
251
105,747
17,626
88,121
1,035
87,086
8,733
256
106,117
17,607
88,510
1,021
87,489
8,628
313
5,206
2,350
2,487
14,963
4,894
2,303
2,233
15,393
4,987
2,314
2,339
15,150
4,978
2,283
2,368
15,510
5,086
2,346
2,375
15,405
4,883
2,314
2,307
15,350
4,928
2,315
2,269
15,466
4,773
2,301
2,172
15,577
4,802
2,281
2,142
15,550
4,864
2,321
2,161
15,506
4,767
2,314
2,082
15,368
4,803
2,297
2,162
15,254
4,802
2,277
2,106
15,388
4,983
2,402
2,255
14,931
4,887
2,307
2,211
15,381
4,965
2,199
2,408
14,509
4,657
2,143
2,166
14,963
4,722
2,129
2,272
14,707
4,720
2,095
2,290
15,074
4,855
2,198
2,310
14,975
4,643
2,137
2,246
14,977
4,738
2,183
2,198
15,016
4,583
2,164
2,104
15,138
4,567
2,129
2,076
15,071
4,605
2,165
2,095
15,076
4,526
2,166
2,021
14,936
4,552
2,132
2,097
14,805
4,554
2,111
2,051
14,983
4,729
2,240
2,172
14,515
4,703
2,183
2,173
14,924
C H A R A C T E R IS T IC
Civilian employed, 16 years and
over.............................................
M en..........................................
Women ....................................
Married men, spouse present ..
Married women, spouse
present....................................
Women who maintain families .
M A J O R IN D U S T R Y A N D C L A S S
OF W ORKER
Agriculture:
Wage and salary workers .......
Self-employed workers............
Unpaid family workers.............
Nonagricultural industries:
Wage and salary workers .......
Government ..........................
Private industries...................
Private households.............
Other ...................................
Self-employed workers............
Unpaid family workers.............
PERSONS AT W ORK
P A R T T IM E 1
All industries:
Part time for economic reasons .
Slack work ...............................
Could only find part-time work
Voluntary part time ....................
Nonagricultural industries:
Part time for economic reasons .
Slack work ...............................
Could only find part-time work
Voluntary part time ....................
' Excludes persons “with a job but not at work” during the survey period for such reasons as vacation, illness, or industrial disputes.
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized for6 4FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
7.
Selected unemployment indicators, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Unemployment rates)
1990
1989
Annual average
Selected categories
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Total, all civilian workers.........................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years................................
Men, 20 years and over.....................................
Women, 20 years and over................................
5.5
15.3
4.8
4.9
5.3
15.0
4.5
4.7
5.2
14.8
4.5
4.6
5.0
14.0
4.2
4.6
5.3
14.6
4.6
4.7
5.2
15.0
4.3
4.7
5.3
15.4
4.4
4.8
5.3
15.1
4.4
4.9
5.3
14.8
4.5
4.7
5.3
15.0
4.8
4.5
5.3
14.9
4.5
4.8
5.3
15.3
4.6
4.8
5.3
15.2
4.6
4.8
5.3
14.5
4.7
4.6
5.3
14.8
4.6
4.8
White, total .........................................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years.............................
Men, 16 to 19 years ...................................
Women, 16 to 19 years..............................
Men, 20 years and over ..................................
Women, 20 years and over.............................
4.7
13.1
13.9
12.3
4.1
4.1
4.5
12.7
13.7
11.5
3.9
4.0
4.3
12.3
13.9
10.7
3.8
3.7
4.3
11.9
13.0
10.7
3.6
3.9
4.5
12.4
13.2
11.5
3.9
4.1
4.4
12.8
14.1
11.4
3.7
4.1
4.5
12.9
13.5
12.3
3.8
4.1
4.5
12.7
12.8
12.6
3.8
4.2
4.5
12.7
13.1
12.3
3.9
4.1
4.5
12.2
13.3
11.1
4.2
3.8
4.5
12.4
13.8
10.9
3.9
4.0
4.5
12.9
14.3
11.3
3.9
4.0
4.6
13.0
14.0
11.9
3.9
4.1
4.5
12.7
12.9
12.4
4.0
4.0
4.6
13.0
12.7
13.2
4.1
4.1
Black, total .........................................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years.............................
Men, 16 to 19 years ...................................
Women, 16 to 19 years..............................
Men, 20 years and over ..................................
Women, 20 years and over.............................
11.7
32.4
32.7
32.0
10.1
10.4
11.4
32.4
31.9
33.0
10.0
9.8
11.6
32.2
32.6
31.7
10.2
10.0
11.0
31.5
29.0
34.3
9.8
9.3
11.0
31.7
34.8
28.5
9.9
9.1
11.1
32.4
35.4
29.6
9.5
9.6
11.8
35.1
33.8
36.8
9.6
10.5
11.0
27.9
23.2
33.1
9.5
9.9
11.2
31.9
30.3
33.6
9.9
9.6
11.7
36.3
33.8
38.8
10.1
9.7
11.7
33.4
32.0
34.9
10.3
9.9
11.9
32.5
32.3
32.7
10.6
10.2
11.8
30.7
30.1
31.4
10.8
10.0
11.3
26.7
29.2
24.0
11.2
9.2
10.5
28.0
28.5
27.5
9.2
9.4
Hispanic origin, total...........................................
8.2
8.0
7.0
6.7
8.2
7.9
8.0
8.8
8.8
8.3
8.0
8.0
8.5
7.1
7.8
Married men, spouse present............................
Married women, spouse present........................
Women who maintain families...........................
Full-time workers ................................................
Part-time workers ...............................................
Unemployed 15 weeks and over........................
Labor force time lost1 ........................................
3.3
3.9
8.1
5.2
7.6
1.3
6.3
3.0
3.7
8.1
4.9
7.3
1.1
5.9
3.0
3.4
8.0
4.8
7.2
1.1
6.0
2.9
3.5
7.9
4.8
6.4
1.1
5.9
3.2
4.0
7.8
5.0
7.2
1.1
6.0
2.9
3.8
8.2
4.9
6.9
1.1
6.0
2.9
3.8
7.9
4.9
7.7
1.0
6.0
3.0
3.8
8.5
5.0
7.2
1.2
6.0
3.1
3.9
8.0
4.9
7.1
1.1
6.0
3.3
3.8
7.7
5.0
7.3
1.1
6.0
3.0
3.9
7.8
4.9
7.1
1.1
5.9
3.1
3.8
8.2
5.0
7.4
1.1
5.9
3.0
3.9
8.1
5.0
7.5
1.1
6.0
3.4
3.7
7.5
5.0
7.0
1.1
6.0
3.0
3.8
7.5
4.9
7.4
1.1
5.9
5.5
7.9
10.6
5.3
5.0
5.7
3.9
6.2
4.5
2.8
10.6
5.3
5.8
10.0
5.1
4.8
5.5
3.9
6.0
4.4
2.7
9.6
5.2
7.6
10.0
4.9
4.5
5.5
3.9
5.7
4.3
2.7
9.1
5.1
7.0
9.6
4.8
4.6
5.1
3.9
5.7
4.3
2.7
8.9
5.3
5.8
9.8
5.0
4.7
5.3
3.9
5.9
4.6
2.7
9.8
5.2
4.6
9.5
4.9
4.6
5.5
4.0
5.6
4.6
2.9
9.9
5.3
3.9
10.0
5.1
4.6
5.8
4.1
6.0
4.3
2.9
10.4
5.4
5.8
10.3
5.1
4.7
5.6
4.1
6.1
4.4
2.8
8.9
5.4
6.4
10.2
5.2
4.9
5.7
3.7
6.0
4.4
2.7
9.0
5.4
8.4
10.1
5.2
4.9
5.5
4.5
5.9
4.5
2.8
7.8
5.3
4.8
9.3
5.4
5.2
5.6
3.9
5.9
4.3
2.7
9.8
5.4
6.2
9.8
5.4
5.4
5.3
3.6
6.4
4.3
2.7
12.1
5.4
4.4
9.8
5.6
5.4
5.9
3.4
6.3
4.2
2.6
9.7
5.5
6.8
9.3
5.9
5.8
5.9
4.3
6.2
4.3
2.4
9.2
5.5
4.8
8.9
5.9
5.5
6.4
4.0
6.0
4.4
2.5
9.3
C H A R A C T E R IS T IC
IN D U S T R Y
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers ....
Mining..................................................................
Construction.......................................................
Manufacturing .....................................................
Durable goods..................................................
Nondurable goods...........................................
Transportation and public utilities ......................
Wholesale and retail trade.................................
Finance and service industries..........................
Government workers ...............................................
Agricultural wage and salary workers .....................
1 Aggregate hours lost by the unemployed and persons on part time for economic reasons as a percent of potentially available labor force hours.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
65
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
8.
Unemployment rates by sex and age, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Civilian workers)
Annual
average
Sex and age
1988
1989
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
1990
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Total, 16 years and over..................................................................
16 to 24 years................................................................................
16 to 19 years.............................................................................
16 to 17 years ..........................................................................
18 to 19 years ..........................................................................
20 to 24 years .............................................................................
25 years and over..........................................................................
25 to 54 years ..........................................................................
55 years and over..................................................................
5.5
11.0
15.3
17.4
13.8
8.7
4.3
4.5
3.1
5.3
10.9
15.0
17.2
13.6
8.6
4.0
4.2
3.1
5.2
10.6
14.8
17.6
12.7
8.2
4.0
4.2
3.0
5.0
10.0
14.0
15.8
12.9
7.9
3.9
4.2
2.7
5.3
10.6
14.6
15.9
13.7
8.4
4.1
4.3
3.0
5.2
10.5
15.0
16.6
14.3
7.9
4.0
4.2
2.9
5.3
11.1
15.4
17.4
14.6
8.7
4.0
4.1
3.3
5.3
10.9
15.1
17.7
13.1
8.6
4.0
4.2
3.1
5.3
11.0
14.8
17.5
12.8
8.8
4.0
4.1
3.1
5.3
11.1
15.0
17.2
14.2
8.8
4.1
4.3
3.0
5.3
11.1
14.9
16.9
13.5
8.9
4.1
4.2
3.0
5.3
11.3
15.3
17.4
13.8
9.0
4.1
4.2
3.2
5.3
11.2
15.2
18.1
13.4
8.9
4.1
4.3
3.2
5.3
10.6
14.5
14.8
14.2
8.5
4.2
4.3
3.4
5.3
10.7
14.8
16.8
13.0
8.4
4.2
4.3
3.4
Men, 16 years and over..............................................................
16 to 24 years ..........................................................................
16 to 19 years........................................................................
16 to 17 years.....................................................................
18 to 19 years.....................................................................
20 to 24 years........................................................................
25 years and over....................................................................
25 to 54 years.....................................................................
55 years and over................................................................
5.5
11.4
16.0
18.2
14.6
8.9
4.2
4.4
3.3
5.2
11.4
15.9
18.6
14.2
8.8
3.9
4.1
3.2
5.2
11.2
16.4
18.8
14.7
8.3
4.0
4.1
3.3
4.9
10.0
14.6
16.5
13.6
7.5
3.8
4.0
2.8
5.3
10.8
15.6
17.5
14.3
8.2
4.1
4.3
3.2
5.1
10.9
16.3
18.7
15.1
8.0
3.8
3.9
3.0
5.1
11.4
15.9
19.5
13.7
8.9
3.7
3.8
3.1
5.0
10.9
14.7
17.8
12.1
8.9
3.8
3.9
3.1
5.1
11.5
15.1
17.7
13.1
9.4
3.8
3.8
3.3
5.4
11.9
15.7
19.5
13.7
9.8
4.1
4.1
3.5
5.2
11.7
15.9
18.5
14.2
9.3
3.9
4.0
3.2
5.3
12.0
16.7
19.0
15.1
9.4
4.0
4.1
3.5
5.3
11.8
16.1
19.6
13.8
9.5
3.9
4.0
3.6
5.3
11.2
15.1
14.2
15.6
8.9
4.2
4.3
3.6
5.2
10.9
14.9
16.5
13.7
8.6
4.1
4.2
3.5
Women, 16 years and over.......................................................
16 to 24 years........................................................................
16 to 19 years ......................................................................
16 to 17 years ...................................................................
18 to 19 years ...................................................................
20 to 24 years ......................................................................
25 years and over...................................................................
25 to 54 years ...................................................................
55 years and over..............................................................
5.6
10.6
14.4
16.6
12.9
8.5
4.3
4.6
2.8
5.4
10.4
14.0
15.7
13.0
8.3
4.2
4.4
2.8
5.1
9.9
13.1
16.3
10.4
8.1
4.0
4.2
2.6
5.2
10.1
13.3
15.1
12.0
8.3
4.1
4.3
2.6
5.3
10.4
13.5
14.1
12.9
8.7
4.1
4.4
2.7
5.3
10.0
13.7
14.3
13.4
7.9
4.3
4.6
2.9
5.5
10.8
14.9
15.2
15.6
8.5
4.3
4.5
3.6
5.6
10.9
15.5
17.6
14.2
8.3
4.3
4.5
3.1
5.4
10.4
14.6
17.2
12.5
8.1
4.2
4.5
2.8
5.2
10.2
14.4
14.7
14.6
7.7
4.1
4.4
2.4
5.4
10.4
13.8
15.0
12.8
8.5
4.2
4.4
2.8
5.4
10.4
13.8
15.7
12.3
8.5
4.2
4.4
2.9
5.5
10.4
14.3
16.5
13.0
8.2
4.3
4.6
2.7
5.2
10.1
13.7
15.5
12.6
8.0
4.1
4.3
3.3
5.4
10.4
14.6
17.3
12.3
8.1
4.3
4.5
3.3
9.
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Reason tor unemployment
1988
Job losers ................................................................
On layoff...............................................................
Other job losers....................................................
Job leavers ..............................................................
Reentrants ...............................................................
New entrants ...........................................................
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
3,092
851
2,241
983
1,809
816
2,983
850
2,133
1,024
1,843
677
2,879
783
2,096
980
1,767
757
2,852
806
2,046
902
1,774
713
2,932
833
2,099
985
1,882
692
2,798
805
1,993
1,103
1,853
696
2,820
813
2,007
1,021
1,993
726
2,916
829
2,087
1,016
1,901
723
2,964
865
2,099
1,031
1,772
643
2,932
852
2,080
1,034
1,920
648
2,979
780
2,199
994
1,890
685
3,092
969
2,123
1,049
1,845
695
3,097
957
2,140
1,055
1,853
686
3,183
1,033
2,150
1,016
1,730
640
3,103
964
2,139
1,006
1,805
680
46.1
12.7
33.4
14.7
27.0
12.2
45.7
13.0
32.7
15.7
28.2
10.4
45.1
12.3
32.8
15.4
27.7
11.9
45.7
12.9
32.8
14.5
28.4
11.4
45.2
12.8
32.3
15.2
29.0
10.7
43 4
12.5
30.9
17.1
28.7
10.8
43 0
12.4
30.6
15.6
30.4
11.1
44 5
12.6
31.8
15.5
29.0
11.0
46 2
13.5
32.7
16.1
27.6
10.0
44 9
13.0
31.8
15.8
29.4
9.9
45 5
11.9
33.6
15.2
28.9
10.5
46 3
14.5
31.8
15.7
27.6
10.4
14.3
32.0
15.8
27.7
10.3
15.7
32.7
15.5
26.3
9.7
14.6
32.4
15.3
27.4
10.3
2.5
.8
1.5
.7
2.4
.8
1.5
.5
2.3
.8
1.4
.6
2.3
.7
1.4
.6
2.4
.8
1.5
.6
2.3
.9
1.5
.6
2.3
.8
1.6
.6
2.4
.8
1.5
.6
2.4
.8
1.4
.5
2.4
.8
1.5
.5
2.4
.8
1.5
.6
2.5
.8
1.5
.6
2.5
.8
1.5
.6
2.6
.8
1.4
.5
2.5
.8
1.4
.5
PERCENT O F UNEM PLOYED
On layoff.............................................................
Other job losers..................................................
Job leavers............................................................
Reentrants.............................................................
New entrants ........................................................
PERCENT OF
C I V IL IA N L A B O R F O R C E
*
Job losers ................................................................
Job leavers ..............................................................
Reentrants ...............................................................
New entrants ...........................................................
10.
Duration of unemployment, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Weeks of unemployment
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Less than 5 weeks ........................................... 3,084
5 to 14 weeks ................................................... 2,007
15 weeks and over........................................... 1,610
15 to 26 weeks ..............................................
801
27 weeks and over........................................
809
3,174
1,978
1,375
730
646
3,212
1,894
1,300
660
640
3,072
1,849
1,335
672
663
3,113
2,006
1,391
667
724
3,070
1,993
1,331
711
620
3,279
2,006
1,295
684
611
3,156
1,965
1,461
838
623
3,125
2,002
1,338
759
579
3,169
2,030
1,359
769
590
3,166
1,995
1,378
743
635
3,258
1,991
1,422
765
657
3,302
2,013
1,362
730
632
3,119
2,012
1,430
777
653
3,159
2,079
1,369
731
638
11.9
4.8
12.3
5.4
12.4
5.5
12.6
5.4
11.9
5.3
11.2
5.4
11.9
5.4
11.4
5.0
11.5
5.0
11.7
5.0
11.6
4.8
11.5
4.8
12.1
5.1
11.7
5.4
Mean duration in weeks....................................
Median duration in weeks.................................
66
Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
13.5
5.9
April 1990
11. Unemployment rates of civilian workers by State, data not seasonally adjusted
State
Jan.
1989
Jan.
1990
Alaska ..........................................................
Arizona.........................................................
Arkansas ......................................................
California......................................................
8.5
10.4
5.7
7.9
5.4
6.7
8.6
4.4
6.7
5.5
District of Columbia.....................................
Florida ..........................................................
7.3
3.7
34
5.3
5.9
5.4
4.8
47
4.9
5.8
Indiana .........................................................
5.6
3.5
7.2
64
5.1
5.5
2.9
5.7
6.9
5.8
4.9
5.2
8.1
11.9
4.6
5.0
4.4
6.7
7.2
5.1
40
3.8
7.8
4.1
5.0
9.4
43
7.9
6.9
Jan.
1989
Jan.
1990
7.3
3.5
5.9
2.9
6.1
3.1
5.0
4.5
4.6
7.1
5.6
4.4
5.8
5.2
5.8
5.5
4.6
4.9
Ohio ............................................................
6.9
6.6
6.3
5.0
3.2
7.6
6.7
5.9
5.9
6.4
South Carolina............................................
4.6
4.8
6.5
7.6
4.4
4.8
4.3
5.4
5.8
4.4
3.3
4.3
6.9
8.4
4.7
4.4
4.6
6.4
9.1
5.8
7.9
6.7
State
Nebraska ....................................................
Nevada .......................................................
New Hampshire ..........................................
New Jersey .................................................
Iowa
Maine............................................................
North Dakota ..............................................
Utah ............................................................
Vermont......................................................
9.4
6.5
Mississippi.....................................................
NO TE:
Som e
d a ta
in
this
ta b le
m ay
d iffe r
fro m
d a ta
Washington .................................................
West Virginia...............................................
d a ta b a s e ,
p u b lish ed e ls e w h e re b e c a u s e o f th e c o n tin u a l u p d a tin g o f th e
12. Employment of workers on nonagricultural payrolls by State, data not seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
State
Arkansas......................................................
District of Columbia.....................................
Hawaii...........................................................
Idaho ............................................................
Illinois ...........................................................
Kansas .........................................................
Kentucky ......................................................
Louisiana......................................................
Minnesota....................................................
Mississippi....................................................
Montana.......................................................
Jan. 1989
1,561.7
202.2
1,431.3
860.5
12,256.5
Dec. 1989
1,603.1
221.2
1,507.1
906.0
12,804.5
State
Jan. 1989
Dec. 1989
1,590.2
212.9
1,481.7
889.0
12,547.7
Nebraska.....................................................
Nevada .......................................................
New Hampshire..........................................
687.2
545.7
526.7
716.9
606.3
524.0
705.1
598.4
510.4
New Mexico ................................................
New York....................................................
North Carolina ............................................
North Dakota ..............................................
3,638.2
543.5
8,101.4
2,997.7
251.6
3,754.9
570.2
8,390.2
3,129.1
261.8
3,654.5
557.7
8,157.5
3,081.4
258.1
Ohio ............................................................
Oklahoma...................................................
Oregon........................................................
Pennsylvania...............................................
Rhode Island...............................................
4,680.9
1.134.5
1.159.5
5,014.3
453.9
4,909.6
1,169.2
1,230.1
5,169.5
463.4
4,752.8
South Dakota..............................................
Tennessee ..................................................
Texas ..........................................................
Utah ............................................................
1,456.4
262.8
2,085.3
6,688.5
664.4
1,534.4
277.4
2,181.2
6,904.7
713.7
1,512.9
270.3
2,147.9
6,853.0
694.2
Virginia........................................................
Washington .................................................
West Virginia...............................................
Wisconsin ....................................................
258.6
2,779.0
1,952.6
600.7
2,152.9
266.9
2,913.4
2,104.9
621.0
2,262.0
263.0
2.867.3
2.070.4
610.3
2,209.7
Wyoming.....................................................
Puerto Rico.................................................
Virgin Islands ..............................................
182.4
819.5
42.0
193.8
189.9
1,438.6
1,660.1
333.8
668.4
5,174.0
1,493.1
1,701.6
346.9
693.1
5,441.6
1,467.1
1,668.3
339.7
680.9
5.399.2
2,882.9
488.5
346.5
5,089.2
2,401.4
3,014.1
518.0
380.1
5,219.5
2,514.8
2.978.3
510.3
373.5
5,150.0
2,457.5
1,155.9
1,034.1
1,387.1
1,492.6
523 5
2,093.3
3.076.2
3.808.2
2,019.1
898.4
2,243.5
277.7
1,223.4
1,088.2
1,462.2
1,528.9
551.6
2,178.0
3,145.2
3,957.4
2,126.7
936.9
2,333.3
294.3
Jan. 1990p
Jan. 1990p
1,196.8
1,072.5
1,437.4
1,512.9
533.4
2,123.2
3,042.8
3,816.7
2,084.4
919.8
2,278.3
288.3
1,203.1
5,059.3
453.0
-
-
39.9
39.8
- Data not available.
p = preliminary
NOTE: Some data in this table may differ from data published elsewhere because of the continual updating of the database.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
67
Current Labor Statistics:
13.
Employment Data
Employment of workers on nonagricultural payrolls by industry, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
Annual average
1989
1990
Industry
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.p
Feb.p
105,584
88,212
108,581
90,854
107,711
90,124
107,888
90,291
108,101
90,475
108,310
90,623
108,607
90,884
108,767
91,016
108,887
91,083
109,096
91,230
109,171
91,328
109,452
91,622
109,570
91,699
109,902
91,991
110,274
92,335
25,249
721
406
25,634
722
404
25,629
711
394
25,646
714
397
25,671
720
400
25,672
722
401
25,648
715
402
25,669
706
404
25,694
729
405
25,614
730
408
25,603
731
409
25,609
737
414
25,532
739
416
25,513
746
419
25,664
747
420
5,125
1,368
5,300
1,391
5,270
1,398
5,252
1,380
5,279
1,377
5,283
1,388
5,283
1,384
5,314
1,391
5,321
1,403
5,325
1,396
5,335
1,386
5,355
1,391
5,304
1,388
5,408
1,423
5,468
1,435
19,403
13,254
19,612
13,375
19,648
13,426
19,680
13,442
19,672
13,430
19,667
13,426
19,650
13,400
19,649
13,410
19,644
13,401
19,559
13,319
19,537
13,307
19,517
13,276
19,489
13,262
19,359
13,133
19,449
13,227
11,437
7,635
11,536
7,687
11,594
7,749
11,604
7,749
11,600
7,744
11,594
7,735
11,567
7,706
11,549
7,697
11,551
7,696
11,480
7,632
11,457
7,615
11,439
7,594
11,409
7,579
11,288
7,458
11,394
7,571
765
530
600
774
770
531
603
783
778
534
608
786
777
535
607
788
772
537
606
788
771
534
604
787
769
534
603
787
767
536
602
785
763
529
601
786
759
528
597
777
764
525
600
776
765
525
602
772
765
523
600
771
770
522
601
766
765
522
603
770
277
1,431
274
1,445
276
1,458
276
1,457
275
1,454
276
1,452
276
1,449
277
1,446
276
1,443
273
1,438
271
1,434
269
1,430
270
1,426
270
1,406
269
1,416
2,082
2,146
2,138
2,143
2,144
2,150
2,151
2,154
2,152
2,147
2,139
2,146
2,145
2,141
2,137
2,070
2,051
857
749
2,038
2,054
856
777
2,062
2,067
871
772
2,060
2,071
869
776
2,058
2,073
875
777
2,050
2,076
876
778
2,041
2,062
861
779
2,040
2,046
844
781
2,034
2,068
873
782
2,023
2,038
843
780
2,018
2,031
833
779
2,012
2,020
824
778
1,992
2,022
825
774
1,989
1,923
728
776
1,989
2,023
825
777
386
391
391
390
391
392
392
392
393
393
391
389
391
394
392
7,967
5,619
8,076
5,688
8,054
5,677
8,076
5,693
8,072
5,686
8,073
5,691
8,083
5,694
8,100
5,713
8,093
5,705
8,079
5,687
8,080
5,692
8,078
5,682
8,080
5,683
8,071
5,675
8,055
5,656
1,636
56
729
1,665
53
726
1,650
56
728
1,655
56
729
1,657
54
728
1,656
53
728
1,663
52
729
1,678
53
730
1,667
52
727
1,674
51
723
1,676
51
724
1,673
51
721
1,676
51
719
1,680
51
719
1,679
51
714
1,092
693
1,092
697
1,096
696
1,101
697
1,098
696
1,095
697
1,093
697
1,094
701
1,095
700
1,088
697
1,084
697
1,084
697
1,081
697
1,073
695
1,063
694
Printing and publishing.................
Chemicals and allied products.....
Petroleum and coal products.......
Rubber and mise, plastics
products......................................
Leather and leather products .....
1,561
1,065
162
1,607
1,093
163
1,595
1,085
161
1,600
1,088
161
1,601
1,090
162
1,603
1,094
162
1,607
1,096
163
1,609
1,091
163
1,611
1,097
163
1,612
1,095
163
1,612
1,096
164
1,617
1,098
164
1,621
1,103
163
1,624
1,104
163
1,627
1,107
164
829
144
840
141
843
144
845
144
843
143
843
142
841
142
841
140
841
140
837
139
837
139
835
138
832
137
826
136
821
135
S E R V IC E - P R O D U C IN G ......................
80,335
82,947
82,082
82,242
82,430
82,638
82,959
83,098
83,193
83,482
83,568
83,843
84,038
84,389
84,610
5,548
3,334
5,705
3,514
5,667
3,453
5,666
3,452
5,682
3,467
5,700
3,484
5,716
3,500
5,736
3,524
5,618
3,539
5,709
3,546
5,729
3,566
5,753
3,592
5,834
3,613
5,855
3,637
5,876
3,654
2,214
2,190
2,214
2,214
2,215
2,216
2,216
2,212
2,079
2,163
2,163
2,161
2,221
2,218
2,222
6,029
3,561
2,467
6,234
3,696
2,539
6,171
3,657
2,514
6,197
3,676
2,521
6,206
3,676
2,530
6,222
3,685
2,537
6,230
3,693
2,537
6,237
3,700
2,537
6,256
3,708
2,548
6,264
3,717
2,547
6,278
3,721
2,557
6,300
3,737
2,563
6,311
3,746
2,565
6,331
3,754
2,577
6,325
3,756
2,569
19,110
2,461
3,098
19,575
2,483
3,270
19,460
2,481
3,212
19,488
2,490
3,223
19,489
2,492
3,233
19,528
2,491
3,245
19,551
2,493
3,262
19,586
2,482
3,274
19,621
2,484
3,293
19,632
2,486
3,294
19,679
2,478
3,321
19,744
2,492
3,334
19,718
2,470
3,341
19,831
2,491
3,366
19,848
2,498
3,362
2,090
6,282
2,157
6,370
2,150
6,332
2,155
6,322
2,159
6,335
2,159
6,348
2,155
6,362
2,155
6,370
2,152
6,385
2,157
6,397
2,169
6,403
2,169
6,417
2,163
6,432
2,168
6,459
2,172
6,467
6,676
3,290
2,082
1,304
6,814
3,329
2,128
1,357
6,763
3,311
2,116
1,336
6,774
3,316
2,117
1,341
6,776
3,312
2,119
1,345
6,790
3,320
2,123
1,347
6,808
3,320
2,129
1,359
6,815
3,324
2,131
1,360
6,836
3,336
2,137
1,363
6,852
3,343
2,137
1,372
6,851
3,345
2,134
1,372
6,871
3,357
2,138
1,376
6,885
3,360
2,144
1,381
6,897
3,355
2,154
1,388
6,912
3,361
2,159
1,392
25,600
5,571
7,144
26,892
5,789
7,635
26,434
5,729
7,442
26,520
5,736
7,488
26,651
5,760
7,528
26,711
5,776
7,570
26,931
5,799
7,616
26,973
5,786
7,648
27,058
5,800
7,695
27,159
5,836
7,739
27,188
5,827
7,778
27,345
5,852
7,839
27,419
5,852
7,884
27,564
5,886
7,935
27,710
5,902
7,982
17,372
2,971
4,063
10,339
17,727
2,988
4,134
10,606
17,587
2,982
4,095
10,510
17,597
2,982
4,102
10,513
17,626
2,982
4,111
10,533
17,687
2,999
4,119
10,569
17,723
2,995
4,136
10,592
17,751
3,000
4,145
10,606
17,804
2,999
4,154
10,651
17,866
2,996
4,182
10,688
17,843
2,984
4,153
10,706
17,830
2,982
4,162
10,686
17,871
2,974
4,156
10,741
17,911
2,992
4,161
10,758
17,939
2,990
4,162
10,787
T O T A L ...................................................
P R IV A T E S E C T O R ............................
G O O D S - P R O D U C IN G
M in in g .........................................................
Oil and gas extraction ................
C o n s t r u c t io n ..........................................
General building contractors......
M a n u f a c t u r i n g .......................................
Production workers ....................
D u r a b le g o o d s .....................................
Production workers ....................
Lumber and wood products ........
Furniture and fixtures...................
Stone, clay, and glass products ...
Primary metal industries ..............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products......................................
Fabricated metal products...........
Machinery, except electrical........
Electrical and electronic
equipment....................................
Transportation equipment............
Motor vehicles and equipment ....
Instruments and related products
Miscellaneous manufacturing
industries ....................................
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s .............................
Production workers......................
Food and kindred products.........
Tobacco manufactures ................
Textile mill products....................
Apparel and other textile
products......................................
Paper and allied products ...........
T r a n s p o r t a t io n a n d p u b lic
u t i l i t i e s ......................................................
Transportation..............................
Communication and public
utilities.........................................
W h o le s a le t r a d e ..................................
Durable goods..............................
Nondurable goods.......................
R e ta il t r a d e ..............................................
General merchandise stores.......
Food stores.................................
Automotive dealers and service
stations .......................................
Eating and drinking places..........
F in a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d r e a l
e s t a t e ........................................................
Finance ........................................
Insurance.....................................
Real estate..................................
S e r v i c e s .....................................................
Business services........................
Health services ............................
G o v e r n m e n t ...........................................
Federal.........................................
State .............................................
Local.............................................
p = preliminary
NOTE: See notes on the data for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
68
Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
14. Average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry,
monthly data seasonally adjusted
Industry
Annual
average
1988
P R IV A T E S E C T O R ........................................................
34.7
1989
34.7
1990
1989
Feb.
34.6
Mar.
34.7
Apr.
34.9
May
34.6
June
34.6
July
34.8
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.P
Feb.p
34.6
34.7
34.7
34.6
34.5
34.5
34.6
40.8
3.7
40.7
3.7
40.6
3.6
40.7
3.7
40.7
3.6
41.1
3.9
41.0
3.8
41.1
3.9
41.0
4.0
41.3
3.9
41.0
3.8
41.0
3.8
41.0
3.9
41.0
3.8
41.0
3.8
Overtime hours...............................................
Lumber and wood products................................
Furniture and fixtures..........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products.........................
Primary metal industries.....................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel products.........
Fabricated metal products ..................................
41.8
4.1
40.3
39.4
42.3
43.6
44.0
41.9
41.6
3.9
40.1
39.5
42.3
43.0
43.4
41.6
41.8
4.1
39.6
39.7
42.2
43.4
43.8
41.9
41.7
4.1
40.0
39.8
42.2
43.5
44.1
41.8
41.9
4.1
40.5
39.9
42.5
43.3
43.5
41.9
41.5
3.9
39.7
39.4
41.9
43.2
43.6
41.7
41.5
3.9
39.8
39.4
42.2
43.3
43.7
41.5
41.5
4.0
39.6
39.5
42.3
43.0
43.2
41.5
41.6
3.9
40.2
39.6
42.5
42.9
43.4
41.5
41.6
3.9
40.2
39.6
42.2
42.8
42.9
41.6
41.2
3.8
40.4
39.2
42.3
42.5
42.8
41.5
41.2
3.7
40.3
39.4
42.4
42.6
43.0
41.4
41.2
3.6
40.1
39.2
41.5
42.5
42.8
41.2
41.2
3.7
40.3
39.7
42.1
42.6
43.4
41.2
41.3
3.6
39.9
39.4
42.0
42.5
43.5
41.2
Machinery except electrical ...............................
Electrical and electronic equipment...................
Transportation equipment....................................
Motor vehicles and equipment.........................
Instruments and related products ......................
Miscellaneous manufacturing..............................
42.6
41.0
42.7
43.5
41.5
39.2
42.4
40.8
42.4
43.1
41.2
39.4
42.6
40.9
43.1
43.9
41.5
39.5
42.5
40.6
43.1
43.9
41.1
39.5
42.7
41.0
42.8
43.3
41.5
39.8
42.5
40.7
42.5
42.8
41.1
39.6
42.5
40.7
42.5
42.7
41.3
39.4
42.4
40.6
42.6
42.6
41.4
39.3
42.2
40.9
42.7
43.0
41.1
39.4
42.3
41.1
42.8
43.4
41.0
39.2
42.0
40.9
41.2
42.9
41.1
39.3
42.1
40.8
40.9
42.3
41.0
39.7
42.0
40.5
41.9
42.2
40.9
39.3
42.1
40.7
41.4
41.0
41.2
39.3
42.2
41.0
41.8
41.6
41.0
39.4
N o n d u ra b le g o o d s ............................................................
Overtime hours...............................................
Food and kindred products.................................
Textile mill products............................................
Apparel and other textile products.....................
Paper and allied products ..................................
40.1
3.7
40.3
41.1
37.0
43.2
40.2
3.7
40.7
41.0
37.0
43.3
40.2
3.7
40.3
40.8
37.1
43.2
40.1
3.8
40.4
41.1
36.9
43.3
40.4
3.8
40.7
41.7
37.6
43.4
40.2
3.7
40.5
41.4
37.1
43.3
40.3
3.6
40.7
41.4
37.1
43.3
40.2
3.8
41.0
41.2
37.0
43.2
40.2
3.6
40.8
41.0
37.0
43.5
40.2
3.7
41.0
40.6
37.0
43.2
40.2
3.7
40.8
40.7
36.9
43.4
40.1
3.6
40.8
40.5
36.8
43.4
39.9
3.6
40.6
40.2
36.3
43.1
39.9
3.6
40.5
40.5
36.6
43.1
39.9
3.5
40.4
40.0
36.6
42.9
Printing and publishing........................................
Chemicals and allied products............................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products.....
Leather and leather products .............................
38.0
42.3
41.7
37.5
37.8
42.4
41.5
37.9
38.0
42.3
41.7
38.6
37.9
42.3
41.6
38.0
37.9
42.6
41.6
38.3
37.7
42.1
41.5
37.4
37.8
42.5
41.5
37.9
37.6
42.5
41.4
37.7
37.7
42.4
41.5
38.1
37.9
42.5
41.5
38.1
37.8
42.4
41.4
37.7
37.9
42.3
41.2
37.5
37.6
42.7
40.8
37.2
37.8
42.5
40.8
37.4
37.9
42.1
41.1
38.0
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N A N D P U B L IC U T I L I T I E S .....
39.3
39.4
39.4
39.4
40.1
39.5
39.4
39.4
39.0
39.3
39.3
39.1
39.3
39.1
39.4
W H O L E S A L E T R A D E .........................................................
37.4
37.4
38.1
38.1
38.3
37.9
38.0
38.1
38.0
38.1
38.1
38.1
38.0
38.0
38.0
M A N U F A C T U R IN G ...............................................................
Overtime hours...............................................
D u r a b le g o o d s .....................................................................
R E T A IL T R A D E .....................................................................
29.1
28.9
28.9
28.9
29.1
28.9
28.9
29.2
28.8
28.8
29.0
28.8
28.7
28.8
28.9
S E R V IC E S ................................................................................
32.6
32.6
32.5
32.6
32.8
32.5
32.5
32.8
32.6
32.7
32.8
32.6
32.6
32.5
32.6
p = preliminary
NOTE: See “Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark adjustment.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
69
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
15. Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry,
seasonally adjusted
Annual
average
Industry
1989
1990
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.p Feb.p
$9.29
$9.66
$9.52
$9.54
$9.61
$9.60
$9.62
$9.69
$9.69
$9.74
$9.78
$9.78
$9.83
$9.82
$9.87
Construction ......................................................... 13.01
Manufacturing ...................................................... 10.18
Excluding overtime ............................................ 9.72
Transportation and public utilities ....................... 12.32
9.94
Wholesale trade...................................................
Retail trade........................................................... 6.31
Finance, insurance, and real estate .................... 9.09
Services................................................................ 8.91
13.37
10.47
10.01
12.57
10.38
6.54
9.57
9.39
13.22
10.37
9.89
12.48
10.18
6.45
9.35
9.19
13.26
10.40
9.92
12.50
10.21
6.47
9.36
9.24
13.33
10.40
9.92
12.52
10.36
6.51
9.54
9.32
13.32
10.42
9.97
12.54
10.28
6.49
9.45
9.33
13.32
10.45
9.99
12.54
10.33
6.52
9.53
9.34
13.42
10.48
10.01
12.61
10.44
6.54
9.68
9.46
13.37
10.52
10.05
12.57
10.39
6.57
9.57
9.43
13.39
10.55
10.08
12.67
10.47
6.58
9.66
9.49
13.44
10.55
10.08
12.68
10.54
6.61
9.77
9.58
13.52
10.57
10.11
12.61
10.54
6.61
9.67
9.54
13.60
10.61
10.15
12.71
10.59
6.65
9.79
9.62
13.33
10.55
10.10
12.75
10.55
6.69
9.76
9.62
13.42
10.68
10.23
12.74
10.58
6.72
9.72
9.65
4.84
4.80
4.81
4.80
4.80
4.77
4.77
4.79
4.80
4.81
4.81
4.79
4.80
4.74
P R IV A T E S E C T O R (in c u r r e n t d o l l a r s )1 ................
P R IV A T E S E C T O R (in c o n s t a n t ( 1 9 7 7 ) d o lla r s ) 1
' Includes mining, not shown separately
- Data not available.
p = preliminary
-
NOTE: See “Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent
benchmark revision.
16. Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by
industry
Annual
average
Industry
1989
1990
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
P R IV A T E S E C T O R ...............................................................
$9.29
$9.66
$9.55
$9.56
$9.62
$9.59
$9.58
$9.63
$9.61
$9.77
$9.81
$9.81
$9.84
$9.87
$9.90
M I N I N G ........................................................................................
12.75
13.14
13.22
13.15
13.19
13.13
13.03
12.95
13.11
13.15
13.10
13.13
13.31
13.27
13.33
Jan.p Feb.p
C O N S T R U C T I O N ...................................................................
13.01
13.37
13.21
13.26
13.30
13.28
13.24
13.33
13.33
13.48
13.52
13.51
13.64
13.41
13.41
M A N U F A C T U R I N G ...............................................................
10.18
10.47
10.38
10.41
10.41
10.42
10.44
10.47
10.44
10.55
10.52
10.58
10.67
10.59
10.69
D u r a b le g o o d s ......................................................................
Lumber and wood products................................
Furniture and fixtures..........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products.........................
Primary metal industries .....................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel products.........
Fabricated metal products ..................................
10.71
8.61
7.94
10.47
12.15
13.97
10.26
11.00
8.86
8.25
10.74
12.36
14.23
10.53
10.91
8.69
8.08
10.62
12.27
14.13
10.46
10.93
8.68
8.13
10.62
12.27
14.13
10.47
10.93
8.76
8.12
10.71
12.26
14.06
10.48
10.94
8.79
8.16
10.69
12.25
14.06
10.49
10.98
8.85
8.23
10.73
12.32
14.18
10.51
10.99
8.92
8.26
10.75
12.40
14.33
10.53
10.98
8.93
8.29
10.77
12.36
14.27
10.50
11.10
8.98
8.40
10.79
12.47
14.38
10.64
11.06
8.99
8.39
10.82
12.43
14.40
10.57
11.10
8.99
8.40
10.87
12.51
14.48
10.61
11.18
9.00
8.42
10.88
12.52
14.40
10.69
11.06
8.96
8.46
10.87
12.54
14.50
10.55
11.20
9.02
8.39
10.84
12.66
14.63
10.65
Machinery, except electrical ...............................
Electrical and electronic equipment....................
Transportation equipment....................................
Motor vehicles and equipment.........................
Instruments and related products .......................
Miscellaneous manufacturing..............................
11.01
10.13
13.31
14.00
9.98
8.01
11.34
10.38
13.70
14.28
10.26
8.31
11.23
10.26
13.59
14.19
10.14
8.23
11.25
10.30
13.65
14.28
10.17
8.23
11.26
10.31
13.60
14.20
10.17
8.21
11.29
10.33
13.58
14.17
10.17
8.24
11.32
10.37
13.65
14.22
10.25
8.24
11.35
10.41
13.61
14.07
10.31
8.29
11.32
10.40
13.70
14.18
10.29
8.20
11.41
10.47
13.89
14.48
10.32
8.39
11.43
10.43
13.84
14.45
10.35
8.38
11.48
10.47
13.85
14.46
10.36
8.49
11.57
10.52
13.93
14.49
10.49
8.60
11.50
10.51
13.59
13.79
10.53
8.59
11.51
10.56
13.98
14.49
10.54
8.60
9.43
Food and kindred products................................. 9.10
Tobacco manufactures....................................... 14.68
Textile mill products............................................ 7.37
Apparel and other textile products.....................
6.12
Paper and allied products................................... 11.65
9.74
9.33
15.37
7.68
6.35
11.93
9.62
9.26
14.75
7.59
6.32
11.80
9.66
9.33
15.34
7.59
6.34
11.84
9.65
9.32
15.87
7.60
6.32
11.83
9.68
9.34
16.13
7.62
6.32
11.89
9.70
9.37
16.48
7.65
6.33
11.91
9.77
9.35
16.34
7.66
6.28
12.04
9.71
9.28
15.72
7.69
6.32
11.90
9.80
9.32
14.69
7.76
6.41
11.99
9.80
9.27
14.91
7.77
6.39
11.97
9.86
9.38
15.01
7.82
6.42
12.08
9.95
9.50
15.31
7.87
6.45
12.14
9.96
9.48
15.64
7.92
6.41
12.16
9.98
9.50
15.57
7.94
6.45
12.16
Printing and publishing........................................ 10.52
Chemicals and allied products............................ 12.67
Petroleum and coal products.............................. 14.98
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products..... 9.14
Leather and leather products ............................. 6.27
10.87
13.06
15.44
9.42
6.58
10.74
12.88
15.45
9.31
6.49
10.79
12.91
15.46
9.33
6.54
10.73
12.92
15.50
9.35
6.55
10.76
12.98
15.34
9.40
6.58
10.75
12.98
15.23
9.41
6.59
10.83
13.12
15.34
9.45
6.54
10.89
13.08
15.23
9.44
6.53
11.05
13.18
15.43
9.46
6.63
11.04
13.25
15.63
9.47
6.64
11.05
13.26
15.64
9.50
6.67
11.07
13.31
15.76
9.58
6.73
11.10
13.32
15.90
9.61
6.81
11.13
13.24
16.26
9.63
6.81
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s ..............................................................
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N A N D P U B L IC U T I L I T I E S .....
12.32
12.57
12.50
12.46
12.51
12.49
12.48
12.58
12.56
12.70
12.69
12.67
12.76
12.76
12.77
W H O L E S A L E T R A D E .........................................................
9.94
10.38
10.23
10.21
10.36
10.28
10.31
10.40
10.35
10.47
10.50
10.55
10.62
10.59
10.62
R E T A IL T R A D E .....................................................................
6.31
6.54
6.47
6.48
6.52
6.49
6.49
6.49
6.50
6.61
6.62
6.64
6.66
6.74
6.74
F IN A N C E , IN S U R A N C E , A N D R E A L E S T A T E
9.09
9.57
9.47
9.43
9.59
9.48
9.48
9.59
9.50
9.62
9.71
9.69
9.76
9.83
9.84
S E R V IC E S ................................................................................
8.91
9.39
9.28
9.29
9.34
9.30
9.26
9.33
9.29
9.49
9.59
9.61
9.69
9.73
9.75
= preliminary
NOTE: See “Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
p
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized7 0for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
17.
Average weekly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry
1990
1989
Annual average
Industry
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.p
FebT
P R IV A T E S E C T O R
Current dollars.................................................. $322.36 $335.20 $327.57 $328.86 $334.78 $330.86 $333.38 $338.01 $335.39 $339.02 $341.39 $338.45 $341.45 $337.55 $339.57
329.39 331.04 335.39 332.16 332.85 337.21 335.27 337.98 339.37 338.39 339.14 338.79 341.50
Seasonally adjusted.......................................
167.81 166.52 165.94 165.76 167.39 164.53 165.37 167.08 165.79 167.00 167.43 165.66 166.89 163.30
“
Constant (1977) dollars ...................................
M I N I N G ........................................................................................
539.33
562.39
551.27
552.30
564.53
551.46
555.08
550.38
566.35
574.66
575.09
572.47
581.65
573.26
573.19
504.68
504.22
498.85
493.08
506.72
478.20
495.92
504.07
500.66
503.12
518.54
519.87
520.33
529.98
514.73
Current dollars...................................................
Constant (1977) dollars.....................................
418.40
217.80
429.27
213.25
423.50
214.54
426.81
215.13
426.81
213.41
426.18
211.92
429.08
212.84
424.04
209.61
425.95
210.55
434.66
214.12
430.27
211.02
434.84
212.84
440.67
215.38
429.95
208.01
431.88
D u r a b le g o o d s ......................................................................
Lumber and wood products................................
Furniture and fixtures..........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products.........................
Primary metal industries .....................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel products.........
Fabricated metal products ..................................
447.68
346.98
312.84
442.88
529.74
614.68
429.89
457.60
355.29
325.88
454.30
531.48
617.58
438.05
452.77
338.91
315.93
436.48
532.52
617.48
435.14
455.78
345.46
321.95
444.98
533.75
621.72
436.60
455.78
354.78
319.12
456.25
529.63
613.02
437.02
454.01
352.48
318.24
453.26
527.98
613.02
435.34
457.87
357.54
324.26
457.10
533.46
622.50
438.27
449.49
352.34
320.49
456.88
528.24
619.06
428.57
453.47
360.77
329.94
460.96
525.30
613.61
432.60
462.87
362.79
336.84
459.65
534.96
619.78
443.69
457.88
364.99
334.76
464.18
527.03
612.00
439.71
460.65
360.50
334.32
461.98
535.43
622.64
443.50
468.44
361.80
339.33
450.43
539.61
622.08
450.05
455.67
355.71
332.48
447.84
535.46
629.30
435.72
460.32
355.39
325.53
443.36
538.05
634.94
436.65
Machinery, except electrical ...............................
Electrical and electronic equipment....................
Transportation equipment....................................
Motor vehicles and equipment.........................
Instruments and related products ......................
Miscellaneous manufacturing..............................
469.03
415.33
568.34
609.00
414.17
313.99
480.82
423.50
580.88
615.47
422.71
327.41
477.28
416.56
584.37
621.52
420.81
322.62
479.25
417.15
591.05
631.18
419.00
324.26
478.55
419.62
584.80
620.54
420.02
325.12
477.57
417.33
579.87
613.56
414.94
324.66
482.23
423.10
581.49
611.46
423.33
324.66
475.57
416.40
566.18
582.50
420.65
319.99
472.04
423.28
572.66
589.89
419.83
321.44
482.64
430.32
594.49
628.43
423.12
329.73
480.06
427.63
571.59
621.35
425.39
332.69
486.75
431.36
573.39
620.33
428.90
341.30
497.51
436.58
593.42
621.62
438.48
344.00
485.30
429.86
563.99
565.39
434.89
335.87
484.57
429.79
584.36
602.78
432.14
336.26
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s ..............................................................
378.14
366.73
584.26
302.91
226.44
503.28
391.55
379.73
593.28
314.88
234.95
516.57
382.88
366.70
557.55
307.40
233.21
506.22
385.43
372.27
556.84
311.19
233.95
509.12
386.97
372.80
604.65
313.12
234.47
509.87
387.20
377.34
637.14
313.94
233.84
512.46
390.91
381.36
660.85
318.24
236.74
514.51
390.80
382.42
619.29
311.00
230.48
516.52
391.31
382.34
586.36
317.60
234.47
514.08
396.90
386.78
592.01
318.16
237.17
523.96
394.94
381.00
599.38
317.79
237.07
520.70
398.34
386.46
585.39
319.84
238.18
527.90
401.98
391.40
583.31
319.52
236.72
532.95
396.41
382.04
588.06
318.38
232.68
524.10
394.21
377.15
580.76
315.22
234.78
518.02
399.76
535.94
665.11
410.89
553.74
683.99
404.90
544.82
679.80
408.94
546.09
667.87
405.59
549.10
686.65
402.42
546.46
673.43
402.05
551.65
679.26
405.04
553.66
679.56
411.64
550.67
665.55
423.22
560.15
685.09
418.42
560.48
704.91
421.01
564.88
699.11
422.87
576.32
715.50
416.25
566.10
688.47
419.60
556.08
715.44
381.14
235.13
390.93
249.38
387.30
245.32
387.20
244.60
388.03
247.59
390.10
247.41
391.46
255.03
385.56
247.21
388.93
250.75
392.59
252.60
393.01
251.66
394.25
250.13
397.57
253.72
394.01
253.33
394.83
254.01
U T I L I T I E S ................................................................................
484.18
495.26
488.75
488.43
497.90
490.86
494.21
500.68
494.86
500.38
499.99
495.40
501.47
495.09
499.31
W H O L E S A L E T R A D E .........................................................
378.71
395.48
386.69
386.96
395.75
389.61
392.81
398.32
394.34
398.91
402.15
401.96
405.68
400.30
400.37
191.03
191.32
189.90
194.47
189.39
190.74
C O N S T R U C T I O N ...................................................................
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
Food and kindred products.................................
Tobacco manufactures.......................................
Textile mill products............................................
Apparel and other textile products.....................
Paper and allied products ...................................
Printing and publishing........................................
Chemicals and allied products............................
Petroleum and coal products..............................
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics products...............................................
Leather and leather products .............................
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N A N D P U B L IC
R E T A IL T R A D E .....................................................................
183.62
189.01
183.10
184.68
188.43
186.91
189.51
194.05
192.40
F IN A N C E , IN S U R A N C E , A N D R E A L
E S T A T E ....................................................................................
326.33
343.56
339.03
337.59
348.12
337.49
339.38
348.12
340.10
343.43
350.53
345.93
348.43
350.93
353.26
S E R V IC E S ................................................................................
290.47
306.11
300.67
301.00
306.35
301.32
302.80
308.82
305.64
309.37
314.55
313.29
314.93
315.25
316.88
- Data not available.
p = preliminary
NOTE: See “Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
71
Current Labor Statistics:
18.
Employment Data
Diffusion indexes of employment change, seasonally adjusted
(In percent)
Jan.
Time span
and year
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Private nonagricultural payrolls, 349 industries
Over 1-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
60.7
68.3
60.3
63.5
60.5
55.9
63.0
61.0
“
62.8
58.2
Over 3-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
64.8
71.6
58.2
65.6
70.1
69.5
64.5
“
70.2
61.9
Over 6-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
69.9
75.1
"
70.2
69.5
“
71.5
68.2
76.2
73.2
76.1
73.6
“
74.8
69.6
Over 12-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
61.3
55.6
67.2
59.7
"
63.6
55.6
-
58.0
57.4
-
55.4
47.9
~
63.9
55.3
-
68.2
60.9
-
64.6
51.9
-
71.1
61.6
71.9
60.7
71.2
61.6
-
64.2
53.4
-
65.3
54.6
-
70.1
55.7
-
73.4
57.2
-
74.6
61.7
-
73.9
66.0
-
73.9
63.0
69.1
57.9
"
70.2
57.7
74.6
60.2
-
73.5
53.4
-
73.9
59.0
-
74.5
58.2
-
-
74.6
67.6
75.8
66.6
“
74.9
62.6
-
78.1
63.9
75.5
64.0
75.5
-
74.8
-
74.9
-
74.1
-
-
-
-
-
75.8
_
Manufacturing payrolls, 141 industries
Over 1-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
58.5
62.4
46.5
56.0
53.5
46.1
55.0
53.2
"
59.9
49.6
58.5
46.8
61.7
48.6
-
59.6
49.6
51.1
45.4
-
49.3
34.8
62.8
52.1
64.9
48.2
-
58.5
44.7
-
Over 3-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
63.1
67.4
43.3
61.0
63.8
“
62.4
55.7
"
64.9
51.8
67.4
49.3
67.0
48.6
-
64.5
47.9
-
58.2
34.0
62.1
41.8
66.7
41.5
-
71.3
46.5
-
70.9
42.9
-
Over 6-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
66.3
69.5
“
66.3
58.5
67.7
55.7
69.5
52.8
"
66.7
48.9
64.2
39.0
-
66.0
40.1
70.9
41.8
-
68.8
34.4
69.9
38.3
71.6
39.7
-
-
73.8
63.1
70.2
63.8
71.6
53.5
72.0
49.6
69.9
42.9
-
70.9
43.6
69.1
42.6
-
71.6
-
70.2
-
69.9
-
67.0
-
-
-
-
Over 12-month span:
1988 .....................................................................
1989 .....................................................................
1990 .....................................................................
70.9
57.1
- Data not available.
NOTE: Figures are the percent of industries with employment increasing plus
one-half of the industries with unchanged employment, where 50 percent
indicates an equal balance between industries with increasing and decreasing
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized7 2for FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
74.1
-
employment. Data for the 2 most recent months shown in each span are
preliminary. See the “Definitions” in this section. See “Notes on the data” for a
description of the most recent benchmark revision.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
19.
Annual data: Employment status of the noninstitutional population
(Numbers in thousands)
Employment status
1981
1982
1985
1984
1983
1986
1987
1988
1989
186,322
188,081
Noninstitutional population....................................
171,775
173,939
175,891
178,080
179,912
182,293
184,490
Labor force:
Total (number)..................................................
Percent of population.......................................
110,315
64.2
111,872
64.3
113,226
64.4
115,241
64.7
117,167
65.1
119,540
65.6
121,602
65.9
123,378
66.2
125,557
66.8
Employed:
Total (number) .............................................
Percent of population..................................
Resident Armed Forces............................
Civilian
Total .......................................................
Agriculture............................................
Nonagricultural industries.....................
102,042
59.4
1,645
101,194
58.2
1,668
102,510
58.3
1,676
106,702
59.9
1,697
108,856
60.5
1,706
111,303
61.1
1,706
114,177
61.9
1,737
116,677
62.6
1,709
119,030
63.3
1,688
100,397
3,368
97,030
99,526
3,401
96,125
100,834
3,383
97,450
105,005
3,321
101,685
107,150
3,179
103,971
109,597
3,163
106,434
112,440
3,208
109,232
114,968
3,169
111,800
117,342
3,199
114,142
Unemployed:
Total (number)............................................
Percent of labor force................................
8,273
7.5
10,678
9.5
10,717
9.5
8,539
7.4
8,312
7.1
8,237
6.9
7,425
6.1
6,701
5.4
6,528
5.2
Not in labor force (number) ................................
61,460
62,067
62,665
62,839
62,744
62,752
62,888
62,944
62,523
20.
Annual data: Employment levels by industry
(Numbers in thousands)
Industry
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
Total employment....................................................................
Private sector.........................................................................
Goods-producing.................................................................
Mining.............................................................................
Construction ..................................................................
Manufacturing................................................................
91,156
75,126
25,497
1,139
4,188
20,170
89,566
73,729
23,813
1,128
3,905
18,781
90,200
74,330
23,334
952
3,948
18,434
94,496
78,472
24,727
966
4,383
19,378
97,519
81,125
24,859
927
4,673
19,260
99,525
82,832
24,558
777
4,816
18,965
102,200
85,190
24,708
717
4,967
19,024
105,584
88,212
25,249
721
5,125
19,403
108,581
90,854
25,634
722
5,300
19,612
Service-producing................................................................
Transportation and public utilities..................................
Wholesale trade .............................................................
Retail trade .....................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate ...............................
Services...........................................................................
65,659
5,165
5,358
15,189
5,298
18,619
65,753
5,082
5,278
15,179
5,341
19,036
66,866
4,954
5,268
15,613
5,468
19,694
69,769
5,159
5,555
16,545
5,689
20,797
72,660
5,238
5,717
17,356
5,955
22,000
74,967
5,255
5,753
17,930
6,283
23,053
77,492
5,372
5,844
18,483
6,547
24,236
80,335
5,548
6,029
19,110
6,676
25,600
82,947
5,705
6,234
19,575
6,814
26,892
Government...................................................................
Federal......................................................................
State..........................................................................
Local .........................................................................
16,031
2,772
3,640
9,619
15,837
2,739
3,640
9,458
15,869
2,774
3,662
9,434
16,024
2,807
3,734
9,482
16,394
2,875
3,832
9,687
16,693
2,899
3,893
9,901
17,010
2,943
3,967
10,100
17,372
2,971
4,063
10,339
17,727
2,988
4,134
10,606
NOTE:
See “Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark revision.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
73
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
21. Annual data: Average hours and earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on nonagricultural
payrolls, by industry
Industry
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
35.2
7.25
255.20
34.8
7.68
267.26
35.0
8.02
280.70
35.2
8.32
292.86
34.9
8.57
299.09
34.8
8.76
304.85
34.8
8.98
312.50
34.7
9.29
322.36
34.7
9.66
335.20
43.7
10.04
438.75
42.7
10.77
459.88
42.5
11.28
479.40
43.3
11.63
503.58
43.4
11.98
519.93
42.2
12.46
525.81
42.4
12.54
531.70
42.3
12.75
539.33
42.8
13.14
562.39
36.9
10.82
399.26
36.7
11.63
426.82
37.1
11.94
442.97
37.8
12.13
458.51
37.7
12.32
464.46
37.4
12.48
466.75
37.8
12.71
480.44
37.9
13.01
493.08
37.9
13.37
506.72
39.8
7.99
318.00
38.9
8.49
330.26
40.1
8.83
354.08
40.7
9.19
374.03
40.5
9.54
386.37
40.7
9.73
396.01
41.0
9.91
406.31
41.1
10.18
418.40
41.0
10.47
429.27
39.4
9.70
382.18
39.0
10.32
402.48
39.0
10.79
420.81
39.4
11.12
438.13
39.5
11.40
450.30
39.2
11.70
458.64
39.2
12.03
471.58
39.3
12.32
484.18
39.4
12.57
495.26
38.5
7.56
291.06
38.3
8.09
309.85
38.5
8.55
329.18
38.5
8.89
342.27
38.4
9.16
351.74
38.3
9.35
358.11
38.1
9.60
365.76
38.1
9.94
378.71
38.1
10.38
395.48
30.1
5.25
158.03
29.9
5.48
163.85
29.8
5.74
171.05
29.8
5.85
174.33
29.4
5.94
174.64
29.2
6.03
176.08
29.2
6.12
178.70
29.1
6.31
183.62
28.9
6.54
189.01
36.3
6.31
229.05
36.2
6.78
245.44
36.2
7.29
263.90
36.5
7.63
278.50
36.4
7.94
289.02
36.4
8.36
304.30
36.3
8.73
316.90
35.9
9.09
326.33
35.9
9.57
343.56
32.6
6.41
208.97
32.6
6.92
225.59
32.7
7.31
239.04
32.6
7.59
247.43
32.5
7.90
256.75
32.5
8.18
265.85
32.5
8.49
275.93
32.6
8.91
290.47
32.6
9.39
306.11
P r iv a te s e c to r :
Average weekly hours...........................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars).....................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars) ....................................
M in in g :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
C o n s tr u c tio n :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
M a n u fa c tu r in g :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
T r a n s p o r t a t io n a n d p u b lic u tilitie s :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
W h o le s a le tr a d e :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
R e ta il t r a d e :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars)................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
F in a n c e , in s u r a n c e , a n d r e a l e s t a te :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
S e r v ic e s :
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized7 4for FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
22.
Employment Cost Index, compensation,1 by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
Percent change
1989
1988
1987
Series
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Dec. 1989
C iv ilia n w o r k e r s 2 .........................................................................................
138.6
140.6
142.1
144.0
145.5
147.3
148.9
151.3
152.8
1.0
5.0
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers...........................................................
Blue-collar workers..............................................................
Service occupations............................................................
142.2
132.5
140.8
144.2
134.7
142.9
145.7
136.2
144.3
147.9
137.2
147.2
149.7
138.2
148.5
151.9
139.6
150.0
153.4
141.3
151.2
156.4
142.9
153.7
157.9
144.1
155.5
1.0
.8
1.2
b.b
4.3
4.7
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing..................................................................
Manufacturing .....................................................................
Service-producing................................................................
Services..............................................................................
Health services................................................................
Hospitals..........................................................................
Public administration 3 .......................................................
Nonmanufacturing.................................................................
133.5
134.1
141.7
150.6
148.1
140.5
135.8
136.8
143.6
152.8
150.3
142.3
137.3
138.1
145.1
153.8
151.2
143.9
138.2
139.0
147.6
157.7
154.0
146.1
139.3
140.1
149.2
159.7
154.4
147.7
140.7
141.9
151.4
161.8
156.7
149.7
142.3
143.5
152.9
163.1
157.9
151.2
143.9
145.1
155.9
167.5
161.8
154.0
145.3
146.4
157.3
169.2
163.0
155.5
1.0
.9
.9
1.0
1.6
1.4
.7
1.0
4.3
4.5
5.4
5.9
7.0
7.1
5.6
5.3
136.0
136.6
138.1
138.7
139.8
140.2
141.2
141.7
142.6
142.9
144.4
144.7
146.1
146.2
147.9
147.9
149.4
149.3
1.0
.9
4.8
4.5
139.3
141.1
-
141.2
143.0
-
143.0
144.6
-
144.6
146.4
-
146.3
147.6
-
148.6
149.9
-
150.3
151.4
-
152.4
153.3
"
153.9
154.7
-
1.0
.9
1.1
.6
1.4
5.2
4.8
b.b
3.8
7.3
-
-
-
”
-
"
“
“
~
1.1
5.1
140.6
146.5
142.2
-
143.3
-
148.1
-
“
150.1
.8
.8
.9
.2
.9
1.4
4.1
4.1
4.3
3.2
4.6
4.3
145.0
144.8
146.4
“
1.0
1.0
1.2
.9
1.1
.7
4.3
4.4
4.4
4.5
4.5
4.5
.9
.9
.5
.3
.7
.6
.7
1.0
.7
1.9
.8
.5
.9
1.0
.9
5.1
4.6
3.8
3.6
4.0
5.1
3.9
8.8
5.0
3.4
5.4
4.1
P r iv a te in d u s tr y w o r k e r s .....................................................................
Excluding sales occupations............................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers.........................................................
Excluding sales occupations........................................
Professional specialty and technical occupations.........
Executive, administrative, and managerial occupations
Sales occupations........................... ,..............................
Administrative support occupations, including
clerical...........................................................................
Blue-collar workers...........................................................
Precision production, craft, and repair occupations......
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors...........
Transportation and material moving occupations..........
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ....
Service occupations.........................................................
131.8
136.7
134.1
138.6
135.6
140.1
136.5
142.2
137.6
“
143.9
138.9
"
145.4
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing...............................................................
Excluding sales occupations.........................................
Construction .....................................................................
Manufacturing...................................................................
Durables ..........................................................................
Nondurables....................................................................
133.2
132.9
134.1
-
135.6
135.2
136.8
-
137.1
136.8
138.1
-
137.9
137.6
139.0
-
139.0
138.7
140.1
“
140.4
140.2
141.9
-
142.0
141.7
143.5
“
143.6
143.3
145.1
*
Service-producing ..............................................................
Excluding sales occupations.........................................
Transportation and public utilities....................................
Transportation.................................................................
Public utilities..................................................................
Communications...........................................................
Electric, gas, and sanitary services .............................
Wholesale and retail trade...............................................
Excluding sales occupations ......................................
Wholesale trade.............................................................
Excluding sales occupations....................................
Retail trade ....................................................................
Food stores................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate.................................
Excluding sales occupations ......................................
Banking, savings and loan, and other
credit agencies............................................................
Insurance .......................................................................
Service..............................................................................
Business services..........................................................
Health services................................................................
Hospitals........................................................................
138.4
140.0
-
140.2
141.9
-
142.1
143.5
-
143.8
145.4
-
145.5
146.7
-
147.7
148.8
-
149.5
150.4
-
151.5
152.2
-
-
152.9
153.5
“
-
-
-
-
-
-
.1
1.1
1.1
.6
1.8
1.5
3.0
“
5.6
4.3
7.0
7.1
-
-
~
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Nonmanufacturing ............................................................
137.1
138.9
140.8
142.4
143.9
145.9
147.6
149.5
151.0
1.0
4.9
S t a t e a n d lo c a l g o v e r n m e n t w o r k e r s .........................................
151.1
153.1
153.6
157.8
159.6
161.5
162.5
167.9
169.5
1.0
6.2
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers.........................................................
Blue-collar workers...........................................................
152.7
144.3
154.8
145.9
155.2
145.9
159.6
148.4
161.8
149.1
163.7
151.9
164.6
153.0
170.5
156.2
172.1
158.6
.9
1.5
6.4
6.4
-
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
75
Current Labor Statistics: Compensation & Industrial Relations
22. Continued—Employment Cost Index, compensation,* by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
1987
1988
1989
Percent change
Series
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Dec. 1989
Workers, by industry division:
Services.......................................................................
Hospitals and other services4 .......................................
Health services.............................................................
Schools ..........................................................................
Elementary and secondary.........................................
Public administration3 .......................................................
153.1
146.3
155.2
150.3
155.6
150.4
160.5
153.2
163.0
155.2
164.6
157.2
165.5
158.7
171.8
162.6
173.3
163.7
-
-
-
-
-
-
_
_
_
155.5
157.8
148.1
156.8
158.9
150.3
157.3
159.4
151.2
163.1
165.4
154.0
165.7
168.3
154.4
167.2
169.3
156.7
167.8
169.9
157.9
175.1
177.7
161.8
176.7
179.2
163.0
1 Cost (cents per hour worked) measured in the Employment Cost Index
consists of wages, salaries, and employer cost of employee benefits.
2 Consist of private industry workers (excluding farm and household workers)
and State and local government (excluding Federal Government) workers.
23.
0.9
.7
1.1
.9
.8
.7
6.3
5.5
7.1
6.6
6.5
5.6
3 Consist of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities,
4 Includes, for example, library, social, and health services.
- Data not available,
Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group
(June 1981=100)
1987
1988
1989
Percent change
Series
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Dec. 1989
C iv ilia n w o r k e r s 1 .........................................................................................
136.1
137.4
138.7
140.5
141.9
143.4
144.6
146.9
148.1
0.8
4.4
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers ...........................................................
Blue-collar workers..............................................................
Service occupations............................................................
140.2
129.4
136.6
141.5
130.4
138.0
143.0
131.6
139.3
145.2
132.5
141.8
146.8
133.4
142.9
148.6
134.6
143.9
149.8
136.0
144.8
152.6
137.4
146.8
154.0
138.3
148.4
.9
.7
1.1
4.9
3.7
3.8
131.0
132.2
139.2
148.2
132.2
133.3
140.5
149.5
133.4
134.4
141.9
150.4
135.1
136.2
145.8
155.7
149.4
144.1
136.3
137.4
147.5
157.4
_
150.9
145.8
137.7
138.8
148.7
158.4
_
_
151.8
147.0
139.0
140.0
151.4
162.4
140.3
141.5
152.7
163.6
155.0
149.6
156.0
150.8
.9
1.1
.9
.7
1.5
1.3
.6
.8
3.8
3.9
4.7
5.1
6.3
6.4
4.4
4.6
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing..................................................................
Manufacturing ........................ ............................................
Service-producing .................................................................
Services............................................................................
Health services................................................................
Hospitals..........................................................................
Public administration 2 .....................................................
Nonmanufacturing...............................................................
P r iv a t e in d u s t r y w o r k e r s .................................................
Excluding sales occupations.........................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers......................................................
Excluding sales occupations....................................
Professional specialty and technical occupations......
Executive, administrative, and managerial
occupations................................................................
Sales occupations.......................................................
Administrative support occupations, including
clerical........................................................................
Blue-collar workers........................................................
Precision production, craft, and repair
occupations...............................................................
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors.......
Transportation and material moving occupations......
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and
laborers....................................................................
Service occupations......................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing.............................................................
Excluding sales occupations.....................................
Construction ..................................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized7 6for FRASER
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
143.8
137.8
145.5
139.0
146.4
140.5
134.1
135.1
144.2
154.0
148.9
142.7
133.8
134.7
135.1
135.9
136.6
137.2
137.9
138.6
139.3
139.7
140.8
141.2
142.2
142.5
143.9
144.0
145.1
145.2
.8
.8
4.2
3.9
137.6
140.1
142.6
139.0
141.5
144.0
140.8
142.9
145.8
142.4
144.7
148.1
144.0
146.0
148.9
145.9
147.8
151.0
147.3
149.0
152.1
149.3
150.8
154.6
150.8
152.1
155.9
1.0
.9
.8
4.7
4.2
4.7
139.2
126.1
139.9
127.5
141.3
130.8
142.5
131.5
144.4
134.4
146.2
136.7
147.3
138.7
148.5
141.6
149.5
143.8
.7
1.6
3.5
7.0
1.1
4.5
-
-
-
-
-
_
_
_
_
138.1
140.2
141.2
143.2
144.1
146.0
147.4
149.0
150.6
128.9
129.9
131.1
131.9
132.9
134.0
135.4
136.7
137.6
.7
3.5
131.1
129.2
122.9
132.1
129.9
123.7
133.4
131.2
125.4
134.0
131.9
126.7
134.9
133.3
126.9
136.1
134.5
127.8
137.8
135.9
128.7
139.2
136.7
130.2
140.0
138.1
130.2
.6
1.0
.0
3.8
3.6
2.6
125.0
133.2
126.7
134.5
127.5
135.8
128.4
137.6
129.3
139.1
130.4
140.0
131.6
140.9
133.0
142.1
134.2
144.1
.9
1.4
3.8
3.6
130.8
130.8
124.7
132.0
131.8
125.9
133.2
133.2
127.6
133.9
133.8
128.6
134.9
134.9
129.4
136.1
136.1
130.4
137.4
137.4
131.6
138.8
138.8
133.0
140.1
140.1
133.9
.9
.9
.7
3.9
3.9
3.5
23.Continued— Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
Series
Dec.
Mar.
Sept.
June
Percent change
1989
1988
1987
Dec.
Mar.
Sept.
June
Dec.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Dec. 1989
132.2
131.1
134.1
133.3
132.1
135.6
134.4
133.1
136.7
136.2
138.1
130.2
137.5
139.4
131.3
139.3
140.8
132.5
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
135.1
133.7
137.6
136.2
134.6
139.1
137.4
135.9
140.2
138.8
137.3
141.6
140.0
138.3
143.1
141.5
139.9
144.2
1.1
1.2
.8
3.9
3.9
3.7
141.0
142.7
133.5
_
142.6
143.9
133.4
144.5
145.7
134.6
145.8
146.9
135.3
147.8
148.6
136.3
149.0
149.6
136.9
143.7
142.6
156.7
146.5
138.5
.8
.7
.4
.2
.7
.7
.7
1.1
.7
2.3
.8
.6
1.3
.8
.8
4.5
4.0
2.6
2.1
3.2
-
_
_
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
142.7
142.7
139.9
140.0
149.0
142.9
136.3
145.2
145.2
142.1
141.6
153.2
145.3
137.7
146.0
146.0
154.4
140.8
156.4
142.6
157.8
143.9
_
160.4
145.9
161.8
147.0
-.3
1.2
.9
.3
1.6
1.3
.8
_
136.0
136.5
143.2
139.6
133.2
_
134.9
134.9
_
136.9
137.8
143.6
140.4
134.3
139.9
139.9
-
138.6
139.2
147.5
141.8
135.1
134.6
135.2
141.7
138.2
131.7
132.9
132.9
134.9
134.9
_
147.1
_
_
_
_
148.6
_
149.8
134.8
136.0
_
_
137.8
152.9
_
_
139.4
147.4
148.7
149.1
153.0
154.5
155.8
156.6
161.4
162.7
.8
5.3
149.3
139.6
150.5
141.1
150.8
141.1
154.9
143.5
156.8
144.1
158.0
146.1
158.7
146.8
164.1
149.6
165.3
151.6
.7
1.3
5.4
5.2
149.5
142.2
150.7
144.5
151.1
144.7
155.6
147.4
157.6
148.7
158.6
150.2
159.3
151.5
165.0
155.3
166.2
156.1
151.8
153.4
143.8
152.6
154.0
145.5
153.0
154.3
146.4
158.0
159.7
148.9
160.3
162.1
149.4
161.2
162.8
150.9
161.7
163.3
151.8
168.1
170.2
155.0
169.3
171.3
156.0
.7
.5
.9
.7
.6
.6
5.5
5.0
6.1
5.6
5.7
4.4
_
_
_
_
_
Workers, by occupational group:
Workers, by industry division:
1 Consists of private industry workers (excluding farm and household workers)
and State and local government (excluding Federal Government) workers.
2 Consists of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities.
24.
5.0
3.5
9.1
4.3
3.1
131.9
133.4
139.0
136.8
129.2
-
Banking, savings and loan, and other
Hospitals and other services 3 ....................................
-
130.7
132.3
138.5
136.0
127.7
_
131.6
131.6
-
147.1
147.1
_
5.1
5.1
3.2
4.8
3.9
6.4
6.6
4.4
3 Includes, for example, library, social and health services,
- Data not available.
Employment Cost Index, benefits, private industry workers by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
Series
Dec.
Mar.
June
Percent change
1989
1988
1987
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
3
12
months
ended
months
ended
Dec.
P r iv a t e in d u s tr y w o r k e r s ........................................................................
1 4 1 .7
146.1
1 4 8 .2
1 4 9 .7
1 5 1 .3
1 5 4 .0
Workers, by occupational group:
Blue-collar workers..............................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1 5 8 .7
1 6 0 .6
1 .2
6.1
1 4 3 .7
1 4 7 .3
1 4 9 .3
1 5 0 .9
1 5 2 .7
1 56.1
1 5 8 .8
161 .1
1 6 3 .0
1 .2
1 3 8 .7
1 44.1
1 4 6 .3
1 4 7 .5
1 4 8 .9
1 5 0 .7
1 5 2 .9
155 .1
1 5 6 .8
1.1
5 .3
5 .5
6 .7
Workers, by industry group:
Nonmanufacturing...............................................................
1 5 6 .5
1989
1 3 8 .8
144.1
146.1
1 4 7 .3
1 4 8 .6
1 5 0 .7
1 5 2 .7
1 5 5 .0
1 5 6 .7
1.1
1 4 4 .4
148.1
150.1
1 5 1 .9
1 5 3 .9
1 5 7 .2
1 60.1
1 6 2 .3
1 6 4 .2
1 .2
.8
1.4
1 3 8 .4
1 4 4 .5
1 4 6 .4
1 4 7 .8
1 4 9 .0
1 5 2 .3
1 5 4 .2
1 5 6 .6
1 5 7 .8
1 4 3 .8
1 4 7 .2
1 4 9 .3
1 5 0 .9
1 5 2 .9
1 5 5 .2
1 5 8 .0
1 6 0 .2
1 6 2 .4
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
5 .9
6 .2
77
Current Labor Statistics:
25.
Compensation & Industrial Relations
Employment Cost Index, private nonfarm workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size
(June 1981 = 100)
1987
1988
1989
Percent change
Series
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
Dec. 1989
C O M P E N S A T IO N
W o r k e r s , b y b a r g a in in g s t a tu s '
Union ............................................................
Goods-producing......................................................
Service-producing....................................................
Manufacturing .....................................................
Nonmanufacturing ............................................
133.4
131.3
136.7
131.5
135.1
135.6
134.1
138.0
135.0
136.2
136.9
135.3
139.4
136.2
137.5
137.9
136.2
140.5
137.0
138.6
138.6
137.2
140.9
138.2
138.9
139.7
137.9
142.6
139.9
139.5
141.1
139.4
143.9
141.3
141.0
142.3
140.6
145.1
142.5
142.1
143.7
142.0
146.3
144.1
143.3
1.0
1.0
.8
1.1
.8
3.7
3.5
3.8
4.3
3.2
Nonunion......................................................
Goods-producing.................................................
Service-producing.............................................................
Manufacturing .............................................
Nonmanufacturing ..................................................
136.9
134.1
138.6
135.6
137.5
138.9
136.2
140.5
137.8
139.4
140.7
137.8
142.5
139.2
141.5
142.2
138.7
144.4
140.1
143.2
143.9
139.9
146.3
141.3
145.0
146.0
141.6
148.6
143.1
147.3
147.7
143.2
150.5
144.8
149.1
149.8
145.0
152.7
146.5
151.2
151.2
146.5
154.1
147.8
152.7
.9
1.0
.9
.9
1.0
5.1
4.7
5.3
4.6
5.3
141.9
135.4
131.7
136.3
143.7
137.1
134.4
138.3
145.9
139.3
135.5
139.5
147.8
140.4
136.7
140.6
150.4
141.3
138.0
141.5
153.5
142.7
139.3
143.2
155.5
144.1
140.9
144.9
158.3
145.8
142.3
146.4
160.0
147.3
143.6
147.5
1.1
1.0
.9
.8
6.4
4.2
4.1
4.2
136.7
132.0
138.9
133.6
140.5
135.5
142.0
136.2
143.6
136.8
145.6
137.5
147.4
138.3
149.4
139.4
150.7
141.1
.9
1.2
4.9
3.1
Union ...............................................
Goods-producing .................................................................
Service-producing................................................................
Manufacturing .....................................................................
Nonmanufacturing ..................................................
130.5
128.5
133.6
129.3
131.5
131.0
128.7
134.4
129.6
132.1
132.0
129.7
135.4
130.4
133.3
132.9
130.4
136.7
131.0
134.5
133.4
131.2
136.8
132.1
134.6
134.3
132.0
137.8
133.0
135.4
135.4
133.4
138.4
134.4
136.2
136.2
134.2
139.3
135.1
137.1
137.6
135.6
140.7
136.7
138.3
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.2
.9
3.1
3.4
2.9
3.5
2.7
Nonunion...................................................................
Goods-producing ......................................................
Service-producing................................................
Manufacturing ........................................................
Nonmanufacturing ..........................................................
135.0
132.1
136.7
133.9
135.4
136.4
133.6
138.0
135.5
136.8
138.1
135.0
140.0
136.7
138.8
139.5
135.7
141.8
137.4
140.4
141.1
136.8
143.6
138.6
142.2
142.9
138.2
145.6
139.9
144.1
144.4
139.5
147.2
141.4
145.6
146.3
141.1
149.3
142.8
147.7
147.5
142.4
150.5
144.2
148.9
.8
.9
.8
1.0
.8
4.5
4.1
4.8
4.0
4.7
139.7
133.0
129.9
133.5
140.9
134.0
131.3
134.9
142.9
136.1
132.1
136.0
144.6
137.1
133.3
137.4
147.3
137.8
134.5
138.1
150.1
138.9
135.6
139.4
152.0
140.0
136.9
140.7
154.7
141.7
138.0
141.8
156.4
142.9
139.1
142.7
1.1
.8
.8
.6
6.2
3.7
3.4
3.3
134.6
129.8
135.8
130.9
137.3
133.0
138.7
133.5
140.2
133.7
141.9
134.6
143.4
135.2
145.2
136.1
146.4
137.8
.8
1.2
4.4
3.1
W o r k e r s , b y r e g io n '
Northeast.....................................................
South ................................................................
Midwest (formerly North Central)..................................
West................................................................
W o r k e r s , b y a r e a s iz e '
Metropolitan areas......................................................
Other areas................................................................
W A G E S A N D S A L A R IE S
W o r k e r s , b y b a r g a in in g s ta tu s '
W o r k e r s , b y r e g io n '
Northeast...............................................................
South ...........................................................
Midwest (formerly North Central)......................................
West............................................................
W o r k e r s , b y a r e a s iz e 1
Metropolitan areas..............................................
Other areas..........................................................
' The indexes are calculated differently from those for the occupation ani
industry groups. For a detailed description of the index calculation, see tb
Digitized7 8for Monthly
FRASERLabor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
L a b o r R e v ie w Technical
Employment Cost Index,” May 1982.
M o n th ly
Note,
“Estimation procedures for the
26.
Specified compensation and wage adjustments from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments, private
Quarterly average
Annual average
1987
1988
First year of contract........................................
Annual rate over life of contract......................
3.0
2.6
3.1
2.5
1.8
1.8
3.1
2.4
3.4
3.2
3.5
2.1
3.2
3.1
5.1
3.4
3.9
2.7
5.3
4.3
Wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000
workers or more:
First year of contract ........................................
Annual rate over life of contract......................
2.2
2.1
2.5
2.4
2.1
2.3
2.6
2.2
2.7
2.6
2.2
3.2
3.1
3.9
3.3
3.6
3.0
4.9
4.0
3.1
.7
2.6
.7
1.0
.3
1.0
.4
1.8
.5
1.3
.6
IVP
IIP
S p e c if ie d a d ju s tm e n ts :
Total compensation 1 adjustments,2 settlements
covering 5,000 workers or more:
2.8
E f f e c t i v e a d ju s tm e n ts :
Total effective wage adjustment 3 ......................
From settlements reached in period ...............
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier
periods.............................................................
From cost-of-living-adjustments clauses.........
compensation or wages.
3 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
p = preliminary.
' Compensation includes wages, salaries, and employers’ cost of employee
benefits when contract is negotiated.
2 Adjustments are the net result of increases, decreases, and no changes in
27. Average specified compensation and wage adjustments, major collective bargaining settlements in private
industry situations covering 1,000 workers or more during 4-quarter periods (in percent)____________________
Average for four quarters ending1989
1988
Measure
IVP
IIP
IP
I
IV
III
II
I
Specified total compensation adjustments, settlements covering 5,000
workers or more, all industries:
First year of contract............................................................................
Annual rate over life of contract........................................................ .
3.1
2.5
3.0
2.3
3.1
2.5
3.1
2.5
3.3
2.6
3.8
3.0
4.0
2.8
4.5
3.4
2.4
2.2
2.5
2.2
1.4
2.7
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.0
1.5
2.5
2.5
2.4
2.6
2.2
1.5
2.8
2.5
2.4
2.7
2.4
1.8
2.8
2.7
2.4
2.9
2.5
1.8
2.9
3.2
2.2
3.4
2.9
1.8
3.2
3.5
2.6
3.6
3.0
4.0
3.9
4.0
3.4
3.2
3.5
Specified wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000 workers or
more:
All industries:
First year of contract ................................................................. .......
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Annual rate over life of contract .......................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Manufacturing:
First year of contract .........................................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Annual rate over life of contract.......................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Nonmanufacturing:
First year of contract .........................................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Annual rate over life of contract .......................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Construction:
First year of contract .........................................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
Annual rate over life of contract.......................................................
Contracts with COLA clauses.........................................................
Contracts without COLA clauses ...................................................
2.4
2.4
2.4
1.5
1.0
2.7
2.5
2.5
2.5
1.6
1.3
2.5
2.6
2.4
3.0
1.9
1.4
3.1
2.2
2.1
2.5
2.1
1.8
2.6
2.2
2.1
2.5
2.2
1.8
2.8
2.6
2.1
3.1
2.4
1.7
3.1
2.6
2.1
2.8
2.5
2.9
3.9
5.4
3.1
3.2
3.5
3.0
2.3
1.6
2.5
2.7
2.4
2.7
2.3
2.2
2.4
2.4
1.9
2.6
2.4
2.4
2.5
2.4
1.8
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.7
2.5
1.7
2.8
3.0
2.9
3.0
2.7
1.7
3.0
3.5
3.0
3.5
3.2
2.5
3.3
3.8
3.0
3.9
3.1
2.1
3.3
4.0
3.2
4.2
3.4
2.4
3.7
2.6
2.9
2.6
2.7
(’)
3.1
(1)
(’)
2.7
2.4
(')
2.4
2.7
2.2
2.6
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
2.1
2.4
2.6
2.7
0
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.4
2.2
2.1
(2)
(2)
(')
(1)
C)
(')
(’>
3.0
2.9
2.9
(1)
0
C)
C)
(1)
o
1 Data do not meet publication standards.
2 Between -0.05 and 0.05 percent.
p = preliminary.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review April 1990
79
Current Labor Statistics:
Compensation & Industrial Relations
28. Average effective wage adjustments, private industry collective bargaining situations covering 1 000
workers or more during 4-quarter periods (in percent)
Average for four quarters endingEffective wage adjustment
ill
IV
3.0
1.0
1.6
.5
2.9
1.0
1.4
.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
.7
1.3
.8
1.3
.7
1.3
.6
.6
3.7
2.9
3.3
2.3
3.5
2.9
3.0
2.5
3.3
3.1
3.0
2.7
3.5
3.2
3.2
2.9
III»
IVP
.8
3.0
.9
1.3
.8
3.2
1.2
1.3
.7
3.8
3.5
3.2
3.2
4.0
3.7
3.4
3.8
4.0
4.2
3.4
3.3
F o r a ll w o r k e r s : 1
Total.............................................................................
From settlements reached in period .......................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier period
From cost-of-living-adjustments clauses..................
F o r w o r k e r s r e c e iv in g c h a n g e s :
Total.....................................................................................
From settlements reached in period .................................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier period .......
From cost-of-living-adjustments clauses...........................
1 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
p = preliminary.
29. Specified compensation and wage adjustments from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments State and
local government collective bargaining situations covering 1,000 workers or more (in percent)
Annual average
Measure
1987
1988
1989
4.9
4.8
5.4
5.3
5.1
4.9
4.9
5.1
5.1
5.3
5.1
5.1
4.9
2.7
2.2
(4)
4.7
2.3
2.4
(4)
5.1
2.5
2.6
(4)
Specified adjustments:
Total compensation 1 adjustments, 2 settlements covering 5,000 workers or more:
First year of contract ................................................................................
Annual rate over life of contract ..................................................
Wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000 workers or more:
First year of contract..................................................................
Annual rate over life of contract ................................................
Effective adjustments:
Total effective wage adjustment3 ........................................................................
From settlements reached in period........................................................................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier periods .................................................
From cost-of-living-adjustment clauses.......................................................................
1 Compensation includes wages, salaries, and employers’ cost of employee
benefits when contract is negotiated.
2 Adjustments are the net result of Increases, decreases, and no changes in
30.
"
compensation or wages.
3 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
4 Less than 0.05 percent.
Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more
AnnuaI totals
1989
Measure
1988
Number of stoppages:
Beginning in period....
In effect during period .
Workers involved:
Beginning in period (in
thousands).....................
In effect during period (in
thousands).....................
Days idle:
Number (in thousands)..........
Percent of estimated working
time' .....................................
40
43
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
51
52
0
3
3
5
10
8
14
118.3
452.1
.0
31.5
8.7
121.9
454.1
7.2
37.7
4,364.3 16,996.3
125.8
.01
.02
.07
6
1990
July
Aug.
Sept.p
Oct.P
N ov . p
Dec.P
Jan.p
2
6
6
6
7
12
13
12
56.1
3.3
45.7
203.0
14.5
68.9
8.0
45.2
95.2
46.3
88.8
239.8
108.7
171.1
169.1
805.3
770.2
1,337.1
924.8
1,273.8
3,761.4
1,922.3
3,220.9
2,343.7
376.0
.03
.04
.06
.04
.06
.15
.09
.14
.11
5
13
5
14
1
9
9
7
5.0
4.5
18.0
104.1
20.3
31.4
311.9
280.7
.1
.1
02
working time: private household, forestry, and fishery employees are excluded. An expla
nation of the measurement of idleness as a percentage of the total time worked is found
8 0 Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
in “Total economy’ measure of strike idleness,”
pp. 54-56.
p = preliminary.
Feb.p
M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w ,
October 1968
31. Consumer Price Indexes for All Urban Consumers and for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers: U.S. city
average, by expenditure category and commodity or service group
(1982-84=100, unless otherwise indicated)
19S0
1989
Annual
average
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
124.0
371.3
121.6
364.1
122.3
366.2
123.1
368.8
123.8
370.8
124.1
371.7
124.4
372.7
124.6
373.1
125.0
374.6
125.6
376.2
125.9
377.0
126.1
377.6
127.4
381.5
128.0
383.3
118.2
118.2
116.6
122.1
114.3
108.4
128.1
113.1
114.0
113.1
107.5
118.0
121.8
118.6
124.9
125.1
124.2
132.4
121.3
115.6
138.0
119.1
119.4
121.2
111.3
125.5
127.4
123.5
122.7
122.9
122.0
128.9
118.2
113.4
137.1
117.8
117.8
120.5
111.3
123.0
125.2
121.1
123.3
123.5
122.7
129.7
120.5
113.8
135.7
118.1
118.0
120.4
111.3
123.7
125.7
121.8
124.0
124.2
123.5
130.4
120.6
114.1
138.0
119.0
117.9
121.6
111.8
125.2
126.2
122.3
124.7
124.9
124.4
131.5
120.7
113.8
142.7
118.9
118.1
121.6
111.5
125.2
126.7
123.1
124.9
125.0
124.3
132.1
121.4
113.6
140.2
119.2
119.2
121.6
111.6
125.5
127.1
123.5
125.4
125.5
124.8
133.3
121.6
114.1
140.1
119.7
120.1
121.6
112.3
125.9
127.8
124.0
125.6
125.8
124.9
134.1
122.3
114.5
138.8
119.7
120.6
121.7
111.2
126.7
128.1
124.5
125.9
126.1
125.0
134.6
122.9
116.1
136.6
119.7
120.8
121.3
111.0
126.7
128.8
124.8
126.3
126.5
125.4
135.0
122.4
118.2
137.1
120.3
121.3
121.6
111.8
127.2
129.1
125.2
126.7
126.9
125.8
135.3
122.8
120.2
137.8
119.9
120.7
121.0
111.2
127.3
129.5
125.5
127.2
127.4
126.5
136.1
123.8
122.9
136.7
120.1
121.1
121.6
111.0
127.6
129.8
125.6
130.0
130.4
131.0
136.9
126.8
125.8
153.7
121.3
122.5
123.5
112.4
128.3
130.3
126.2
130.9
131.3
132.1
137.4
126.7
126.9
157.9
121.9
122.9
123.4
113.3
128.9
131.0
126.9
118.5
127.1
133.6
127.8
134.8
131.1
131.1
129.0
114.7
117.9
110.4
104.4
98.0
78.1
104.6
122.9
109.4
105.1
114.7
114.3
123.0
132.8
138.9
132.8
140.7
137.3
137.4
132.6
118.0
120.6
114.6
107.8
100.9
81.7
107.5
127.1
111.2
105.5
120.9
117.3
121.1
130.3
136.3
130.9
136.2
134.7
134.8
131.2
117.1
119.9
113.4
105.9
98.6
81.4
104.9
126.0
110.9
105.9
117.7
116.8
121.5
131.2
138.6
131.1
144.7
135.0
135.1
131.3
117.1
119.6
113.8
105.9
98.5
81.5
104.8
125.9
110.5
105.1
118.5
116.9
121.6
131.2
137.9
131.4
140.7
135.4
135.5
131.4
117.3
119.8
114.1
106.2
98.8
82.5
105.0
126.2
110.7
105.0
119.6
117.1
122.1
131.8
137.8
131.7
139.7
136.2
136.3
132.1
117.4
120.2
113.8
107.0
99.6
81.5
106.1
127.0
110.8
104.7
120.9
117.3
122.9
132.3
138.7
132.3
141.5
136.5
136.6
132.8
118.3
121.0
114.7
109.2
103.2
80.2
110.5
127.1
111.1
105.1
121.2
117.4
123.9
133.6
141.5
133.0
150.5
137.3
137.4
133.1
118.4
121.1
115.0
109.7
103.7
79.7
111.1
127.7
111.4
105.5
121.7
117.3
124.2
134.1
141.5
133.5
148.8
138.1
138.2
133.3
118.5
121.3
114.8
109.7
103.7
78.9
111.3
127.8
111.4
105.2
122.3
117.5
124.3
134.1
139.4
133.9
139.1
138.9
139.0
133.6
118.6
120.9
115.6
109.7
103.5
79.3
111.0
128.1
111.7
105.7
122.3
117.5
124.4
134.8
140.0
134.7
139.2
139.7
139.9
133.7
118.6
121.0
115.5
108.0
101.0
82.0
107.6
127.6
111.9
106.1
122.5
117.4
124.5
135.2
140.1
135.2
138.0
140.3
140.5
133.8
119.3
121.7
116.2
107.5
99.9
83.9
106.1
127.9
111.9
106.0
122.5
117.6
124.9
135.6
140.1
135.5
137.2
140.9
141.0
134.0
119.5
122.2
115.8
108.4
101.2
88.7
107.0
128.2
111.7
105.5
123.6
117.6
125.9
136.3
142.0
135.8
143.6
141.1
141.2
134.1
120.4
123.7
116.0
110.8
104.5
113.1
107.5
129.3
112.1
106.1
123.2
117.9
126.1
136.6
143.5
136.0
149.3
141.0
141.1
134.5
120.8
124.6
115.9
110.2
103.1
95.4
108.3
130.0
112.8
106.9
123.5
118.4
115.4
113.7
113.4
114.9
116.4
109.9
116.0
123.7
118.6
116.7
117.0
116.4
119.1
114.4
122.1
129.4
115.3
113.3
114.2
111.4
118.8
112.7
120.4
127.8
119.3
117.5
115.9
119.4
118.5
114.1
120.4
128.5
120.9
119.3
117.2
121.5
123.6
115.3
121.5
128.9
120.4
118.6
117.8
119.5
125.4
114.9
121.7
129.9
117.8
115.8
115.9
114.8
123.9
114.0
121.6
130.0
115.0
112.9
114.7
109.6
117.9
113.4
122.5
129.4
115.0
112.8
114.7
109.5
116.7
112.6
124.1
129.5
120.0
118.2
117.7
119.0
118.0
114.1
124.5
129.7
122.7
121.1
120.3
123.1
118.3
117.6
123.0
129.8
122.1
120.4
121.1
121.3
117.2
116.6
123.5
130.8
119.2
117.1
118.8
116.4
115.3
114.7
122.8
131.3
116.7
114.3
116.3
112.0
112.7
113.1
125.1
132.4
120.4
118.3
117.0
117.7
124.3
114.5
130.6
132.9
108.7
107.6
116.5
116.9
118.0
80.9
80.8
119.7
127.9
98.9
133.9
123.3
114.1
112.9
119.2
119.2
120.4
88.5
88.5
124.9
135.8
101.5
143.2
129.5
111.6
110.3
119.5
119.6
120.5
80.3
80.1
123.3
134.3
101.2
141.4
128.1
111.9
110.7
119.4
119.6
120.5
81.5
81.3
123.5
134.5
100.1
141.9
128.2
114.6
113.6
119.2
119.4
120.7
92.1
92.1
123.8
134.7
100.8
142.0
128.4
116.0
115.0
119.2
119.5
121.0
96.6
96.7
124.3
135.6
101.5
142.9
128.9
115.9
114.9
118.9
119.1
121.3
96.0
96.2
124.5
135.9
101.9
143.2
129.6
115.4
114.3
118.5
118.6
121.1
94.4
94.6
124.8
135.6
101.3
143.0
129.7
114.3
113.1
117.7
117.7
120.3
91.0
91.1
125.4
135.7
102.0
142.9
130.1
113.7
112.4
117.1
117.0
119.8
88.8
88.8
126.2
135.7
102.0
142.9
130.1
114.5
113.3
118.5
118.6
119.7
88.9
88.8
126.7
137.1
101.9
144.8
130.6
115.0
113.7
120.6
120.5
120.1
87.2
87.0
126.7
138.2
102.1
146.0
131.3
115.2
113.9
121.9
121.8
119.7
85.8
85.5
126.9
139.0
102.3
146.9
131.7
117.2
115.9
122.4
122.3
118.9
91.4
90.6
127.3
140.3
101.9
148.7
134.2
117.1
115.6
122.2
121.9
117.4
90.6
90.2
127.6
140.8
102.1
149.3
136.7
138.6
139.9
138.3
137.5
143.9
149.3
150.8
148.9
146.4
160.5
145.2
145.8
145.1
143.5
155.1
146.1
147.2
145.9
144.4
155.8
146.8
148.4
146.4
144.9
156.6
147.5
150.0
146.9
145.2
157.3
148.5
151.0
147.9
146.1
158.5
149.7
151.4
149.3
147.0
160.8
150.7
152.1
150.4
147.5
162.7
151.7
153.3
151.3
148.0
164.3
152.7
154.1
152.3
148.6
166.0
153.9
155.3
153.6
149.3
167.9
154.4
156.0
154.1
149.9
167.9
155.9
156.9
155.7
151.1
169.9
157.5
158.6
157.2
152.3
171.6
120.3
115.0
127.7
126.5
119.8
135.4
124.3
118.4
132.3
124.7
118.5
132.9
125.4
119.0
134.0
125.5
119.3
133.9
126.2
119.5
135.0
126.9
119.9
136.1
127.3
120.0
136.7
127.8
120.5
137.2
128.4
121.2
137.8
128.6
121.3
138.2
129.1
121.6
138.8
129.9
122.3
139.8
130.4
122.5
140.5
137.0
145.8
119.4
118.1
120.7
147.9
148.1
148.0
147.7
164.4
125.0
123.2
126.8
158.1
158.0
158.3
144.1
158.5
123.2
121.9
124.4
154.4
155.0
154.6
144.4
159.2
123.6
122.4
124.8
154.6
155.1
154.7
144.7
159.5
124.1
122.6
125.4
154.9
155.2
155.1
145.4
161.1
124.8
122.7
126.8
155.2
155.2
155.4
146.3
164.2
124.5
122.2
127.0
155.8
155.6
156.0
147.3
167.5
124.8
122.8
126.9
156.3
155.8
156.5
148.7
168.8
125.6
123.8
127.3
158.1
156.6
158.4
151.2
168.2
125.9
124.0
127.7
162.9
163.0
163.1
151.8
168.8
126.4
124.4
128.5
163.5
163.6
163.7
151.9
168.6
127.0
125.1
129.0
163.5
163.S
163.7
152.9
171.9
127.1
124.7
129.7
164.0
164.0
164.2
154.0
174.1
127.6
125.1
130.3
165.1
167.9
165.1
154.7
175.0
128.4
126.0
130.9
165.6
169.7
165.6
1988
1989
118.3
354.3
C O N S U M E R P R IC E IN D E X F O R A L L U R B A N C O N S U M E R S :
Homeowners’ costs (12/82 = 100)...........................................
Owners’ equivalent rent (12/82=100) ..................................
Fuel oil, coal, and bottled g a s ...............................................
Gas (piped) and electricity ....................................................
Other utilities and public services ............................................
Household furnishings and operations.......................................
Housefurnishings......................................................................
Housekeeping supplies.............................................................
Infants’ and toddlers' apparel..................................................
Private transportation..................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
I
April 1990
81
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
31. Continued— Consumer Price Indexes for All Urban Consumers and for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers: U S city
average, by expenditure category and commodity or service group
(1982-84 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
Annual
1989
1990
Series
1988
1989
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
118.3
111.5
118.2
107.3
105.2
113.7
103.2
110.4
124.0
116.7
124.9
111.6
111.2
116.7
111.0
112.2
121.6
114.3
122.7
109.1
106.9
113.3
106.1
112.4
122.3
115.2
123.3
110.1
108.9
117.5
106.9
111.9
123.1
116.7
124.0
112.2
112.5
119.3
111.5
111.8
123.8
117.5
124.7
112.9
113.6
118.6
113.6
111.9
124.1
117.2
124.9
112.4
112.7
115.8
113.7
112.1
124.4
117.0
125.4
111.7
111.6
112.9
113.6
111.9
124.6
116.7
125.6
111.1
110.9
112.8
112.5
111.4
125.0
117.3
125.9
111.9
112.4
118.2
112.0
111.3
125.6
118.1
126.3
113.0
113.6
121.1
112.4
112.1
125.£
118.3
126 7
113.0
113.1
120.4
111.9
113.0
126.1
118.2
127 2
112 6
112.0
117 1
112.0
113.5
127.4
119 S
128.0
120 6
130.9
113.7
114 3
116.0
113.8
114.5
115.3
113.7
Services.........................................
Rent of shelter (12/8 2=1 0 0 )...........
Fiousehold services less rent of shelter (12/82=100).
Transportation services...............................................................
Medical care services.................................................................
Other services ...............................
125.7
132.0
115.3
128.0
138.3
132.6
131.9
138.0
118.7
135.6
148.9
140.9
129.4
135.4
116.9
133.9
145.1
137.8
130.0
136.3
116.9
134.3
145.9
138.2
130.2
136.3
117.2
134.5
146.4
138.8
130.8
136.9
118.0
135.2
146.9
139.2
131.6
137.4
120.1
135.6
147.9
139.8
132.5
138.8
120.6
135.5
149.3
140.4
133.1
139.3
120.7
135.7
150.4
141.5
133.4
139.3
120.7
135.9
151.3
143.8
133.7
140.1
119.0
137.1
152.3
144.3
134.1
140.5
118.5
138.0
153.6
144.6
134.6
140 9
119.0
138.6
154.1
145.1
135.4
141 6
119.6
140.2
155.7
146.1
136 0
142 n
120 3
141 1
157.2
146.6
Special indexes:
All items less food ............................
All items less shelter................................
All items less homeowners’ costs (12/82=100)
All items less medical care......................
Commodities less food..................
Nondurables less food ...................
Nondurables less food and apparel .........
Nondurables....................................
Services less rent of shelter (1 2 /8 2 -1 0 0 ).........
Services less medical care......................
Energy.....................................
All items less energy ....................
All items less food and energy ..................................................
Commodities less food and energy............................................
Energy commodities ...........................
Services less energy....................
118.3
115.9
119.5
117.0
107.7
105.8
104.0
111.8
128.3
124.3
89.3
122.3
123.4
115.8
80.8
127.9
123.7
121.6
125.3
122.4
112.0
111.7
111.3
118.2
135.1
130.1
94.3
128.1
129.0
119.6
87.9
134.4
121.3
119.2
122.9
120.1
109.5
107.6
106.8
114.9
132.7
127.8
89.3
126.0
126.9
118.1
80.6
132.0
122.0
119.9
123.7
120.8
110.5
109.4
107.6
116.2
133.0
128.3
89.8
126.7
127.6
119.0
81.7
132.7
122.9
121.0
124.7
121.7
112.5
112.8
111.7
118.4
133.4
128.5
94.9
127.1
128.0
119.6
91.2
132.9
123.5
121.7
125.3
122.3
113.2
113.9
113.6
119.3
134.0
129.1
97.4
127.6
128.3
119.7
95.0
133.4
123.9
122.0
125.6
122.6
112.8
113.1
113.8
119.0
135.2
129.9
99.0
127.7
128.5
119.3
94.4
133.9
124.2
122.0
125.9
122.9
112.1
112.2
113.7
118.7
135.8
130.8
98.5
128.2
129.0
118.8
92.9
134.8
124.3
122.0
125.9
123.0
111.6
111.5
112.8
118.4
136.3
131.3
97.0
128.5
129.3
118.8
89.8
135.4
124.8
122.6
126.3
123.4
112.4
112.9
112.4
119.3
137.0
131.6
95.9
129.1
130.0
120.1
88.0
135.8
125.4
123.1
126.8
124.0
113.4
114.1
112.8
120.1
137.0
131.8
94.6
129.9
130.9
121.2
88.3
136.5
125.6
123.3
127.0
124.2
113.4
113.6
112.4
120.0
137.2
132.1
93.2
130.4
131.3
121.6
87.0
137.0
125.8
123 5
127.1
124.4
113.0
112 6
112.5
119.8
137.8
132.6
93.2
130.6
131 5
121.2
86.4
137.5
126.7
125 0
128 7
125.7
114.1
114 2
116.1
122 0
138.9
133.4
97 6
131 5
132 0
121 0
94 2
138.4
127 3
122 2
91 3
138.9
84.6
28.2
80.7
26.9
82.3
27.5
81.8
27.3
81.2
27.1
80.8
27.0
80.6
26.9
80.4
26.8
80.3
26.8
80.0
26.7
79.6
26.6
79.5
26.5
79.3
26.5
78.5
26.2
78.2
26.1
117.0
348.4
122.6
365.2
120.2
358.0
120.8
360.0
121.8
362.9
122.5
364.9
122.8
365.9
123.2
366.8
123.2
367.0
123.6
368.3
124.2
369.8
124.4
370.6
124.6
371.1
125.9
375.0
126.4
376.6
Food and beverages ..........................
Food..............................................
Food at home ...................................
Cereals and bakery products....................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs....................
Dairy products................................
Fruits and vegetables...........................
Other foods at home............................
Sugar and sweets................................................................
Fats and oils...................................
Nonalcoholic beverages......................................................
Other prepared foods..........................................................
Food away from home .............................................................
Alcoholic beverages.......................
117.9
117.9
116.2
122.2
114.1
108.1
127.6
113.0
113.9
113.0
107.7
117.8
121.6
118.3
124.6
124.8
123.9
132.4
121.2
115.4
137.6
119.0
119.5
121.1
111.4
125.3
127.3
123.1
122.4
122.6
121.7
129.0
118.0
113.3
136.8
117.7
117.8
120.4
111.4
122.8
125.1
120.8
123.1
123.3
122.4
129.7
120.3
113.6
135.4
118.0
118.0
120.3
111.4
123.6
125.5
121.4
123.7
123.9
123.2
130.5
120.4
114.0
137.7
118.9
118.1
121.5
111.9
125.0
126.1
122.0
124.4
124.6
124.0
131.5
120.5
113.6
142.5
118.8
118.4
121.5
111.5
125.0
126.5
122.8
124.6
124.8
123.9
132.0
121.2
113.3
140.0
119.0
119.2
121.5
111.6
125.3
127.0
123.2
125.1
125.3
124.4
133.3
121.5
113.8
139.9
119.6
120.1
121.5
112.2
125.7
127.6
123.6
125.3
125.5
124.6
134.1
122.1
114.2
138.6
119.6
120.6
121.6
111.1
126.5
128.0
124.0
125.6
125.8
124.6
134.6
122.7
115.9
136.1
119.6
120.9
121.2
111.0
126.6
128.6
124.4
126.0
126.2
125.0
135.1
122.2
118.0
136.5
120.2
121.4
121.5
112.0
127.0
129.0
124.7
126.4
126.6
125.5
135.3
122.9
120.0
137.0
119.8
120.7
120.9
111.3
127.1
129.4
125.1
126.9
127.1
126.2
136.0
123.8
122.8
135.8
120.1
121.1
121.5
111.2
127.4
129.7
125.2
129.7
130.1
130 5
136 8
126.7
125.7
152 9
121.3
122.5
123 4
112.7
128.2
130.2
125.9
130.6
131 1
131 6
137 4
126 6
126 9
157 7
121 8
123 0
123 2
113 6
128 7
130 9
126.7
Housing ..................................
Shelter ...............................
Renters’ costs (12/84 = 100)..................................................
Rent, residential.............................
116.8
124.3
119.2
127.5
135.2
119.5
119.5
118.2
114.0
117.7
108.3
104.1
97.7
77.9
104.4
122.9
108.9
104.5
115.1
115.0
121.2
129.8
123.9
132.3
141.5
125.1
125.2
121.4
117.6
120.4
112.6
107.5
100.6
81.4
107.3
127.4
110.6
104.8
121.2
117.4
119.3
127.4
121.5
130.4
135.2
122.8
122.8
120.0
116.7
119.5
111.8
105.7
98.3
81.0
104.6
126.3
110.4
105.4
118.1
117.0
119.6
128.1
123.0
130.7
144.2
123.0
123.1
120.1
116.7
119.2
112.1
105.7
98.2
81.2
104.6
126.2
110.0
104.5
118.9
117.1
119.8
128.3
122.7
131.0
140.9
123.4
123.5
120.2
116.7
119.3
112.1
105.9
98.5
82.1
104.8
126.5
110.1
104.3
120.0
117.2
120.3
128.8
122.8
131.2
139.9
124.1
124.2
120.9
116.9
119.8
112.0
106.7
99.2
81.2
105.8
127.2
110.1
104.0
121.2
117.4
121.1
129.3
123.6
131.8
142.3
124.4
124.5
121.5
117.9
121.0
112.7
109.0
103.0
80.1
110.3
127.4
110.4
104.4
121.6
117.6
122.1
130.5
125.7
132.5
153.7
125.2
125.2
121.8
118.2
121.2
113.2
109.4
103.4
79.6
110.8
127.9
110.8
104.8
122.0
117.4
122.4
131.0
125.9
133.0
152.0
125.8
125.9
122.0
117.9
121.3
112.5
109.5
103.5
78.8
111.0
128.0
110.8
104.6
122.6
117.6
122.5
131.1
124.6
133.4
140.9
126.6
126.7
122.4
118.0
120.7
113.3
109.5
103.3
79.2
110.7
128.3
111.0
105.0
122.6
117.6
122.5
131.8
125.1
134.2
140.4
127.3
127.4
122.5
118.1
120.9
113.4
107.6
100.6
81.8
107.2
127.8
111.2
105.3
122.7
117.5
122.7
132.3
125.3
134.6
139.1
127.8
128.0
122.5
118.9
121.7
114.0
107.2
99.5
83.6
105.8
128.2
111.2
105.2
122.7
117.7
123.1
132.6
125.4
135.0
137.6
128 3
128.5
122.7
1190
122 4
113.6
108.0
100.7
88.1
106.7
128 4
123.9
133.2
126.6
135.3
144 1
128 5
128 6
122.8
120 0
124 1
113.8
110.2
103 8
112 7
107.2
129 6
111.5
105 3
123.5
118.1
124.1
133 4
127 5
135 4
149 8
All items .............................
Commodities............................
Food and beverages..................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages.....................................
Nondurables less food and beverages ......
Apparel commodities.............................
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ....
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar:
1982-84=31.00...................................
1967=31.00 .......................................
126 2
114 6
115.5
122 9
139 8
133.9
96 4
132 3
C O N S U M E R P R IC E IN D E X F O R U R B A N W A G E E A R N E R S
A N D C L E R IC A L W O R K E R S :
All items.........................................
All items (1967=100) ...............................
Homeowners' costs (12/84 = 100)
Owners’ equivalent rent (12/84 = 100) .........
Household insurance (12/84=100)..............
Maintenance and repairs.........................
Maintenance and repair services ...........
Maintenance and repair commodities....................................
Fuel and other utilities...............................
Fuels ..............................
Fuel oil, coal, and bottled gas ...............................................
Gas (piped) and electricity ....................................................
Other utilities and public services ...................
Household furnishings and operations.......
Housefurnishings................................
Housekeeping supplies.............................
Housekeeping services..................................
Digitized for 8FRASER
2 Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
in n
104.7
123.8
117.8
128 6
123 1
120 7
114 3
109.8
102 5
107 9
112 1
106 1
123.8
118.7
31. Continued— Consumer Price Indexes for All Urban Consumers and for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers: U.S. city
average, by expenditure category and commodity or service group
(1982-84 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
Women's and girls’ apparel .....................................................
Infants’ and toddlers' apparel..................................................
Other apparel commodities......................................................
Maintenance and repair............................................................
Other private transportation.....................................................
Other private transportation commodities.............................
Special indexes:
Nondurables less food ...............................................................
Nondurables less food and apparel ..........................................
Services less rent of shelter (12/8 4=1 0 0 )...............................
Services less medical care........................................................
All items less energy .................................................................
All items less food and energy .................................................
Commodities less food and energy...........................................
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
119.3
117.6
116.9
118.1
122.0
114.5
122.5
128.8
122.0
120.5
119.6
122.0
122.2
118.0
121.9
129.0
121.4
119.8
120.2
120.5
121.0
117.0
122.4
130.0
118.5
116.6
118.0
115.5
119.3
115.4
121.5
130.6
116.1
114.0
115.8
111.3
116.8
113.8
123.2
131.7
119.3
117.3
116.2
116.4
127.1
115.0
127.0
132.2
114.2
113.3
117.6
117.6
120.1
91.0
91.2
125.4
133.7
101.6
140.8
129.1
113.5
112.6
117.1
116.9
119.6
89.0
89.0
126.2
133.6
101.6
140.6
129.1
114.3
113.3
118.4
118.4
119.5
89.1
89.0
126.7
134.9
101.5
142.5
129.4
114.6
113.7
120.5
120.2
119.9
87.3
87.2
126.8
136.0
101.7
143.8
129.7
114.8
113.8
122.0
121.7
119.5
85.9
85.6
126.9
136.8
101.9
144.7
130.1
116.8
115.8
122.4
122.2
118.7
91.7
91.0
127.3
138.1
101.4
146.5
132.9
116.6
115.5
122.3
121.8
117.2
90.7
90.4
127.9
138.5
101.7
146.9
135.4
150.1
150.3
150.0
147.3
159.7
151.1
150.9
151.1
147.8
161.6
152.1
152.2
152.1
148.4
163.3
153.0
153.1
153.0
149.0
164.7
154.2
154.2
154.2
149.6
166.5
154.7
154.8
154.7
150.2
166.8
156.1
155.7
156.2
151.5
168.4
157.6
157.4
157.7
152.6
170.1
125.5
119.7
134.6
126.1
120.1
135.7
126.5
120.1
136.4
127.0
120.6
137.1
127.7
121.3
137.6
127.9
121.4
138.0
128.4
121.7
138.7
129.1
122.3
139.6
129.5
122.4
140.4
145.2
160.7
124.7
122.9
126.7
154.6
154.1
154.9
146.3
163.8
124.4
122.4
126.9
155.3
154.5
155.7
147.5
167.3
124.6
122.8
126.8
155.7
154.7
156.1
148.8
168.5
125.4
123.8
127.1
157.3
155.6
157.8
150.8
168.0
125.7
124.1
127.5
161.8
161.7
162.1
151.4
168.6
126.3
124.6
128.2
162.5
162.8
162.7
151.5
168.5
126.8
125.1
128.7
162.5
162.8
162.8
152.7
171.8
126.9
124.7
129.4
163.1
162.9
163.4
153.9
173.8
127.3
124.9
130.1
164.2
166.9
164.3
154.6
174.8
128.1
126.0
130.5
164.8
168.5
164.8
121.8
116.4
123.7
111.8
112.1
118.4
111.6
110.5
122.5
117.1
124.4
112.6
113.4
117.7
113.9
110.6
122.8
116.9
124.6
112.2
112.6
115.0
114.0
110.7
123.2
116.8
125.1
111.6
111.7
112.3
113.9
110.6
123.2
116.4
125.3
110.9
110.8
112.4
112.6
110.1
123.6
116.9
125.6
111.6
112.0
117.6
112.0
110.0
124.2
117.7
126.0
112.5
113.2
120.5
112.3
110.6
124.4
117.8
126.4
112.5
112.6
119.8
111.7
111.6
124.6
117.8
126.9
112.1
111.6
116.6
111.7
112.0
125.9
119.5
129.7
113.3
113.4
114.0
115.7
112.2
126.4
120.1
130.6
113.6
114.0
117.3
115.0
112.0
128.9
123.1
107.4
133.5
146.7
137.0
129.1
123.2
107.6
133.7
147.2
137.6
129.7
123.7
108.3
134.4
147.6
137.9
130.6
124.2
110.5
134.8
148.6
138.6
131.5
125.4
110.9
134.8
150.0
139.1
132.0
125.9
111.0
134.9
151.1
140.1
132.3
126.0
111.0
135.0
152.1
142.3
132.6
126.7
109.3
136.3
153.0
142.9
132.9
127.1
108.8
137.1
154.2
143.2
133.4
127.5
109.3
137.8
154.7
143.8
134.2
128.0
110.0
139.4
156.2
144.7
134.8
128.2
110.6
140.2
157.7
145.3
119.6
118.5
113.4
118.9
109.0
107.0
106.4
114.6
119.5
126.7
88.6
124.7
125.3
117.1
80.6
131.1
120.2
119.1
114.1
119.5
109.9
108.7
107.2
115.8
119.8
127.2
89.2
125.3
125.9
117.9
81.7
131.6
121.3
120.4
115.2
120.5
112.1
112.4
111.7
118.1
120.1
127.4
94.8
125.8
126.3
118.4
91.6
131.9
122.0
121.1
115.8
121.2
112.9
113.6
113.8
119.1
120.7
128.0
97.4
126.2
126.6
118.5
95.6
132.4
122.3
121.3
116.1
121.5
112.5
113.0
114.0
118.8
121.9
128.9
98.9
126.4
126.8
118.2
94.9
132.9
122.6
121.4
116.3
121.8
112.0
112.1
113.9
118.6
122.3
129.7
98.3
126.8
127.3
117.9
93.5
133.8
122.6
121.3
116.3
121.8
111.4
111.4
112.8
118.3
122.7
130.1
96.6
127.1
127.6
117.9
90.2
134.4
123.1
121.8
116.6
122.2
112.0
112.5
112.3
119.1
123.3
130.4
95.5
127.7
128.3
119.0
88.4
134.8
123.6
122.3
117.1
122.7
112.9
113.6
112.7
119.8
123.2
130.6
94.2
128.5
129.1
120.1
88.7
135.5
123.8
122.5
117.3
122.9
112.9
113.1
112.1
119.7
123.4
130.9
92.8
128.9
129.6
120.5
87.2
136.0
124.0
122.6
117.4
123.1
112.6
112.2
112.2
119.5
123.9
131.4
92.7
129.1
129.7
120.2
86.4
136.4
124.9
124.2
118.8
124.4
113.7
113.9
115.8
121.8
124.9
132.2
97.1
130.1
130.1
119.9
93.9
137.3
125.3
124.8
119.4
124.9
114.0
114.5
115.3
122.6
125.7
132.7
96.0
130.8
130.8
120.8
91.4
137.6
83.2
27.S
82.6
27.6
82.1
27.6
81.6
81.4
27.3
81.2
27.3
81.2
27.2
80.9
27.2
80.5
27.0
80.4
27.C
80.3
26.S
79.4
26.7
79.1
26.6
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
117.9
116.1
116.1
115.5
122.5
114.7
120.5
128.6
114.7
112.8
113.4
110.7
121.8
113.1
119.0
126.8
118.4
116.7
115.1
118.3
121.7
114.1
118.5
127.7
120.0
118.4
116.4
120.2
126.7
115.2
119.6
128.1
119.4
117.7
116.9
118.1
128.3
115.0
119.8
128.9
116.9
115.0
115.0
113.5
126.7
114.1
119.8
129.0
114.4
112.3
113.7
108.7
121.9
113.9
120.7
128.6
114.5
112.4
113.9
108.9
120.4
113.1
122.4
128.7
108.3
107.5
116.2
116.6
117.9
80.9
80.8
119.8
125.8
98.6
131.7
122.5
113.9
113.0
119.0
119.1
120.3
88.6
88.6
124.9
133.7
101.1
141.0
128.2
111.2
110.3
119.3
119.5
120.4
80.3
80.2
123.3
132.2
100.7
139.2
126.8
111.6
110.6
119.2
119.4
120.3
81.5
81.4
123.5
132.5
99.8
139.8
126.9
114.5
113.7
118.9
119.2
120.5
92.3
92.3
123.9
132.7
100.4
139.8
127.1
116.0
115.3
119.0
119.3
120.9
96.7
96.9
124.4
133.5
101.1
140.7
127.5
116.0
115.2
118.7
118.9
121.1
96.1
96.3
124.6
133.9
101.5
141.2
128.2
115.4
114.6
118.3
118.4
120.9
94.5
94.7
124.8
133.7
101.0
141.0
128.3
139.0
139.0
139.0
137.7
143.3
149.6
149.7
149.6
146.7
159.4
145.6
144.7
145.8
143.7
154.2
146.5
146.0
146.7
144.7
154.8
147.2
147.4
147.2
145.1
155.6
147.9
148.9
147.6
145.5
156.2
148.8
149.9
148.6
146.4
157.3
119.7
115.1
127.2
125.8
119.9
135.1
123.6
118.4
131.9
124.1
118.7
132.7
124.8
119.1
133.8
124.9
119.5
133.6
136.5
146.0
119.3
118.0
120.5
147.4
147.1
147.7
147.4
164.2
124.8
123.3
126.6
157.3
156.9
157.7
143.7
158.2
123.0
121.9
124.2
153.7
153.9
154.0
144.0
158.9
123.5
122.3
124.6
153.9
154.0
154.1
144.4
159.2
123.9
122.7
125.2
154.3
154.1
154.6
117.0
111.0
117.9
106.8
104.6
113.4
102.9
108.9
122.6
116.3
124.6
111.2
110.9
116.1
110.9
110.8
120.2
113.9
122.4
108.7
106.3
112.8
105.6
111.0
120.8
114.7
123.1
109.5
108.1
116.7
106.5
110.6
124.7
119.4
105.9
127.1
139.0
131.4
130.8
124.8
109.1
134.8
149.6
139.6
128.4
122.4
107.4
133.1
145.8
136.5
116.7
115.2
110.4
115.8
107.2
105.3
103.7
111.5
115.6
123.3
88.6
121.0
121.9
114.7
80.9
127.0
122.0
120.9
115.7
121.2
111.6
111.3
111.2
118.0
121.7
129.0
93.9
126.7
127.3
118.6
88.2
133.4
85.5
28.7
81.6
1988
1989
114.9
113.4
112.8
114.5
118.6
110.4
114.9
123.0
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar:
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
19£ 0
1989
Annual
average
27.4
2 1 .i
Sept.
J----------
-l---------
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
83
Current Labor Statistics:
32.
Price Data
Consumer Price Index: U.S. city average and available local area data: all items
(1982-84=100, unless otherwise indicated)
All Urban Consumers
Pricing
sche
dule2
U.S. city average .
M
Urban Wage Earners
1989
1990
1989
1990
Feb.
Mar.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Feb.
Mar.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb
121.
122.:
125.Í
125. 9
126.
127.
128.C
120.
120.8
124.2
124.4
124.6
125.9
126.4
R e g io n a n d a r e a s iz e 3
Northeast urban................
Size A - More than
1,200,000 .......................
Size B - 500,000 to
1,200,000 ........................
Size C - 50,000 to
500.000 ...........................
North Central urban ..........
Size A - More than
1.200.000 ........................
Size B - 360,000 to
1,200,000 ........................
Size C - 50,000 to
360.000 ...........................
Size D - Nonmetro
politan (less
than 50,0000 ...................
South urban........................
Size A - More than
1.200.000 .........................
Size B - 450,000 to
1,200,000 .........................
Size C - 50,000 to
450.000 ............................
Size D - Nonmetro
politan (less
than 50,000).....................
West urban.........................
Size A - More than
1.250.000 .........................
Size C - 50,000 to
330.000 ............................
Size classes:
A (12/86=100)
B .......................
C ......................
D ......................
M
125.Í
126.'
130.6
131.
131.9
132.S
133.1
124.
125.4
129.4
129.9
130.1
131.6
131.8
M
126.Í
127./
131.1
131.
131.6
133.C
133.6
124.:
125.2
129.1
129.5
129.5
131.0
131.3
M
123.9
125.1
130.C
130.‘
130.9
132.6
132.8
122.'
123.9
128.6
129.3
129.5
131.1
131.4
M
M
124.3
119.3
125.5
119.8
128.9
123.0
129.'
123.2
130.7
123.2
132.C
124.6
131.7
124.9
126.7
117.C
127.8
117.9
131.5
120.9
132.3
121.2
133.1
121.1
134.4
122.5
134.3
122.8
M
120.4
121.1
124.3
124./
124.3
125.7
126.4
117.7
118.4
121.4
121.5
121.5
122.9
123.5
M
118.6
119.2
122.5
123.C
123.0
124.2
124.4
116.2
116.8
120.5
120.4
121.8
121.9
M
119.5
119.9
122.9
123.3
123.2
124.6
124.5
118.4
118.7
120.0
121.6
122.0
122.0
123.5
123.3
M
M
115.1
119.2
115.5
119.8
118.2
123.0
118.6
123.2
118.8
123.4
120.0
124.6
119.8
125.4
114.8
118.7
115.1
119.1
118.1
122.4
118.4
122.5
118.6
122.7
119.9
123.9
119.7
124.7
M
120.1
120.5
123.9
124.0
124.0
125.1
126.1
119.3
119.6
122.9
123.0
123.0
124.1
125.0
M
120.3
121.0
124.5
124.7
125.1
126.0
126.9
118.2
118.8
122.1
122.4
122.7
123.6
124.4
M
118.0
118.5
121.7
121.6
122.0
123.3
123.9
118.6
119.0
122.2
122.1
122.5
123.8
124.3
M
M
117.4
122.3
118.0
123.1
120.7
126.1
121.3
126.3
121.4
126.8
123.5
127.8
124.3
128.8
118.1
120.9
118.7
121.7
121.6
122.0
122.1
124.6
124.8
125.3
124.4
126.3
125.0
127.2
M
123.7
124.7
127.8
127.8
128.3
129.5
130.6
121.0
121.9
124.9
124.9
125.4
126.6
127.6
M
120.5
120.7
123.7
124.5
125.3
125.4
125.8
119.9
120.1
123.0
123.7
124.4
124.6
125.0
M
M
M
M
110.5
120.8
120.0
118.0
111.2
121.5
120.5
118.4
114.2
125.2
123.7
121.3
114.3
125.6
124.1
121.8
114.4
125.9
124.5
122.0
115.7
126.9
125.6
123.6
116.3
127.6
125.8
123.8
110.3
119.3
120.4
118.3
111.0
120.0
120.8
118.7
114.0
123.6
124.0
121.7
114.1
124.0
124.3
122.1
114.2
124.3
124.7
122.4
115.5
125.4
125.9
124.0
116.1
126.0
126.1
124.1
M
122.2
123.0
126.8
126.7
126.5
128.1
129.2
118.4
119.1
122.9
122.9
122.8
M
125.5
126.2
130.0
130.0
130.6
132.1
133.6
122.3
122.9
126.5
126.4
127.0
128.5
129.8
M
M
127.6
125.4
128.9
126.0
132.8
130.5
133.2
130.1
133.3
129.9
135.1
131.2
135.3
132.2
125.5
125.4
126.8
125.8
130.8
130.6
131.3
130.1
131.3
130.0
133.0
131.0
133.1
132.2
127.4
128.5
129.2
122.9
124.6
126.4
127.6
127.9
136.0
125.0
124.6
125.1
132.0
_
_
_
_
122.3
129.7
116.2
118.7
119.1
125.6
126.0
134.7
118.0
121.5
122.6
129.6
127.2
136.0
119.5
123.2
124.6
131.1
S e le c t e d lo c a l a r e a s
Chicago, ILNorthwestern IN ..............
Los Angeles-Long
Beach, Anaheim, C A ......
New York, NYNortheastern N J ...............
Philadelphia, PA-NJ...........
San FranciscoOakland, CA............ .........
M
124.0
125.9
127.5
127.2
“
122.8
129.7
121.5
119.8
119.4
12Ò.1
-
Washington, DC-MD-VA
M
1
1
1
1
1
126.6
134.3
123.4
123.0
123.1
130.5
Dallas-Ft. Worth, T X .
Detroit, M l................
Houston, T X ............
Pittsburgh, PA .........
1
2
2
2
117.5
120.1
112.7
117.9
-
Baltimore, M D ...............
Boston, MA ...................
Cleveland, O H ...............
Miami, F L ......................
St. Louis, MO-IL...........
-
-
121.4
124.6
115.7
121.7
_
-
“
_
-
120.5
124.4
115.5
121.8
_
-
-
-
-
-
122.2
126.1
118.7
123.4
117.2
117.3
112.9
113.4
121.1
121.5
115.8
116.8
_
_
120.1
121.4
115.8
117.1
121.3
123.2
118.9
118.6
_
. ------ -----itouuijuiimm oiauouucll
(I^IVIOM;, ex
clusive of farms and military. Area definitions are those established by
the Office of Management and Budget in 1983, except for BostonLawrence-Salem, MA-NH Area (excludes Monroe County); and Milwau
kee, Wl Area (includes only the Milwaukee MSA). Definitions do not in
clude revisions made since 1983.
2 Foods, fuels, and several other items priced every month in all
areas; most other goods and services priced as indicated:.
M - Every month.
1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November.
2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December.
j*%.
Digitized
FRASER
8 4 for
Monthly
Labor Review April 1990
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3 Regions are defined as the four Census regions.
- Data not available.
NOTE: Local area CPI indexes are byproducts of the national CPI
program. Because each local index is a small subset of the national in
dex, it has a smaller sample size and is, therefore, subject to substan
tially more sampling and other measurement error than the national in
dex. As a result, local area Indexes show greater volatility than the na
tional index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. Therefore,
the Bureau of Labor Statistics strongly urges users to consider adopting
the national average CPI for use in escalator clauses.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
33.
Annual data: Consumer Price Index, U.S. city average, ail items and major groups
(1982-84=100)
Series
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers:
All items:
Food and beverages:
Housing:
Apparel and upkeep:
Transportation:
Medical care:
Entertainment:
Other goods and services:
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and
Clerical Workers:
All items:
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
90.9
10.3
96.5
6.2
99.6
3.2
103.9
4.3
107.6
3.6
109.6
1.9
113.6
3.6
118.3
4.1
124.0
4.8
93.5
7.8
97.3
4.1
99.5
2.3
103.2
3.7
105.6
2.3
109.1
3.3
113.5
4.0
118.2
4.1
124.9
5.7
90.4
11.5
96.9
7.2
99.5
2.7
103.6
4.1
107.7
4.0
110.9
3.0
114.2
3.0
118.5
3.8
123.0
3.8
95.3
4.8
97.8
2.6
100.2
2.5
102.1
1.9
105.0
2.8
105.9
.9
110.6
4.4
115.4
4.3
118.6
2.8
93.2
12.2
97.0
4.1
99.3
2.4
103.7
4.4
106.4
2.6
102.3
-3.9
105.4
3.0
108.7
3.1
114.1
5.0
82.9
10.7
92.5
11.6
100.6
8.8
106.8
6.2
113.5
6.3
122.0
7.5
130.1
6.6
138.6
6.5
149.3
7.7
90.1
7.8
96.0
6.5
100.1
4.3
103.8
3.7
107.9
3.9
111.6
3.4
115.3
3.3
120.3
4.3
126.5
5.2
82.6
9.8
91.1
10.3
101.1
11.0
107.9
6.7
114.5
6.1
121.4
6.0
128.5
5.8
137.0
6.6
147.7
7.8
91.4
10.3
96.9
6.0
99.8
3.0
103.3
3.5
106.9
3.5
108.6
1.6
112.5
3.6
117.0
4.0
122.6
4.8
—
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
85
Current Labor Statistics:
Price Data
34. Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
(1982 = 100)
Annual average
1990
G r o u p in g
F in is h e d g o o d s ...............................................
Finished consumer goods ..................
Finished consumer foods.................
Finished consumer goods excluding
foods ...............................................
Nondurable goods less food ........
Durable goods...............................
Capital equipment...............................
1988
1989
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
108.0
106.2
112.6
113.5
112.1
118.7
112.1
110.6
118.3
113.0
111.8
117.7
114.2
113.2
119.1
114.3
113.1
118.6
114.1
112.8
119.0
113.4
111.9
118.7
103.1
97.3
113.8
114.3
108.9
103.8
117.6
118.7
106.8
101.3
116.6
117.5
108.8
104.2
116.4
117.6
110.3
106.0
117.1
118.3
110.4
106.0
117.5
118.8
109.8
105.3
116.9
118.7
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
113.6
112.2
118.5
114.9
113.3
119.5
114.8
113.2
120.2
115.3
113.9
120.9
117.5
116.6
123.6
117.4
116.3
124.4
108.5
103.5
117.0
119.0
109.1
104.5
116.7
118.9
110.3
104.8
120.0
120.5
109.8
104.2
119.7
120.6
110.4
105.1
119.8
120.7
113.2
109.1
119.4
121.1
112.4
107.9
119.3
121.4
In t e r m e d i a t e m a te r ia ls , s u p p lie s , a n d
107.1
112.0
111.5
Materials and components for
manufacturing .........................................
Materials for food manufacturing..........
Materials for nondurable manufacturing
Materials for durable manufacturing.....
Components for manufacturing.............
112.4
112.7
112.7
112.5
112.0
112.4
112.3
112.2
112.0
113.4
112.5
113.2
106.0
112.9
118.7
112.3
118.2
112.7
118.6
123.6
116.4
118.7
111.4
119.8
125.7
115.7
118.9
111.1
120.3
125.9
115.8
118.9
112.5
120.3
125.0
116.1
118.4
112.4
119.5
123.6
116.4
118.1
113.3
118.6
122.7
116.6
117.7
113.3
117.4
122.1
116.9
117.7
113.7
116.9
122.6
117.0
117.9
113.1
117.0
123.1
117.2
117.9
115.4
117.0
122.1
117.3
117.3
115.4
116.6
120.1
117.4
117.6
115.5
116.5
120.2
118.0
117.6
114.9
117.4
119.2
118.1
Materials and components for
construction.............................
Processed fuels and lubricants .
Containers.................................
Supplies....................................
116.1
71.2
120.1
113.7
121.2
76.5
125.5
118.1
120.5
73.2
124.4
118.0
121.1
76.7
125.1
118.0
121.5
78.1
125.3
118.2
121.5
79.3
125.6
118.1
121.6
78.7
126.0
118.5
121.6
77.3
126.0
118.3
121.9
78.7
126.1
118.5
122.3
77.8
126.3
118.3
121.9
77.0
126.7
118.3
121.5
78.1
126.9
118.3
121.8
84.6
126.9
118.7
122.0
79.1
127.4
118.5
96.0
106.1
85.5
103.0
111.1
93.4
103.2
113.7
92.2
104.4
111.6
95.3
106.1
114.9
96.0
104.1
111.7
94.7
103.9
110.1
95.4
101.1
110.0
91.1
102.3
108.9
93.6
102.1
107.9
94.0
102.3
109.4
93.4
104.0
112.3
94.2
106.7
113.6
97.6
106.9
114.4
97.6
106.5
59.8
115.8
116.3
117.0
111.8
65.7
121.2
122.1
122.1
110.0
62.3
120.1
121.1
120.7
111.4
68.4
120.0
120.9
120.8
112.6
71.8
120.8
121.8
121.4
112.8
70.2
121.2
122.1
122.1
112.4
68.4
121.3
122.2
122.1
111.7
63.6
121.4
122.3
122.4
112.0
65.9
121.3
122.1
122.3
113.3
65.8
122.7
123.6
123.9
113.0
64.5
122.9
123.8
123.9
113.5
64.9
123.5
124.5
124.4
115.5
72.8
124.5
125.8
124.7
115.0
69.0
125.1
126.4
125.2
118.5
124.0
122.6
122.7
123.3
124.1
124.1
124.5
122.0
128.8
127.1
127.4
127.9
129.0
129.3
c o m p o n e n t s ...........................................................
C r u d e m a te r ia ls f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e s s in g .
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs .....................
Crude nonfood materials.......................
S p e c ia l g r o u p in g s :
Finished goods, excluding foods................
Finished energy goods ...............................
Finished goods less energy .......................
Finished consumer goods less energy.......
Finished goods less food and energy .......
Finished consumer goods less food and
energy........................................................
Consumer nondurable goods less food and
energy.........................................................
124.2
126.0
125.9
126.6
126.9
127.5
129.7
130.4
130.4
131.6
132.3
133.4
Intermediate materials less foods and
feeds...................................................
Intermediate foods and feeds.............
Intermediate energy goods .................
Intermediate goods less energy.........
Intermediate materials less foods and
energy.................................................
106.9
109.5
70.9
114.6
111.9
113.8
76.2
119.5
111.4
115.2
72.9
119.6
112.3
113.7
76.4
119.9
112.6
114.2
77.7
120.0
112.7
112.9
78.9
119.7
112.4
114.5
78.3
119.6
112.0
113.1
76.9
119.3
112.3
113.7
78.3
119.5
112.4
112.3
77.5
119.6
112.1
113.3
76.7
119.5
112.0
113.0
77.7
119.2
113.4
113.3
84.2
119.5
112.6
111.0
78.8
119.5
115.2
120.2
120.3
120.7
120.8
120.5
120.2
120.0
120.1
120.3
120.1
119.7
119.9
120.1
Crude energy materials......................
Crude materials less energy ..............
Crude nonfood materials less energy .
67.7
112.6
133.0
75.9
117.5
137.8
73.5
120.4
141.3
77.3
118.8
141.2
78.3
121.0
140.3
77.5
118.0
137.9
78.9
116.2
135.5
73.5
116.4
136.6
76.1
115.9
137.7
76.6
115.1
137.6
76.8
115.4
134.3
78.5
116.9
131.7
82.4
117.9
132.1
82.5
118.3
131.3
35. Producer Price indexes, by durability of product
(1982 = 100)
Annual average
1989
1990
G r o u p in g
1988
1989
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Total durable goods....................................
Total nondurable goods...............................
114.7
101.1
119.0
107.1
118.5
106.1
118.7
107.4
118.9
108.6
119.0
108.2
118.8
108.1
119.0
106.7
119.2
107.2
120.2
107.2
119.9
107.3
119.6
108.0
120 0
110.7
119 9
110.0
Total manufactures......................................
Durable................................................
Nondurable ...........................................
109.1
114.1
104.1
114.3
118.3
110.2
113.4
117.6
109.2
114.4
117.8
110.8
115.0
118.1
111.6
114.9
118.3
111.3
114.7
118.2
110.9
114.2
118.4
110.0
114.5
118.6
110.4
115.2
119.6
110.7
115.1
119.4
110.8
115.1
119.2
110.9
116.5
119.6
113.1
116 0
119 6
112.2
Total raw or slightly processed goods .......
Durable......................................................
Nondurable ................................................
95.9
148.0
93.4
101.3
151.5
98.9
101.1
161.0
98.2
101.5
159.0
98.8
103.3
157.5
100.8
102.6
151.5
100.3
102.7
146.0
100.6
100.4
146.5
98.3
101.2
148.0
99.0
100.4
146.5
98.3
100.4
141.3
98.4
102.1
137.4
100.4
105.8
138.6
104.2
105 6
135.9
104.1
8 6 Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
36. Producer price indexes for the net output of major industry groups
(December 1984 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
In d u s tr y
Annual
average
SIC
Apr.
May
74.9
104.8
103.0
77.2
103.9
102.5
100.6
94.3
75.7
92.9
73.8
93.4
76.7
108.0
111.2
110.9
111.3
20
21
22
104.4
107.1
141.8
106.8
109.6
112.2
161.5
109.3
108.5
111.9
155.0
108.6
23
107.2
110.2
24
25
26
109.2
111.4
113.7
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
1988
1989
10
11
70.6
100.7
100.2
76.3
100.1
102.7
12
13
94.6
68.5
14
T o ta l m in in g i n d u s t r i e s .........................................
Metal mining................................................
Anthracite mining (12/85 = 100) .................
Bituminous coal and lignite mining
(12/8 5=1 0 0 )............................................
Oil and gas extraction (1 2/8 5=1 0 0 ).........
Mining and quarrying of nonmetallic
minerals, except fuels..............................
T o ta l m a n u fa c t u r in g in d u s tr ie s
Food and kindred products........................
Tobacco manufactures ...............................
Textile mill products....................................
Apparel and other finished products
made from fabrics and similar
materials...................................................
Lumber and wood products, except
furniture....................................................
Furniture and fixtures..................................
Paper and allied products ..........................
Printing, publishing, and allied
industries..................................................
Chemicals and allied products...................
Petroleum refining and related products....
Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products
Leather and leather products .....................
Stone, clay, glass, and concrete products ..
Primary metal industries .............................
Fabricated metal products, except
machinery and transportation
equipment ................................................
Machinery, except electrical.......................
Electrical and electronic machinery,
equipment, and supplies..........................
Transportation equipment...........................
Measuring and controlling instruments;
photographic, medical, optical goods;
watches, clocks.......................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries
(12/85 = 100)...........................................
Aug.
Oct.
Sept.
102.6
74.0
96.2
102.6
76.4
98.2
102.6
76.0
99.8
103.0
76.2
97.7
103.0
77.7
93.9
103.3
94.0
77.2
94.7
78.1
94.9
72.8
94.7
75.7
94.9
75.1
95.8
75.3
95.3
77.5
111.3
111.4
111.0
111.2 111.2
111.3
109.4
111.6 112.1
110.1
110.1
155.1
108.8
112.2
155.1
108.8
112.1
163.5
109.4
109.9
112.5
164.4
109.5
109.6
112.3
164.6
109.8
109.8
112.4
164.9
109.9
110.7
112.4
165.8
109.8
110.7
113.2
165.7
110.2
111.0
113.6
174.0
110.3
109.3
109.5
109.6
109.8
110.4
110.7
110.9
111.1
111.2
111.4
115.3
115.6
120.8
113.1
114.4
120.4
114.4
114.7
120.6
115.4
115.2
121.1
115.9
115.5
121.2
117.1
115.7
120.9
116.7
116.3
121.1
116.6
116.3
121.2
117.9
116.8
121.7
117.1
116.9
121.8
115.9
117.2
121.7
118.2
113.0
67.7
106.7
113.4
105.8
113.0
124.7
119.7
75.7
110.2
118.0
107.9
118.8
123.6
120.6
71.5
110.2
117.0
107.2
120.1
124.0
121.0
79.9
110.5
117.2
107.9
120.1
124.2
120.9
82.9
110.5
117.4
107.9
119.8
124.6
120.6
80.4
110.4
117.3
108.1
118.9
124.9
119.4
77.7
110.4
117.8
108.2
118.2
125.4
119.0
73.0
110.3
118.6
108.2
118.0
125.6
119.1
75.6
110.2
119.5
108.3
118.5
125.9
118.8
77.3
110.2
119.4
108.3
118.7
126.2
118.8
75.9
110.3
119.3
108.4
118.0
126.3
118.6
76.1
110.2
120.1
108.4
116.4
107.4
112.5
111.5
112.0
112.5
112.5
112.8
113.0
113.2
113.8
113.7
113.8
111.5
111.6
112.0
112.1
107.6
110.7
107.8
114.6
107.9
114.4
108.1
114.5
111.2 111.8 112.0
112.6 112.7 112.8
112.2
94.4
94.4
111.6
102.4
77.4
96.0
102.4
93.9
78.1
78.2
78.0
91.8
35
106.4
110.6
109.7
109.8
110.2
110.3
110.9
111.3
36
37
104.6
107.8
107.2
112.1
106.4
111.2
106.6
110.9
106.8
107.1
107.6
111.1
107.6
111.3
38
107.0
110.7
109.7
110.1
110.6
110.9
111.2
94.4
111.6 111.8
39
107.5
111.8
110.9
111.2
111.5
111.7
111.0
112.0
46
94.8
94.4
94.5
94.4
94.4
94.4
94.4
S e r v ic e in d u s trie s :
Pipelines, except natural gas (12/86=100)
July
June
112.4
94.4
94.4
113.1
37. Annua! data: Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
(1982 = 100)
In d e x
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
96.6
100 0
100.0
101.6
101.3
102 8
103.7
103.3
105.2
104.7
103.8
107.5
103.2
101.4
109.7
105.4
103.6
111.7
108.0
106.2
114.3
113.5
112.1
118.7
98.6
100.0
100.6
103.1
102.7
99.1
101.5
107.1
112.0
105.3
109.8
73.3
114.5
107.7
113.2
116.1
71.2
120.1
113.7
118.2
121.2
76.5
125.5
118.1
93.7
96.2
87.9
84.1
96.0
106.1
85.5
82.1
103.0
111.1
93.4
85.3
1981
F in is h e d g o o d s :
Consumer goods .............................................
Capital equipment ...........................................
In t e r m e d ia t e m a te r ia ls , s u p p lie s , a n d
c o m p o n e n ts :
Materials and components for
manufacturing...................................... ..........
Materials and components for construction ....
Processed fuels and lubricants ......................
Containers.......................................................
98.7
97.9
100.6
96.7
96.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
101.2
102.8
95.4
100.4
101.8
104.1
105.6
95.7
105.9
104.1
103.3
107.3
92.8
109.0
104.4
102.2
108.1
72.7
110.3
105.6
103.9
101.8
84.8
100 0
100.0
100.0
100.0
101.3
101.8
100.7
105.1
103.5
104.7
102.2
105.1
95.8
94.8
96.9
102.7
87.7
93.2
81.6
92.2
C r u d e m a te r ia ls f o r f u r t h e r p r o c e s s in g :
Total ....................................................................
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs...............................
Nonfood materials except fuel .......................
Fuel .................................................................
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
87
Current Labor Statistics:
38.
Price Data
U.S. export price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification
(1985=100, unless otherwise indicated)
1974
SITO
C a te g o ry
1987
June
Sept.
1988
Dec.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
106.5
109.5
111.9
111.6
113.3
113.2
112.4
112.3
95.2
122.8
140.9
79.8
97.5
102.3
103.4
131.0
145.0
87.2
104.3
158.1
102.8
118.7
137.0
175.9
108.5
109.9
161.0
105.2
114.2
130.3
174.0
102.0
110.3
157.0
104.9
117.6
132.9
169.1
108.4
108.8
154.1
107.0
115.5
128.2
158.9
106.4
113.6
144.0
108.0
110.4
119.4
137.1
101.5
113.9
139.5
107.7
108.3
116.8
132.2
101.0
111.1
128.9
108.3
109.6
109.8
110.6
110.7
112.0
112.1
111.7
111.8
117.2
117.6
117.6
117.9
120.4
120.8
119.9
120.2
130.0
171.4
115.6
104.5
150.2
171.2
107.5
92.8
131.8
139.9
166.8
143.0
106.1
149.6
179.5
109.9
94.2
146.0
140.8
156.7
154.7
109.1
150.0
181.7
100.8
94.8
145.0
135.8
136.8
135.7
109.9
148.6
182.1
103.6
94.8
150.4
142.6
146.7
139.3
111.1
157.3
192.9
106.7
98.8
163.5
143.0
149.9
129.8
114.6
170.7
193.5
115.5
99.2
157.2
139.1
156.3
111.5
117.7
177.6
193.3
117.4
99.3
150.5
136.7
157.8
109.5
117.3
177.5
194.3
116.4
97.7
138.4
33
79.3
90.6
90.8
82.1
92.0
97.2
79.5
92.9
89.2
79.4
93.4
88.4
81.7
93.7
94.5
86.0
94.3
105.4
87.9
95.6
108.7
91.1
96.4
116.5
42
92.7
101.3
85.7
97.3
101.6
93.7
101.5
104.3
99.1
91.5
95.7
87.1
90.3
91.8
88.2
87.3
89.6
84.4
83.8
84.6
81.6
86.7
88.0
84.4
121.6
144.6
110.1
106.3
113.6
109.8
137.5
101.7
124.9
153.3
111.5
105.9
120.2
116.4
138.2
104.1
125.5
150.8
113.0
107.5
122.4
119.9
132.5
105.4
125.5
149.6
115.5
109.0
125.3
119.4
125.8
108.4
121.9
145.0
116.5
108.9
124.7
108.0
118.6
109.4
117.7
134.0
118.3
109.3
122.4
108.9
111.6
109.5
115.0
127.3
117.3
108.5
122.9
94.8
111.1
110.2
106.1
134.0
104.5
117.7
125.1
108.8
129.0
107.9
114.1
110.8
143.5
107.6
119.6
128.6
109.4
130.2
108.6
115.6
111.4
149.1
109.9
120.6
125.0
110.4
131.1
111.6
116.8
112.1
150.0
110.9
122.6
118.3
113.0
132.5
113.9
120.4
116.0
151.7
112.6
123.1
120.7
112.9
133.7
115.4
122.4
117.2
145.8
113.9
122.8
121.7
113.4
132.9
115.8
123.9
116.7
140.4
114.4
122.6
125.0
114.0
131.0
116.9
124.1
116.2
136.9
115.5
103.2
107.0
102.1
109.3
106.7
95.8
102.8
103.1
104.5
104.0
108.4
103.6
110.8
108.1
95.7
104.6
103.4
104.9
104.8
108.5
104.7
111.0
109.3
96.8
104.1
105.3
105.4
105.8
109.3
106.0
114.4
110.3
96.4
105.1
105.7
106.8
106.7
111.8
107.3
115.7
112.7
95.8
106.7
106.1
107.2
107.2
112.8
108.8
117.3
113.3
94.8
107.5
106.5
107.8
107.9
114.0
109.9
117.7
114.2
94.8
108.7
106.9
108.8
108.6
114.3
111.3
118.6
115.3
94.5
110.3
107.0
110.0
107.4
109.6
109.7
111.9
113.5
114.7
114.8
116.0
106.9
111.2
108.1
111.4
108.9
111.7
110.5
114.2
111.4
114.3
112.8
117.3
113.6
117.3
114.8
118.6
110.0
111.1
112.5
113.9
115.5
118.2
119.5
121.1
97.6
100.1
99.4
99.9
98.5
99.2
99.4
101.0
105.4
106.5
106.5
108.7
110.2
110.1
110.4
111.6
A L L C O M M O D IT IE S .........
102.8
__ __
F o o d ................................
Meat and meat preparations......
Fish and crustaceans......
Grain and grain preparations.........................................................
Vegetables and fruit............
Animal feeds, excluding unmilled cereals
Miscellaneous food products
04
71.0
67.8
94.6
116.8
138.5
77.4
100.5
08
B e v e r a g e s a n d to b a c c o .......
Tobacco and tobacco products.....
12
10.,.j
2
C r u d e m a t e r i a l s ..............
Raw hides and skins................................................................
Oilseeds...................
Crude rubber...................................................................
Wood....................
Pulp and waste paper...........
Textile fibers....................
Crude minerals............
Metal ores and metal scrap ..
21
22
23
24
149.6
101.6
101.0
116.2
147.7
95.1
102.8
141.7
125.2
157.1
109.6
105.3
146.0
F u e ls a n d r e la t e d p r o d u c t s ...
Coal and coke ...............
Crude petroleum and petroleum products
08.2
F a ts a n d o i l s ....................
Animal oils and fats ..............
Fixed vegetable oils and fats.....
C h e m ic a ls a n d r e la t e d p r o d u c t s
Organic chemicals..............
Dyeing, tanning, and coloring materials.............
Medicinal and pharmaceutical products (12/85 = 100) ..................
Essential oils, polish, and cleaning preparations
Fertilizers, manufactured ...........
Artificial resins, plastics and cellulose ...
Chemical materials and products, n.e s
53
54
55
Leather and furskins ..............
Rubber manufactures ......
Paper and paperboard products ....
Textiles................
Non-metallic mineral manufactures (9/85=100)
Iron and steel................
Nonferrous metals..........
Metal manufactures, n.e.s.....
M is c e lla n e o u s m a n u f a c t u r e d a r t ic le s
Furniture and parts...............
Professional, scientific, and controlling instruments and
apparatus.......................
Photographic apparatus and supplies, optical goods, watches, and
clocks.......................
Miscellaneous manufactured articles, n e s
64
65
66
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
8
89
- Data not available.
April 1990
116.1
105.5
102.2
107.3
123.5
108.5
105.4
108.4
135.1
109.1
109.3
111.2
124.8
98.2
129.4
100.3
107.9
M a c h in e r y a n d tr a n s p o r t e q u ip m e n t , e x c lu d in g m ilit a r y a n d
c o m m e r c ia l a i r c r a f t ...........
Power generating machinery and equipment.........................................
Machinery specialized for particular industries.........................................
Metalworking machinery.......
General industrial machines and parts, n.e.s....................................
Office machines and automatic data processing equipment
Telecommunications, sound recordinq and reproducing equipment
Electrical machinery and equipment..
Road vehicles and parts .......
Other transport equipment, excluding military and commercial
aviation..................
104.2
101.4
105.7
57
58
In t e r m e d i a t e m a n u f a c t u r e d p r o d u c ts
8
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized for8 FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1989
Mar.
117.0
103.7
108.7
101.8
103.7
100.1
106.7
104.5
96.1
101.4
120.1
104.1
110.4
104.1
122.4
105.2
111.3
102.1
104.8
100.5
102.4
105.2
100.9
104.6
95.7
101.4
105.4
95.5
101.9
105.2
105.8
125.7
105.2
126.2
106.5
39.
U.S. import price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification
(1985 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
C a te g o r y
Dec.
Meat and meat preparations...................................................
Dairy products and eggs .........................................................
Fish and crustaceans...................................................... ........
Bakery goods, pasta products, grain, and grain preparations .
Fruits and vegetables..............................................................
Sugar, sugar preparations, and honey....................................
Coffee, tea, cocoa...................................................................
B e v e ra g e s a n d to b a c c o
Beverages...................
C r u d e m a t e r i a l s ..........................................................................
Crude rubber (including synthetic and reclaimed)
Cork and wood .....................................................
Pulp and waste paper...........................................
Textile fibers..........................................................
Crude fertilizers and crude minerals ...................
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap.....................
Crude animal and vegetable materials, n.e.s.......
F u e ls a n d r e la te d p r o d u c t s ..............................
Crude petroleum and petroleum products .
F a ts a n d o i l s ...................................................................
Fixed vegetable oils and fats (9/87=100)
C h e m ic a ls a n d r e la te d p r o d u c t s .....................
Organic chemicals....................................
Inorganic chemicals...................................
Medicinal and pharmaceutical products ....
Essential oils and perfumes.....................
Manufactured fertilizers.............................
Artificial resins and plastics and cellulose
Chemical materials and products, n.e.s. ...
In t e r m e d ia te m a n u fa c t u r e d p r o d u c t s .......
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Leather and furskins ...............................
Rubber manufactures, n.e.s.....................
Cork and wood manufactures.................
P aper and paperbo a rd pro du cts
Textiles....................................................
Nonmetallic mineral manufactures, n.e.s.
Iron and steel..........................................
Nonferrous metals...................................
Metal manufactures.................................
M a c h in e r y a n d tr a n s p o r t e q u ip m e n t ...............................................................
Machinery (including SITC 71-77) ....................................................
Machinery specialized for particular industries................................
Metalworking machinery ..................................................................
General industrial machinery and parts, n.e.s..................................
Office machines and automatic data processing equipment..........
Telecommunications, sound recording and reproducing apparatus
Electrical machinery and equipment................................................
Road vehicles and parts..................................................................
M is c e lla n e o u s m a n u fa c t u r e d a r t i c l e s .................................................................
Plumbing, heating, and lighting fixtures.............................................
Furniture and parts.............................................................................
Travel goods, handbags, and similar goods (6/85=100) ................
Clothing..............................................................................................
Footwear............................................................................................
Professional, scientific, and controlling instruments and
apparatus .........................................................................................
Photographic apparatus and supplies, optical goods, watches, and
clocks................................................................................................
Miscellaneous manufactured articles, n.e.s........................................
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
119.8
128.5
112.5
120.8
113.8
123.7
116.8
126.7
115.3
126.1
117.6
129.1
119.7
129.6
119.8
128.5
118.4
127.6
0
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
112.5
113.4
125.1
131.0
130.7
116.2
107.0
90.6
114.1
111.5
125.6
132.5
135.8
115.4
109.6
94.3
114.0
107.0
125.0
129.3
139.8
120.3
110.0
93.3
112.7
111.2
122.2
125.9
136.9
123.7
112.1
87.4
114.3
108.7
125.8
126.7
142.2
127.7
110.8
90.6
114.1
111.2
124.0
127.0
140.4
123.4
109.8
91.2
111.3
109.7
120.2
122.7
140.2
123.2
111.8
85.3
106.1
124.1
120.3
121.6
141.6
119.1
114.4
62.5
108.0
134.1
123.2
122.0
143.1
127.3
117.0
57.3
1
11
113.5
116.2
116.0
118.7
116.2
120.0
115.3
118.9
116.2
119.9
117.0
120.7
117.2
120.7
120.7
122.9
122.4
124.1
2
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
122.1
120.1
108.8
141.0
135.2
99.9
137.9
118.3
129.2
121.7
112.4
151.0
137.8
100.4
151.2
135.8
137.8
151.1
111.4
160.5
145.5
101.0
167.6
148.2
135.4
133.3
109.7
169.6
141.9
97.2
172.2
122.0
143.2
121.5
107.8
174.7
145.6
100.2
205.4
139.5
146.2
123.0
112.1
184.7
151.5
103.3
204.3
138.5
144.3
103.4
112.4
190.0
145.4
104.7
212.3
110.3
137.2
98.3
113.5
190.1
141.7
101.2
183.4
108.6
136.1
98.5
111.6
189.6
140.2
98.0
176.6
129.4
3
33
67.2
67.8
60.6
60.4
63.4
63.6
57.7
57.7
56.4
56.1
66.8
67.3
73.3
74.4
68.8
69.5
73.3
74.1
4
42
102.1
105.7
106.4
111.1
111.2
116.1
114.0
119.2
112.3
117.4
112.5
117.3
117.4
122.6
106.7
110.7
100.7
104.2
5
51
52
54
55
56
58
59
110.1
103.0
90.1
126.3
123.0
133.6
117.6
124.8
114.2
105.8
92.0
135.3
125.7
133.7
121.6
138.7
116.4
107.3
92.3
140.3
126.2
136.3
124.3
148.5
119.2
111.3
93.0
145.4
127.5
136.5
127.6
153.4
122.2
115.1
96.1
146.4
130.5
139.9
129.5
156.5
123.6
117.6
93.1
154.9
130.3
143.5
129.5
154.8
120.4
114.0
86.6
153.5
130.2
142.1
129.8
151.6
117.7
110.3
85.7
149.2
127.2
132.4
130.8
150.2
118.9
112.8
86.0
149.7
135.3
130.5
130.6
150.6
6
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
119.8
124.4
104.6
128.2
112.3
118.6
133.4
114.0
125.8
117.8
124.4
131.8
106.0
133.8
117.2
120.0
137.4
120.0
132.7
121.1
132.2
137.0
107.7
138.2
118.3
120.6
142.5
127.2
159.7
126.9
132.3
136.6
109.1
136.1
119.5
119.1
139.7
129.9
158.9
127.5
135.0
134.9
111.1
134.1
119.9
120.5
141.9
130.7
169.1
130.7
137.3
134.6
111.7
136.9
120.6
120.5
147.5
132.6
172.8
132.4
136.1
133.8
112.2
139.8
120.8
122.1
149.5
133.6
158.6
132.6
135.3
133.9
113.7
140.8
119.7
121.7
151.7
133.7
150.7
133.2
134.1
133.4
114.0
140.6
118.9
122.6
153.4
130.7
144.8
133.9
7
7hyb
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
123.1
122.6
142.1
135.5
137.0
118.3
112.1
118.2
122.6
125.4
124.6
146.8
139.9
140.4
118.1
112.8
122.2
125.5
127.3
126.4
149.8
142.4
143.7
119.5
113.8
124.2
127.6
126.7
125.9
143.7
139.7
139.6
118.7
113.9
125.9
127.1
129.9
128.7
150.8
144.1
144.2
118.7
115.5
129.3
130.8
130.1
129.2
149.1
142.9
144.7
119.6
115.7
130.5
130.5
129.2
128.4
145.7
139.5
143.0
119.3
115.7
129.6
129.6
129.0
127.8
145.7
143.9
143.7
117.2
115.0
128.7
129.5
130.1
128.0
148.1
144.3
145.3
117.5
113.7
128.9
131.9
8
81
82
83
84
85
121.8
121.0
124.3
103.0
112.3
124.3
124.2
123.4
125.4
105.8
115.6
125.4
125.7
126.9
129.6
107.3
114.9
129.6
124.2
124.5
128.0
111.3
116.7
128.0
126.6
127.2
129.1
115.1
117.2
129.1
126.6
130.0
127.2
117.6
118.5
127.2
126.6
131.5
127.9
114.0
119.9
127.9
127.2
133.0
128.8
110.3
120.8
128.8
128.9
136.6
131.0
112.8
122.3
131.0
87
138.7
140.0
142.5
135.8
141.9
141.1
136.5
136.3
137.3
88
89
127.3
127.3
129.2
129.2
129.3
132.1
125.4
128.2
130.6
131.4
130.2
131.7
127.9
131.4
126.3
131.9
128.7
133.8
A L L C O M M O D IT IE S ...................................................
A L L C O M M O D IT IE S , E X C L U D IN G F U E L S
F o o d a n d liv e a n im a l s .....................................................................................
1989
1988
1987
1974
SITC
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
89
Current Labor Statistics:
40.
Price Data
U.S. export price indexes by end-use category
(1985 = 100 unless otherwise indicated)
1987
1988
1989
C a te g o ry
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Foods, feeds, and beverages..........
Industrial supplies and materials......
Capital goods...........................
Automotive ......................
96.6
111.8
102.1
104.5
98.5
114.2
103.4
104.3
110.1
118.3
104.3
104.8
124.5
118.7
104.9
106.5
117.4
118.6
105.7
107.7
120.8
120.7
106.7
108.1
117.2
120.9
107.4
108.6
1-10.3
119.5
108.2
109.4
108.2
118.7
108.8
110.8
Consumer goods .............
Consumer nondurables, manufactured, except rugs
Consumer durables, manufactured .......
Agricultural (9/88=100) ...................
108.0
106.3
107.9
99.3
110.1
107.4
110.4
101.1
110.6
108.7
110.4
110.9
111.3
109.3
110.7
120.6
112.9
110.0
112.6
114.0
115.3
111.4
115.4
117.7
115.6
111.5
115.4
116.1
116.5
111.7
116.5
111.2
117.1
112.9
116.8
109.8
106.2
107.7
109.7
110.8
111.6
112.9
113.1
113.0
113.1
All exports, excluding agricultural (9/88 = 100) .
41.
U.S. import price indexes by end-use category
(1985 = 100)
1987
1988
1989
C a te g o ry
Dec.
All imports, excluding petroleum (6/88 = 100) ........
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
120.3
123.2
126.2
125.4
128.3
129.0
128.0
Foods, feeds, and beverages............
Industrial supplies and materials....................
Petroleum and petroleum products, excluding natural gas.......
Industrial supplies and materials, excluding petroleum .. .
112.1
93.7
67.6
115.6
113.7
92.7
60.3
119.6
113.7
97.8
63.5
126.4
112.7
95.2
57.5
126.4
114.2
96.4
56.2
129.6
113.8
102.1
67.2
131.2
111 7
104 2
74 1
129.4
Capital goods, except automotive.....................
Automotive vehicles, parts and engines ....
126.6
120.6
128.6
123.7
131.0
125.8
129.0
126.0
132.3
129.2
132.4
129.1
131 0
128.2
128.2
130.0
Consumer goods except automotive.......................
Nondurables, manufactured ..........................
Durables, manufactured................
121.4
120.2
121.0
124.2
123.3
123.5
126.3
124.2
125.5
125.0
123.8
124.5
127.4
125.4
127.4
128.7
126.5
127.9
129 1
127 5
127.9
129 F>
128 F
127.8
128.6
Dec.
Mar.
--------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
42.
127.1
128.0
126.9
126.3
1 3 0 fi
U.S. export price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification
(1985=100)
In d u s tr y g r o u p
Dec.
Manufacturing:
Food and kindred products...........................
Lumber and wood products, except furniture .
Furniture and fixtures.....................................
Paper and allied products ..............................
Chemicals and allied products.......................
Petroleum and coal products.......................
Primary metal products.................................
Machinery, except electrical ........................
Electrical machinery.....................................
Transportation equipment.............................
Scientific instruments; optical goods; clocks
SIC-based classification.
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized for9 0FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
116.3
142.5
Sept.
June
Sept.
Dec.
119.3
113.8
120.8
146.1
112.5
124.6
118.4
125.1
145.4
112.9
129.8
122.3
128.9
146.1
112.9
133.1
125.4
123.5
144.0
115.3
135.6
125.5
124.5
151.7
115.2
139.9
125.9
122.7
164.4
116.0
141.4
122.5
119.5
171.2
116.5
141.6
118.5
117.2
171.2
117.7
140.6
115.7
78.8
126.6
99.7
102.2
107.8
107.1
73.0
126.9
100.6
102.9
108.1
109.2
77.8
133.8
101.3
103.7
109.1
110.8
73.7
133.5
102.2
104.9
109.4
75.4
133.6
102.8
105.4
110.9
113.4
79.8
130.8
103.4
106.3
86.9
125.7
103.7
106.8
112.7
116.7
88.7
122.5
104.4
107.5
113.4
117.7
94.5
123.1
105.1
107.9
114.5
119.5
111.2
112.0
111.8
114.5
43.
U.S. import price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification
(1985 = 100)
1989
1988
1987
In d u s tr y g r o u p
June
Mar.
Dec.
Mar.
Dec.
Sept.
Sept.
June
Dec.
Manufacturing:
Food and kindred products......................................................
Textile mill products.................................................................
Apparel and related products ..................................................
Lumber and wood products, except furniture..........................
110.6
124.3
113.4
115.4
114.0
127.4
116.6
119.5
114.4
128.9
115.8
120.3
115.0
127.0
117.0
118.6
115.4
127.8
117.5
117.0
114.9
139.0
118.9
120.5
114.0
139.8
120.3
122.2
114.8
137.5
121.2
123.3
115.8
140.7
122.6
122.3
Paper and allied products ........................................................
Chemicals and allied products.................................................
Petroleum refining and allied products....................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products..........................
118.9
113.6
112.2
127.4
115.7
122.2
119.1
116.8
114.5
117.2
124.0
121.3
121.3
119.2
119.0
124.8
123.8
123.5
110.8
117.7
128.0
125.2
130.6
111.6
122.6
126.3
127.4
130.7
121.3
122.3
126.1
128.2
130.0
139.1
123.1
128.7
127.3
123.9
128.0
124.2
128.9
126.6
123.8
133.8
125.2
Leather and leather products ..................................................
Stone, clay, glass, and concrete products...............................
Primary metal products.............................................................
Fabricated metal products........................................................
Machinery, except electrical.....................................................
118.4
133.9
120.0
123.2
133.9
120.8
138.2
122.6
127.3
135.9
124.6
141.5
137.0
133.3
138.2
123.7
140.5
136.2
133.0
135.0
124.0
144.3
140.2
136.3
138.4
122.8
145.1
140.6
138.9
138.6
123.5
144.8
135.2
140.3
136.7
124.6
147.4
132.0
141.3
135.8
126.0
147.8
129.5
142.2
137.7
Electrical machinery and supplies............................................
Transportation equipment.........................................................
Scientific instruments; optical goods; clocks...........................
Miscellaneous manufactured commodities ..............................
112.5
124.6
134.0
123.8
114.7
127.3
135.8
127.7
116.1
129.5
137.0
133.1
116.7
129.3
132.2
130.6
119.0
132.8
137.7
132.2
119.7
132.6
136.7
136.6
119.4
131.9
133.8
137.7
118.9
132.0
132.8
138.4
118.4
134.1
134.2
140.1
' SIC - based classification.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
44.
Indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, and unit costs, quarterly data seasonally adjusted
(1977 = 100)
Quarterly Indexes
I
II
III
IV
114.2
210.4
103.0
184.1
176.3
181.4
114.7
212.8
103.5
185.6
176.5
182.4
114.7
215.7
103.9
188.0
175.6
183.7
111.6
205.5
102.1
184.1
174.6
180.8
111.9
208.3
102.0
186.1
176.5
182.8
112.6
211.0
102.6
187.4
177.6
184.0
112.7
214.1
103.1
190.1
177.0
185.6
114.9
197.8
99.6
177.5
172.1
193.3
131.6
171.7
172.0
114.5
200.2
99.5
180.4
174.9
196.9
119.6
169.8
173.1
114.5
202.8
99.3
182.9
177.1
200.1
116.6
170.9
175.0
115.3
205.5
99.9
184.6
178.1
203.9
113.5
172.2
176.1
“
-
138.6
200.2
100.8
144.4
139.4
201.9
100.3
144.8
140.7
203.2
99.5
144.4
141.1
206.1
100.3
146.1
142.1
209.6
100.9
147.5
III
IV
III
110.7
189.5
101.4
171.3
166.5
169.6
111.7
191.8
101.6
171.6
168.9
170.7
112.5
195.1
102.5
173.5
167.2
171.3
113.2
196.4
102.3
173.5
168.9
171.9
112.6
199.1
102.6
176.9
168.8
174.1
113.4
201.9
102.8
178.0
171.8
175.8
113.5
204.5
103.0
180.2
173.7
177.9
113.8
206.9
102.8
181.9
174.7
179.4
108.6
188.3
100.8
173.4
167.6
171.4
109.5
190.5
101.0
173.9
170.3
172.6
110.2
193.8
101.8
175.8
168.7
173.4
111.0
195.0
101.5
175.7
170.3
173.8
110.5
197.5
101.8
178.7
169.8
175.6
111.5
200.2
101.9
179.6
172.1
177.0
112.0
203.0
102.3
181.3
176.3
179.6
111.6
184.8
98.9
170.8
165.5
186.3
122.5
163.9
165.0
113.0
186.9
99.1
170.8
165.3
186.9
129.3
166.7
165.8
113.5
189.5
99.5
172.1
167.0
187.2
122.0
164.4
166.1
114.6
190.9
99.4
171.9
166.6
187.8
127.0
166.5
166.5
114.7
193.1
99.5
173.6
168.4
188.9
129.1
168.0
168.2
115.1
195.5
99.5
175.2
169.9
191.0
127.5
168.8
169.5
133.3
189.0
101.1
141.8
134.3
190.4
100.9
141.8
134.7
191.7
100.6
142.3
135.5
194.3
101.2
143.4
136.3
195.3
100.6
143.3
137.8
197.4
100.5
143.2
B u s in e s s :
N o n f a r m b u s in e s s :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Unit labor costs ....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments .......................................
Implicit price deflator............................................
N o n f in a n c ia l c o r p o r a t io n s :
Output per hour of all employees........................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Total unit costs.....................................................
Unit labor costs .................................................
Unit nonlabor costs............................................
Unit profits.............................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
M a n u fa c tu r in g :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Unit labor costs....................................................
I
IV
II
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Unit labor costs....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
1989
1988
1987
Item
II
- Data not available.
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
91
Current Labor Statistics: Productivity Data
45.
Annual indexes of multifactor productivity and related measures, selected years
(1977 = 100)
1960
Item
1970
1973
1978
1980
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
P r iv a t e b u s in e s s :
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services.....................
Multifactor productivity.......................................
Output...................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital input........
Capital per hour of all persons.............................
67.3
103.7
78.5
55.3
88.4
102.7
93.1
80.2
95.9
105.6
99.2
93.0
100.8
101.9
101.2
105.8
99.2
94.1
97.4
106.6
100.3
86.6
95.2
105.4
103.0
88.3
97.6
109.9
105.6
92.7
100.9
119.2
107.9
92.9
102.4
124.3
110.3
93.0
103.9
128.7
111.2
93.7
104.7
133.4
82.2
53.3
70.5
64.9
90.8
78.1
86.1
86.1
96.9
88.0
93.7
90.8
105.0
103.8
104.6
98.9
107.5
113.3
109.4
105.4
105.2
121.8
110.7
115.8
106.7
124.4
112.6
116.6
112.9
128.6
118.1
113.9
115.2
133.8
121.4
116.1
116.7
138.5
123.9
118.7
120.0
142.4
127.4
118.6
70.7
104.9
81.2
54.4
89.2
103.5
93.8
79.9
96.4
106.3
99.7
92.9
100.8
101.9
101.2
106.0
98.7
93.3
96.9
106.6
99.1
85.1
94.1
104.8
102.5
87.3
97.0
110.1
104.7
91.3
99.9
119.3
106.2
91.0
100.7
124.0
108.3
90.8
102.0
128.3
109.1
91.5
102.7
133.2
77.0
51.9
67.1
67.4
89.6
77.2
85.2
86.2
96.3
87.3
93.2
90.7
105.1
104.0
104.7
99.0
108.0
114.2
110.0
105.7
105.7
123.3
111.4
116.6
107.4
126.1
113.5
117.4
114.0
130.6
119.4
114.6
116.8
136.3
123.1
116.7
118.5
141.3
125.8
119.3
122.0
145.5
129.6
119.2
62.2
103.0
72.0
52.5
80.8
99.1
85.3
78.6
93.4
112.0
98.0
96.3
101.5
102.0
101.6
106.0
101.4
91.0
98.6
103.2
105.9
81.6
99.2
98.4
112.0
86.7
105.0
104.7
118.1
95.5
112.1
117.5
123.6
97.3
116.4
122.0
127.7
■98.4
119.5
124.7
131.9
T02.0
123.6
130.1
84.4
51.0
72.9
60.4
97.3
79.3
92.1
81.5
103.1
86.0
98.3
83.4
104.4
103.9
104.2
99.5
101.7
113.4
104.6
111.5
92.9
120.5
99.2
129.8
93.5
120.8
99.7
129.3
99.5
123.0
104.8
123.7
98.7
125.4
104.8
127.1
97.7
126.8
104.4
129.8
98.6
127.6'
105.3
129.4
P r iv a t e n o n f a r m b u s in e s s :
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services.....................
Multifactor productivity.......................................
Output...................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital input........
Capital per hour of all persons.............................
M a n u fa c tu r in g :
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services.....................
Multifactor productivity.......................................
Output...................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...........................................
Capital services..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital inputs......
Capital per hour of all persons.............................
Digitized 92
for FRASER
Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
i '
\
April 1990
46.
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years
(1977 = 100)
1960
1970
1973
1978
1980
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
Business:
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Unit labor costs....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
66.1
32.9
67.3
49.7
46.4
48.5
87.6
57.2
89.4
65.3
59.4
63.2
95.2
70.3
96.0
73.8
72.6
73.4
100.9
108.6
100.9
107.7
106.7
107.3
99.4
131.8
97.0
132.6
118.4
127.6
100.2
154.9
97.3
154.5
136.3
148.1
102.6
160.8
97.8
156.7
146.2
153.0
105.2
167.4
97.6
159.1
156.4
158.2
107.3
174.8
98.4
162.8
160.9
162.2
109.8
183.8
101.7
167.5
162.1
165.6
111.1
191.0
101.9
171.9
166.3
170.0
113.0
200.2
102.5
177.1
170.9
174.9
114.2
211.2
103.2
184.9
175.8
181.7
Nonfarm business:
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Unit labor costs ....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
69.5
34.5
70.7
49.7
46.3
48.5
88.4
57.6
90.0
65.2
60.0
63.4
95.8
70.7
96.4
73.8
69.4
72.3
100.9
108.6
101.0
107.7
105.6
107.0
99.0
131.6
96.7
132.9
118.1
127.8
99.1
154.7
97.1
156.1
136.1
149.2
102.0
160.8
97.8
157.6
148.1
154.3
104.2
167.2
97.5
160.4
156.3
159.0
105.6
174.0
98.0
164.9
161.9
163.8
107.7
182.9
101.1
169.8
163.3
167.6
108.9
189.8
101.2
174.2
167.7
172.0
111.1
198.7
101.8
178.8
172.2
176.5
112.1
209.5
102.4
186.9
176.5
183.3
Nonfinancial corporations:
Output per hour of all employees........................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Total unit costs.....................................................
Unit labor costs ..................................................
Unit nonlabor costs............................................
Unit profits.............................................................
Unit nonlabor payments .......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
71.9
36.1
74.0
49.4
50.2
47.0
59.8
51.5
50.7
90.2
58.6
91.6
64.8
65.0
64.2
52.3
60.1
63.3
96.8
71.0
96.9
72.7
73.4
70.7
65.6
68.9
71.9
100.7
108.5
100.8
107.3
107.8
105.7
102.0
104.4
106.6
99.3
131.4
96.6
133.4
132.3
136.7
85.2
118.6
127.6
100.2
154.1
96.8
159.5
153.8
176.4
78.5
142.1
149.8
103.0
159.1
96.8
159.5
154.5
174.3
110.9
152.1
153.7
105.5
165.0
96.3
160.8
156.5
173.6
136.5
160.6
157.9
107.2
171.6
96.7
164.1
160.2
175.8
133.0
160.8
160.4
109.6
179.9
99.5
168.5
164.1
181.7
123.1
161.2
163.1
112.1
186.1
99.3
171.2
166.1
186.4
123.0
164.2
165.4
114.7
194.1
99.4
174.6
169.3
190.3
128.8
168.8
169.1
114.6
204.0
99.7
184.0
178.0
201.9
112.5
170.6
175.5
Manufacturing:
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per hour................................
Unit labor costs ....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments ................................... )...
Implicit price deflator .............................. ..............
60.7
35.6
73.0
58.7
60.0
59.1
80.2
57.0
89.0
71.0
64.1
69.0
92.6
68.2
93.1
73.7
i 70.8
72.8
101.6
108.3
100.6
106.6
101.8
105.2
101.7
132.8
97.7
130.6
97.6
121.0
106.6
158.7
99.6
148.8
113.7
138.6
112.2
162.7
99.0
145.1
128.3
140.2
118.2
168.1
98.1
142.3
138.5
141.2
123.5
176.3
99.3
142.7
130.3
139.1
128.2
184.3
101.9
143.8
135.2
141.3
132.9
189.2
100.9
142.3
137.6
141.0
136.5
196.0
100.4
143.6
“
140.3
204.3
99.9
145.7
Item
- Data not available.
,
>
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
v L
/ / J' '
- ;■
■;'V f- y ïV
4
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
93
Current Labor Statistics:
47.
Productivity Data
Annual productivity indexes for selected industries
(1977 = 100)
Industry
SIC
1970
1975
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
Iron mining, crude o re......................................
Iron mining, usable ore ....................................
Copper mining, crude o re .................................
Copper mining, recoverable metal....................
Coal mining.......................................................
Bituminous coal and lignite mining ................
Nonmetallic minerals, except fuels...................
Crushed and broken stone............................
1011
1011
1021
1021
111,121
121
14
142
99.9
111.1
84.8
85,5
141.5
142.3
89.7
83.1
112.7
117.8
87.2
77.2
105.3
105.2
90.6
91.4
124.7
123.2
99.5
91.6
112.5
112.6
96.5
101.3
132.8
130.6
102.0
97.7
122.3
122.7
94.7
96.7
100.9
98.2
106.4
116.2
119.4
120.0
89.3
94.1
139.0
138.6
129.9
130.9
136.5
136.9
98.2
103.9
173.3
171.7
140.3
155.4
151.7
152.3
105.5
105.8
187.9
187.9
164.2
193.1
154.3
154.6
107.5
104.5
200.3
197.8
195.4
228.9
167.7
168.2
108.4
104.9
254.5
250.4
197.0
211.2
181.3
182.4
115.3
121.3
258.8
248.2
206.9
229.9
200.7
201.9
114.0
120.1
Red meat products...........................................
Meatpacking plants........................................
Sausages and other prepared meats............
Poultry dressing and processing......................
Fluid milk...........................................................
Preserved fruits and vegetables ......................
Grain mill products............................................
Flour and other grain mill products ...............
Rice milling.....................................................
Bakery products................................................
Sugar ................................................................
Raw and refined cane sugar.........................
Beet sugar......................................................
Malt beverages..................................................
Bottled and canned soft drinks........................
Total tobacco products....................................
Cigarettes, chewing and smoking tobacco....
Cigars..............................................................
2011,13
2011
2013
2016,17
2026
203
204
2041
2044
205
2061,62,63
2061,62
2063
2082
2086
2111,21,31
2111,31
2121
77.3
78.7
72.8
78.3
73.7
79.7
79.7
76.6
82.0
87.5
85.9
86.1
92.9
56.7
70.0
86.8
85.3
88.4
84.4
88.6
74.8
87.9
95.5
93.7
87.1
85.8
90.4
93.4
94.0
90.8
98.1
86.1
89.5
93.9
93.3
93.7
107.0
108.9
102.3
105.7
123.9
100.8
105.3
94.8
111.8
93.7
100.1
99.3
102.1
116.0
106.9
102.1
101.8
106.4
107.9
113.9
95.0
116.4
128.0
99.2
110.9
96.7
117.9
96.2
98.8
98.8
98.7
118.3
110.6
100.5
99.6
107.3
112.3
119.5
96.5
125.6
135.3
107.9
121.0
104.1
104.5
103.3
90.4
87.6
94.8
122.6
114.1
100.7
99.5
111.4
115.9
123.4
100.0
131.7
143.1
110.8
125.5
110.4
103.3
106.9
98.6
100.0
94.5
131.3
121.5
105.1
104.1
112.3
117.0
125.6
99.5
130.3
149.5
112.4
132.8
114.9
93.2
106.8
99.7
94.7
108.8
137.9
131.0
110.3
107.2
141.4
119.5
130.1
98.8
133.2
155.0
113.4
140.9
122.9
103.2
108.5
105.5
108.7
100.7
130.3
136.7
113.4
111.7
129.3
117.3
126.2
98.7
127.3
162.4
118.3
142.1
126.6
112.6
114.4
110.1
109.6
111.8
152.3
146.6
117.2
115.5
133.1
115.3
126.2
94.5
135.4
168.0
116.4
149.6
129.9
120.6
113.3
125.5
117.1
139.2
165.7
158.1
124.2
123.1
139.1
86.7
94.3
101.2
95.2
98.8
100.2
97.8
97.5
98.0
97.2
96.9
85.5
86.7
99.8
98.5
96.2
86.5
105.0
107.4
99.7
97.3
104.2
93.6
102.8
99.9
97.2
102.3
112.1
112.1
105.2
94.6
101.6
111.0
94.3
107.4
122.0
103.1
98.8
107.9
96.4
106.9
103.0
97.3
110.5
114.0
108.8
104.4
92.3
104.5
109.8
91.4
112.5
114.2
118.2
95.2
117.1
86.1
114.4
104.7
98.2
115.9
104.3
107.4
111.3
95.3
104.2
111.9
86.3
121.6
118.0
128.5
90.2
126.8
87.9
121.1
110.1
103.8
121.6
108.6
112.0
119.5
102.9
104.5
114.0
94.0
119.8
119.9
129.6
96.9
132.3
88.7
120.0
112.2
105.5
122.7
109.5
117.8
121.0
105.6
102.4
118.9
104.5
123.7
118.5
134.5
106.3
139.2
85.7
125.1
112.5
104.4
124.6
108.8
116.7
123.1
107.1
99.6
122.5
101.4
132.8
121.0
141.1
107.5
155.1
90.0
128.8
118.5
111.9
127.1
117.9
117.8
133.5
112.3
101.4
126.7
105.4
132.1
118.3
162.6
105.8
151.1
94.1
132.1
118.3
110.5
125.2
130.9
118.7
138.0
110.5
98.1
123.3
107.5
Cotton and synthetic broad woven fabrics.......
Hosiery ..............................................................
Nonwool yarn mills ...........................................
Men’s and boys’ suits and coats.....................
Sawmills and planing mills, general .................
Millwork .............................................................
Veneer and plywood.........................................
Household furniture ..........................................
Wood household furniture..............................
Upholstered household furniture...................
Mattresses and bedsprings............................
Office furniture..................................................
Paper, paperboard, and pulp mills....................
Paper and plastic bags ....................................
Folding paperboard boxes................................
Corrugated and solid fiber boxes ....................
Industrial inorganic chemicals..........................
Industrial inorganic chemicals, not
elsewhere classified....................................
Synthetic fibers.................................................
Pharmaceutical preparations............................
Cosmetics and other toiletries .........................
Paints and allied products................................
Industrial organic chemicals, not
elsewhere classified........................................
Agricultural chemicals ......................................
Petroleum refining.............................................
2211,21
2251,52
2281
2311
2421
2431
2435,36
251
2511,7
2512
2515
252
2611,21,31,61
2643
2651
2653
281
_
65.5
84.3
75.1
90.0
95.9
83.2
82.2
83.5
84.4
67.7
78.2
77.5
75.8
77.4
73.1
-
_
125.7
-
176.1
-
132.3
113.7
-
126.3
118.9
138.2
163.6
166.7
120.3
119.9
129.3
131.4
126.9
161.1
109.9
148.7
-
124.5
-
123.7
113.9
142.8
-
98.7
124.3
-
2819 pt.
2823,24
2834
2844
2851
53.8
74.8
65.9
74.9
84.0
84.5
92.5
94.0
94.2
90.3
115.7
106.0
83.6
100.8
89.3
120.9
104.2
76.1
99.8
80.8
103.6
107.0
84.0
106.5
85.8
126.2
114.3
86.2
113.8
95.0
125.3
116.4
85.2
121.5
91.5
135.8
118.1
87.3
125.6
90.6
146.2
121.8
94.3
127.7
92.0
156.4
120.9
96.2
135.3
156.6
116.8
138.2
2869
287
2911
65.5
73.8
85.3
86.7
88.7
98.9
97.2
94.2
103.9
97.7
83.7
87.2
94.5
79.4
105.3
106.2
81.8
113.9
119.8
92.5
112.5
115.6
102.6
119.6
110.0
113.8
132.1
129.4
120.1
125.7
Tires and inner tubes .......................................
Miscellaneous plastic products........................
Footwear...........................................................
Glass containers ...............................................
Hydraulic cement..............................................
Structural clay products....................................
Clay construction products...............................
Brick and structural clay tile ..........................
Clay refractories................................................
Concrete products............................................
Ready-mixed concrete .....................................
3011
3079
314
3221
3241
325
3251,53,59
3251
3255
3271,72
3273
87.6
100.3
87.2
84.8
78.2
77.4
81.1
82.1
82.3
91.1
91.8
86.2
101.3
98.5
84.7
91.0
89.1
93.1
95.5
91.9
97.5
102.4
95.7
99.1
105.2
87.0
97.6
94.0
84.9
109.6
90.4
93.1
118.1
98.5
95.6
110.1
91.1
100.7
97.3
84.3
111.1
88.5
95.4
128.2
110.1
106.4
105.8
94.0
102.6
103.3
88.6
100.0
91.0
90.6
136.1
107.2
103.9
108.5
108.4
105.4
101.1
85.5
121.6
97.6
93.7
146.8
110.5
105.7
128.0
125.3
111.3
110.4
93.3
115.1
99.2
96.3
146.7
113.0
107.3
127.0
128.3
112.8
112.6
100.4
114.1
100.5
97.4
151.4
114.1
109.3
138.9
135.5
115.6
114.5
98.7
122.9
105.9
100.1
162.2
125.4
104.7
153.6
143.8
119.9
120.0
104.9
121.9
102.1
104.5
169.7
100.6
153.3
147.6
120.6
104.9
-
Steel .................................................................
Gray iron foundries...........................................
Steel foundries .................................................
Steel foundries, not elsewhere classified ......
Primary copper, lead, and zinc ........................
Primary copper ...............................................
Primary aluminum..............................................
Copper rolling and drawing ..............................
Aluminum rolling and drawing ..........................
Motal cans ........................................................
Hand and edge tools........................................
Heating equipment, except electric..................
Fabricated structural metal...............................
Metal doors, sash, and trim..............................
Metal stampings................................................
331
3321
3324,25
3325
3331,32,33
3331
3334
3351
3353,54,55
3411
3423
3433
3441
3442
3465,66,69
87.6
79.8
90.6
78.1
79.8
92.5
76.8
66.0
78.8
91.0
102.2
82.1
86.4
93.3
97.0
107.5
107.7
85.3
83.0
96.2
76.8
87.5
87.0
93.9
80.4
97.4
89.3
93.2
102.9
90.8
99.8
99.8
103.7
105.3
100.0
94.1
100.0
102.6
98.4
99.7
102.1
90.6
99.9
112.0
92.7
91.6
90.0
118.6
124.4
103.8
97.9
96.8
108.1
95.2
94.6
98.5
90.4
101.4
90.9
93.7
89.0
88.4
128.0
128.5
103.0
106.0
99.2
118.5
92.8
102.3
99.5
96.0
98.1
116.8
98.3
89.9
90.2
141.2
138.3
111.5
121.1
110.4
120.5
88.8
93.2
103.0
99.7
104.7
131.3
106.8
98.8
103.5
148.0
151.9
125.4
128.1
116.2
123.0
89.5
102.0
107.9
102.8
110.4
139.5
104.2
95.6
101.0
181.5
189.8
125.4
122.0
115.6
125.6
90.1
101.6
117.7
106.3
104.7
141.8
107.4
100.3
104.3
210.8
229.2
134.0
130.4
125.0
126.0
89.2
105.0
117.7
104.1
108.7
152.3
108.8
95.0
104.3
259.8
296.9
133.3
135.5
128.4
132.6
93.9
109.3
117.7
104.9
115.6
168.3
_
111.0
338.0
134.9
135.7
128.4
143.2
_
-
Valves and pipe fittings.....................................
Farm and garden machinery ............................
3494
352
93.6
75.7
92.4
97.7
102.8
93.3
105.4
95.1
See footnotes at end of table.
4 FRASER
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized9for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
-
101.3
94.9
103.6
95.1
105.1
105.2
104.5
101.5
104.4
103.0
110.8
109.6
-
-
-
_
47. Continued—Annual productivity indexes for selected industries
(1977=100)
Industry
SIC
1970
1975
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
Construction machinery and equipment ..........
Oilfield machinery and equipment ...................
Machine tools...................................................
Metal-cutting machine tools...........................
Metal-forming machine tools .........................
Pumps and compressors..................................
Ball and roller bearings....................................
Refrigeration and heating equipment...............
Carburetors, pistons, rings, and valves............
3531
3533
3541,42
3541
3542
3561,63
3562
3585
3592
83.4
86.4
91.7
89.5
98.5
85.8
85.5
88.4
-
93.9
107.9
103.0
102.9
104.0
91.4
97.5
89.9
100.1
97.4
104.0
98.8
100.6
93.5
100.2
95.4
93.8
90.3
96.1
104.7
96.5
98.9
89.4
102.4
94.3
99.4
91.7
88.9
98.4
88.0
89.2
85.0
95.9
83.3
100.1
92.0
88.2
91.8
83.0
81.1
87.6
100.2
86.3
100.9
99.6
102.6
87.5
93.6
93.3
93.7
106.1
94.4
105.5
110.3
104.1
79.9
96.7
96.4
96.6
106.8
92.1
103.7
114.0
107.1
73.2
97.7
97.6
97.1
108.3
95.6
101.5
111.1
100.8
75.6
110.8
112.4
105.9
115.4
103.6
107.9
118.8
101.6
72.0
100.2
93.3
112.9
Transformers ....................................................
Switchgear and switchboard apparatus...........
Motors and generators.....................................
Major household appliances.............................
Household cooking equipment......................
Household refrigerators and freezers............
Household laundry equipment.......................
Household appliances, not elsewhere
classified.......................................................
Electric lamps.................................................
Lighting fixtures ..............................................
Radio and television receiving sets..................
Semiconductors and related devices...............
Motor vehicles and equipment.........................
Instruments to measure electricity....................
3612
3613
3621
3631,32,33,39
3631
3632
3633
89.1
83.3
87.8
70.2
68.7
71.7
70.7
89.3
93.4
93.0
93.6
97.8
94.5
93.6
110.6
103.2
96.7
105.8
103.9
114.4
102.1
106.9
99.5
100.4
107.6
105.7
117.4
103.9
99.6
101.3
102.4
108.6
112.6
116.1
105.4
99.1
106.1
104.3
117.6
120.8
127.1
112.2
97.6
107.4
107.9
123.6
131.9
127.5
117.5
99.3
110.6
110.5
127.2
135.6
136.8
118.2
100.4
110.7
112.3
134.1
158.4
133.5
123.1
101.5
109.3
119.2
137.2
168.5
129.0
125.3
3639
3641
3645,46,47,48
3651
3674
371
3825
70.4
88.3
78.1
70.6
99.1
103.2
93.3
116.9
149.4
90.8
108.4
100.4
106.9
88.7
133.6
171.6
93.1
111.9
94.7
108.4
91.0
163.9
197.9
96.9
119.2
103.7
124.8
96.3
196.1
211.5
109.6
121.8
109.8
131.9
102.2
236.9
229.2
115.7
133.7
110.0
126.9
107.1
249.8
206.1
121.2
130.4
113.1
131.1
113.9
278.1
210.5
121.7
122.2
120.1
144.5
109.9
257.7
260.1
129.1
132.2
117.7
150.4
109.8
258.5
70.5
-
88.8
96.4
89.2
90.1
56.0
87.7
95.9
Railroad transportation, revenue traffic............
Railroad transportation, car-miles.....................
Class 1 bus carriers..........................................
Intercity trucking................................................
Intercity trucking, general freight .....................
Air transportation ..............................................
Petroleum pipelines ..........................................
Telephone communications..............................
Gas and electric utilities...................................
Electric utilities................................................
Gas utilities ....................................................
401 Class I
401 Class I
411,13,14 pts.
4213 pt.
4213 pt.
4511,4521 pt.
4612,13
4811
491,92,93
491,493 pt.
492,493 pt.
77.7
89.1
107.3
83.5
76.8
71.4
79.5
62.1
83.1
77.1
102.1
89.5
98.3
97.0
89.2
88.4
87.6
95.7
85.9
94.7
92.9
101.4
107.3
107.9
100.9
107.7
107.5
106.2
93.0
118.1
96.2
94.0
102.1
111.5
107.6
90.7
116.3
117.2
104.9
86.0
124.4
94.4
93.0
98.1
115.8
110.1
98.8
108.0
107.8
114.9
89.2
129.1
89.3
89.5
89.0
141.9
128.9
95.4
130.7
136.0
126.7
94.3
145.1
88.4
90.9
81.1
152.9
137.7
90.9
135.1
137.6
131.7
104.5
143.0
91.6
94.4
83.6
161.7
138.9
87.4
130.2
131.7
136.3
104.9
149.8
90.9
93.5
82.1
178.1
148.2
86.8
134.5
140.9
137.9
107.0
161.3
90.6
95.8
74.1
206.4
167.5
90.6
138.9
144.9
146.1
104.9
165.9
93.5
100.7
71.6
226.5
179.4
86.1
74.6
81.3
82.7
76.5
75.2
95.3
97.8
89.7
122.5
98.8
98.6
93.1
95.0
89.9
85.3
105.0
102.3
106.5
109.5
95.1
111.6
103.8
107.8
100.3
100.1
102.5
99.6
106.7
105.1
117.9
107.1
117.9
123.7
110.3
107.5
109.9
118.8
97.1
97.9
97.9
98.1
109.2
106.7
123.9
116.4
127.8
132.4
114.2
109.2
112.4
113.0
95.5
97.9
90.6
100.4
107.2
111.8
126.4
116.6
142.0
140.7
110.2
111.4
119.5
121.5
95.2
98.6
88.4
109.4
118.9
122.5
132.9
119.5
151.3
149.2
107.9
121.1
126.6
126.8
95.6
100.1
78.9
110.4
118.4
129.1
140.9
125.1
158.3
145.8
110.9
124.6
129.2
118.5
95.8
98.4
69.8
109.7
124.7
134.3
146.3
131.4
162.8
138.5
118.7
137.4
135.3
101.1
93.7
96.3
73.6
110.7
125.6
143.9
153.5
135.0
176.4
136.0
127.5
140.3
138.5
97.2
92.7
93.8
78.9
107.4
134.1
139.8
142.3
134.0
166.1
128.8
119.9
150.6
141.7
93.8
91.8
92.1
76.9
111.8
136.6
141.5
141.2
133.7
162.8
128.0
118.2
5251
5311
5331
54
5411
546
5511
5531
5541
56
5611
5621
5651
5661
-
_
-
106.3
103.1
-
117.4
138.9
170.9
131.2
129.8
-
133.8
-
-
140.8
109.9
176.7
97.9
105.6
74.7
Hardware stores................................................
Department stores............................................
Variety stores ...................................................
Retail food stores .............................................
Grocery stores................................................
Retail bakeries................................................
Franchised new car dealers.............................
Auto and home supply stores..........................
Gasoline service stations..................................
Apparel and accessory stores .........................
Men’s and boys’ clothing stores....................
Women’s ready-to-wear stores .....................
Family clothing stores....................................
Shoe stores....................................................
Furniture, furnishings, and equipment
stores.............................................................
Furniture and home furnishings stores .........
Appliance, radio, television, and music
stores.............................................................
Household appliance stores .......................
Radio, television, and music stores............
57
571
80.1
79.3
91.9
90.1
107.4
98.0
112.6
101.2
109.2
97.6
118.4
104.1
129.4
113.1
133.5
108.7
144.4
115.5
146.8
113.0
154.4
111.0
572,73
572
573
81.2
-
94.8
89.5
98.0
124.0
109.9
131.5
132.4
114.9
140.5
128.7
102.0
142.4
143.4
111.8
159.5
158.5
139.2
165.9
180.0
154.6
190.2
198.9
177.2
206.5
211.9
172.1
226.7
243.2
177.2
269.5
Eating and drinking places ...............................
Drug and proprietary stores..............................
Liquor stores.....................................................
Commercial banking.........................................
Hotels, motels, and tourist courts.....................
Laundry and cleaning services ............ '...........
Beauty and barber shops .................................
Beauty shops.................................................
Automotive repair shops...................................
58
5912
5921
602
7011
721
7231,41
7231
753
100.6
83.4
85.5
85.1
94.7
100.8
94.2
96.3
90.0
89.7
96.6
98.7
100.1
102.0
99.8
107.0
102.2
92.7
95.0
91.0
102.9
106.2
95.9
97.3
107.6
104.0
90.5
91.6
88.4
109.2
114.7
93.3
96.9
107.9
108.1
93.2
88.8
90.6
108.3
113.1
87.4
95.3
110.9
101.6
101.3
95.4
90.4
114.0
120.1
86.1
91.1
105.7
98.7
104.3
102.1
92.3
103.9
112.3
88.3
87.9
105.5
107.1
109.7
97.5
87.3
98.6
104.1
96.1
89.7
104.6
98.0
111.8
92.8
85.0
97.3
98.8
93.2
90.7
103.8
91.6
116.5
88.0
84.1
99.1
100.1
96.1
91.3
105.3
88.5
77.5
124.9
107.0
-
-
-
83.8
96.0
96.2
101.1
- Data not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
95
Current Labor Statistics:
International Comparisons Data
48. Unemployment rates, approximating U.S. concepts, in nine countries, quarterly data
seasonally adjusted
Annual average
1988
1989
Country
1988
1989
II
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
T o t a l la b o r f o r c e b a s is
United States.....................................
Canada ..............................................
Australia ............................................
Japan .................................................
5.4
7.7
7.2
2.5
France ...............................................
Germany............................................
Italy ', 2 ..............................................
Sweden .............................................
United Kingdom.................................
10.0
6.2
7.8
1.6
8.2
5.2
-
_
-
-
5.4
7.6
7.4
2.5
5.4
7.8
6.9
2.6
5.2
7.7
6.8
2.4
5.1
7.5
6.6
2.4
5.2
7.6
6.1
2.3
5.2
7.3
6.0
2.3
5.3
7.5
5.9
2.2
10.0
6.3
7.7
1.6
8.6
10.1
6.2
7.8
1.6
8.0
9.8
6.1
7.7
1.4
7.5
9.8
5.7
7.6
1.4
7.0
9.8
5.6
7.8
1.3
6.5
9.8
5.6
7.7
1.3
6.2
9.8
5.5
7.5
1.4
5.8
5.5
7.7
7.5
2.5
5.5
7.8
7.0
2.6
5.3
7.7
6.8
2.4
5.2
7.6
6.6
2.4
5.3
7.6
6.1
2.3
5.3
7.4
6.0
2.3
5.3
7.6
5.9
2.2
10.2
6.4
7.9
1.6
8.6
10.3
6.3
7.9
1.6
8.0
10.1
6.2
7.8
1.4
7.6
10.0
5.8
7.8
1.4
7.0
10.0
5.7
8.0
1.3
6.6
10.0
5.7
7.8
1.3
6.2
10.0
5.6
7.7
1.4
5.9
C iv ilia n la b o r f o r c e b a s is
United States....................................
Canada ..............................................
Australia ............................................
Japan .................................................
5.5
7.8
7.2
2.5
France ...............................................
Germany............................................
Italy1, 2 ...............................................
Sweden .............................................
United Kingdom.................................
10.4
6.3
7.9
1.6
8.3
5.3
-
_
-
“
1 Quarterly rates are for the first month of the quarter.
2 Many Italians reported as unemployed did not actively
seek work in the past 30 days, and they have been ex
cluded for comparability with U.S. concepts. Inclusion of
such persons would about double the Italian unemployment
rate in 1985 and earlier years and increase it to 11-12 per
cent for 1986 onward.
6 Monthly Labor Review
Digitized9for
FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
- Data not available.
NOTE: Quarterly figures for France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom are calculated by applying annual adjust
ment factors to current published data and therefore should
be viewed as less precise indicators of unemployment under
U.S. concepts than the annual figures.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
49. Annual data: Employment status of the civilian working-age population, approximating U.S. concepts,
10 countries
(Numbers in thousands)
Employment status and country
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
106,940
11,573
6,693
55,740
22,800
26,520
21,120
5,860
4,312
26,520
108,670
11,899
6,810
56,320
22,950
26,650
21,320
6,080
4,327
26,590
110,204
11,926
6,910
56,980
23,160
26,700
21,410
6,140
4,350
26,720
111,550
12,109
6,997
58,110
23,140
26,650
21,590
6,170
4,369
26,750
113,544
12,316
7,135
58,480
23,300
26,760
21,670
6,260
4,385
27,170
115,461
12,532
7,300
58,820
23,360
26,970
21,800
6,280
4,418
27,370
117,834
12,746
7,588
59,410
23,440
27,090
22,290
6,370
4,443
27,540
119,865
13,011
7,758
60,050
23,540
28,360
22,350
6,490
4,480
27,860
121,669
13,275
7,974
60,860
23,580
28,540
22,660
6,540
4,530
28,110
63.8
64.1
62.1
62.6
57.2
53.2
48.2
55.3
66.9
62.5
63.9
64.8
61.9
62.6
57.1
52.9
48.3
56.6
66.8
62.2
64.0
64.1
61.7
62.7
57.1
52.6
47.7
56.5
66.8
62.2
64.0
64.4
61.4
63.1
56.6
52.3
47.5
56.1
66.7
61.9
64.4
64.8
61.5
62.7
56.6
52.4
47.3
56.2
66.6
62.5
64.8
65.3
61.6
62.3
56.3
52.6
47.2
55.7
66.9
62.6
65.3
65.7
62.8
62.1
56.1
52.6
47.8
55.9
67.0
62.6
65.6
66.2
63.0
61.9
55.8
55.0
47.9
56.3
67.3
63.0
65.9
66.7
63.3
61.9
55.6
55.2
48.4
56.2
67.8
63.3
99,303
10,708
6,284
54,600
21,330
25,750
20,200
5,510
4,226
24,670
100,397
11,001
6,416
55,060
21,200
25,560
20,280
5,540
4,219
23,800
99,526
10,618
6,415
55,620
21,240
25,140
20,250
5,510
4,213
23,720
100,834
10,675
6,300
56,550
21,170
24,750
20,320
5,410
4,218
23,610
105,005
10,932
6,494
56,870
20,980
24,790
20,390
5,490
4,249
23,990
107,150
11,221
6,697
57,260
20,920
24,960
20,490
5,640
4,293
24,310
109,597
11,531
6,974
57,740
20,950
25,230
20,610
5,730
4,326
24,460
112,440
11,861
7,129
58,320
21,010
26,550
20,590
5,840
4,396
25,010
114,968
12,244
7,398
59,310
21,140
26,730
20,870
5,920
4,458
25,780
59.2
59.3
58.3
61.3
53.5
51.7
46.1
52.0
65.6
58.1
59.0
59.9
58.4
61.2
52.8
50.8
45.9
51.6
65.1
55.7
57.8
57.1
57.3
61.2
52.3
49.6
45.2
50.7
64.7
55.2
57.9
56.8
55.3
61.4
51.8
48.6
44.7
49.2
64.4
54.7
59.5
57.5
56.0
61.0
51.0
48.5
44.5
49.3
64.5
55.2
60.1
58.5
56.5
60.6
50.4
48.7
44.4
50.0
65.0
55.6
60.7
59.4
57.7
60.4
50.2
49.0
44.2
50.2
65.2
55.6
61.5
60.4
57.9
60.1
49.8
51.5
44.1
50.6
66.0
56.6
62.3
61.6
58.7
60.4
49.9
51.7
44.6
50.9
66.7
58.0
7,637
865
409
1,140
1,470
770
920
350
86
1,850
8,273
898
394
1,260
1,750
1,090
1,040
540
108
2,790
10,678
1,308
495
1,360
1,920
1,560
1,160
630
137
3,000
10,717
1,434
697
1,560
1,970
1,900
1,270
760
151
3,140
8,539
1,384
641
1,610
2,320
1,970
1,280
770
136
3,180
8,312
1,311
603
1,560
2,440
2,010
1,310
640
125
3,060
8,237
1,215
613
1,670
2,490
1,860
1,680
640
117
3,080
7,425
1,150
629
1,730
2,530
1,800
1,760
650
84
2,850
6,701
1,031
576
1,550
2,440
1,810
1,790
620
72
2,330
7.1
7.5
6.1
2.0
6.4
2.9
4.4
6.0
2.0
7.0
7.6
7.5
5.8
2.2
7.6
4.1
4.9
8.9
2.5
10.5
9.7
11.0
7.2
2.4
8.3
5.8
5.4
10.3
3.1
11.2
9.6
11.8
10.0
2.7
8.5
7.1
5.9
12.3
7.5
11.2
9.0
2.8
10.0
7.4
5.9
12.3
3.1
11.7
7.2
10.5
8.3
2.6
10.4
7.5
6.0
10.2
2.8
11.2
7.0
9.5
8.1
2.8
10.6
6.9
7.5
10.0
2.6
11.2
6.2
8.8
8.1
2.9
10.8
6.4
7.9
10.0
1.9
10.2
5.5
7.8
7.2
2.5
10.4
6.3
7.9
9.5
1.6
8.3
L a b o r fo r c e
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France...................................................................
Germany...............................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
P a r t ic ip a t io n r a t e 1
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
E m p lo y e d
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany...............................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
E m p lo y m e n t-p o p u la tio n r a tio 2
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France...................................................................
Germany...............................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
U n e m p lo y e d
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany...............................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
U n e m p lo y m e n t ra te
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
1 L a b o r fo rc e a s a p e rc e n t o f th e civ ilian w o rk in g -a g e p o p u la tio n .
2 E m p lo y m e n t a s a p e rc e n t o f th e civilian w o rk in g -a g e pop u latio n ,
NO TE:
-
11.7
S e e “ N o te s o n th e d a ta ” fo r in fo rm atio n o n b re a k s in s e rie s
fo r G e rm a n y , Italy, th e N e th e rla n d s , a n d S w e d e n .
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
97
Current Labor Statistics:
50.
International Comparisons Data
Annual indexes of manufacturing productivity and related measures, 12 countries
(1977 = 100)
1960
1970
1973
1977
1978
1979
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
60.7
50.7
23.2
33.0
37.2
37.4
40.3
37.2
32.4
54.3
42.3
55.9
80.2
75.6
64.8
60.4
65.6
71.4
71.2
69.8
64.3
81.3
80.7
80.3
92.6
90.3
83.1
78.8
83.3
83.8
84.0
83.4
81.5
94.4
94.8
95.4
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
101.6
101.1
108.0
106.1
101.5
104.6
103.1
106.5
106.4
101.2
102.8
101.4
101.6
102.0
114.8
112.0
106.5
109.7
108.2
116.6
112.3
107.4
110.9
102.5
104.0
102.9
127.2
127.6
114.2
113.9
111.0
125.4
116.9
108.0
113.2
107.1
106.6
98.3
135.0
135.2
114.6
122.0
112.6
128.5
119.4
109.2
116.5
113.5
112.2
105.4
142.3
148.1
120.2
125.1
119.2
135.3
127.9
117.2
125.5
123.1
118.2
114.4
152.5
155.0
119.6
127.5
123.7
148.8
139.2
124.1
131.0
129.9
123.5
117.3
161.1
158.6
120.3
132.7
128.4
156.8
145.1
126.8
136.1
134.1
128.2
117.7
163.7
164.5
116.2
135.2
128.3
158.3
144.8
125.9
136.0
138.6
132.9
120.5
176.5
170.5
117.2
136.8
129.9
162.3
145.9
132.2
141.8
147.6
136.5
124.3
190.0
117.2
144.1
135.9
167.1
153.2
52.5
41.3
19.2
41.9
49.2
36.5
50.0
33.0
44.8
54.8
52.6
71.2
78.6
73.5
69.9
78.6
82.0
75.5
86.6
69.0
84.4
86.5
92.5
94.9
96.3
93.5
91.9
96.4
95.9
90.5
96.1
83.5
95.8
99.2
100.3
104.7
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
106.0
104.6
106.7
101.4
99.7
102.3
101.8
104.9
102.8
97.7
97.3
100.6
108.1
108.5
113.9
104.2
105.4
105.3
106.6
115.7
106.1
100.5
103.6
100.5
104.8
107.4
129.8
105.6
106.6
102.9
104.9
119.9
106.7
98.6
100.6
86.3
98.4
93.6
137.3
110.1
108.3
104.0
102.4
118.7
105.0
96.8
100.1
86.4
104.7
99.6
148.2
114.7
115.6
103.8
103.6
119.7
107.0
97.2
105.2
88.8
117.5
112.5
165.4
118.0
121.0
102.6
106.4
125.3
113.3
102.7
111.5
92.5
122.0
118.8
177.0
119.6
124.9
103.0
110.0
129.0
116.7
106.5
115.3
94.8
124.7
121.9
177.8
121.4
125.9
102.8
110.8
131.9
118.1
106.9
114.7
95.6
130.1
128.5
190.8
123.3
121.1
101.8
111.6
137.3
118.7
108.3
119.2
101.0
138.1
136.0
212.3
86.5
81.4
82.7
127.1
132.4
97.6
123.8
88.9
138.4
101.1
124.4
127.3
97.9
97.2
107.9
130.2
125.1
105.7
121.7
98.9
131.2
106.4
114.6
118.1
104.0
103.6
110.7
122.3
115.2
107.9
114.4
100.1
117.6
105.1
105.7
109.8
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
104.3
103.4
98.8
95.5
98.3
97.8
98.7
98.5
96.6
96.5
94.6
99.1
106.3
106.3
99.3
93.0
99.0
95.9
98.5
99.3
94.4
93.6
93.4
98.0
100.8
104.3
102.0
82.8
93.4
90.3
94.6
95.6
91.2
91.3
88.9
80.6
92.3
95.2
101.7
81.4
94.5
85.2
91.0
92.4
88.0
88.6
85.9
76.2
93.4
94.5
104.2
77.5
96.2
83.0
86.9
88.5
83.6
82.9
83.9
72.2
99.4
98.3
108.5
76.1
101.2
80.4
86.1
84.2
81.4
82.8
85.1
71.2
98.7
101.2
109.8
75.4
103.8
77.6
85.7
82.3
80.5
84.0
84.7
70.7
97.3
103.6
108.6
73.8
108.4
76.1
86.4
83.3
81.5
84.9
84.3
69.0
97.9
106.6
108.1
72.3
103.3
74.4
85.9
84.6
81.3
81.9
84.0
68.5
101.2
109.4
111.7
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Denmark...............................................................
France...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
35.6
27.5
8.9
13.8
12.6
15.0
18.8
9.2
12.5
15.8
14.7
15.2
57.0
47.9
33.9
34.9
36.3
36.3
48.0
27.1
39.0
37.9
38.5
31.4
68.2
60.0
55.1
53.5
56.1
51.9
67.5
41.2
60.5
54.6
54.2
47.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
108.3
107.6
106.6
107.8
110.2
113.0
107.8
115.2
108.4
110.0
111.4
116.7
118.9
118.6
113.4
117.4
123.1
128.4
116.1
139.5
117.0
116.0
120.1
139.0
145.7
151.1
129.8
144.5
149.7
172.0
134.5
197.9
129.1
142.8
148.1
193.4
158.7
167.0
136.6
150.7
162.9
204.0
141.0
233.3
137.5
156.1
158.9
211.7
162.7
177.2
140.7
159.8
174.2
225.2
148.3
273.1
144.5
173.5
173.3
226.6
168.1
185.6
144.9
173.1
184.1
244.9
155.5
313.3
148.6
188.3
189.7
242.3
176.3
194.4
151.4
183.6
196.5
265.4
164.6
352.0
156.9
204.3
212.4
258.8
184.3
203.5
158.9
190.8
203.5
278.7
171.5
367.4
162.2
224.2
228.7
277.8
189.2
214.0
162.5
194.7
225.9
291.4
178.1
391.2
167.0
257.4
244.8
295.7
National currency basis
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Denmark...............................................................
France...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
58.7
54.2
38.4
41.7
33.8
40.2
46.6
24.7
38.5
29.2
34.8
27.2
71.0
63.4
52.3
57.8
55.4
50.8
67.4
38.8
60.7
46.6
47.7
39.1
73.7
66.5
66.4
67.9
67.4
62.0
80.3
49.4
74.3
57.8
57.2
50.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
106.6
106.5
98.7
101.6
108.6
108.0
104.5
108.1
101.8
108.7
108.4
115.0
117.0
116.2
98.8
104.8
115.7
117.0
107.3
119.7
104.1
108.1
108.3
135.6
140.1
146.7
102.0
113.2
131.1
151.0
121.2
157.8
110.4
132.2
130.9
180.6
148.8
170.0
101.2
111.5
142.2
167.2
125.2
181.6
115.2
142.9
136.3
186.5
145.1
168.1
98.9
107.9
144.9
179.9
124.4
201.9
113.0
148.0
138.1
184.1
142.3
162.3
95.0
111.7
153.9
192.0
125.8
210.6
106.8
151.8
144.8
186.5
142.7
165.7
94.0
115.8
163.3
200.0
128.3
224.5
108.1
161.1
156.1
193.0
143.8
172.8
97.1
116.0
175.1
206.2
133.7
232.0
112.0
178.1
168.2
200.4
142.3
177.5
92.1
114.2
192.8
213.0
137.1
241.0
114.4
194.7
172.6
200.4
U.S. dollar basis
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Denmark...............................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany...............................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
Sweden .................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
58.7
59.4
28.5
30.0
29.5
40.3
25.9
35.1
25.1
21.8
30.1
43.7
71.0
64.5
39.1
41.7
44.4
45.2
42.9
54.7
41.2
34.7
41.1
53.7
73.7
70.6
65.6
62.7
67.2
68.6
70.4
75.0
65.6
53.5
58.7
70.5
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
106.6
99.3
126.8
115.8
118.4
117.9
121.0
112.4
115.7
110.4
107.2
126.5
117.0
105.4
121.3
128.1
132.0
135.2
135.9
127.2
127.4
113.6
112.9
164.9
140.1
130.0
123.8
109.6
110.3
136.4
124.9
122.4
108.9
122.5
115.4
209.6
148.8
146.3
108.8
87.2
102.3
124.9
119.7
118.4
105.8
117.8
96.9
186.8
145.1
144.9
111.5
75.6
95.1
116.1
113.1
117.3
97.1
107.9
80.4
160.0
142.3
133.2
107.2
69.3
89.3
108.1
102.6
105.9
81.6
99.0
78.2
142.9
142.7
128.9
105.6
69.9
92.5
109.5
101.2
103.8
80.0
99.8
81.1
143.5
143.8
132.1
154.4
93.1
129.9
146.3
143.0
137.4
112.2
124.7
105.4
168.6
142.3
142.3
170.5
109.5
169.0
174.2
177.0
164.0
138.6
153.7
121.5
188.3
Item and country
O u tp u t p e r h o u r
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Denmark................................................................
France...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
-
145.0
154.9
O u tp u t
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Denmark...............................................................
France...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
-
118.4
105.7
116.3
145.3
123.8
-
124.0
108.2
T o t a l h o u rs
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Denmark................................................................
France...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
-
101.0
73.4
85.5
87.0
80.8
-
85.5
69.8
C o m p e n s a t io n p e r h o u r
196.0
227.1
171.3
-
230.1
301.9
185.5
416.3
172.8
-
261.1
319.3
U n it la b o r c o s t s :
143.6
182.7
90.2
-
196.3
209.6
136.4
249.1
112.8
-
180.0
206.2
U n it la b o r c o s t s :
98
Monthly Labor Review
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
143.6
157.8
188.4
-
174.8
172.9
180.3
168.8
139.9
-
131.1
210.5
51.
Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by industry, United States
Industry and type of case'
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
P R IV A T E S E C T O R 3
Total cases..............................................................................
Lost workday cases ..........................................
Lost workdays............................................
8.7
40
65.2
8.3
3 fì
61.7
7.7
7.6
8.C
58.7
58.5
63.4
11 9
58
82.7
5.9
82.8
86.0
90.8
11 P
65
163.6
fi P
146.4
137.3
15.7
6.5
117.0
15.1
6.3
113.1
15.5
6.5
113.0
7.9
3.6
7.9
3.6
8.3
3.8
90.7
91.3
93.6
94.1
125.1
160.2
145.3
125.9
144.0
152.1
14.6
6.0
115.7
14.8
6.3
118.2
15.5
6.9
128.1
15.2
6.8
128.9
15.2
6.9
134.5
14.7
6.8
135.8
14.6
6.8
142.2
15.1
6.1
107.1
14.1
5.9
112.0
14.4
6.2
113.0
15.4
6.9
121.3
15.2
6.8
120.4
14.9
6.6
122.7
14.2
6.5
134.0
14.0
6.4
132.2
16.3
6.3
117.6
14.9
6.0
106.0
15.1
5.8
113.1
15.4
6.2
122.4
14.9
6.4
131.7
14.5
6.3
127.3
14.7
6.3
132.9
14.5
6.4
139.1
15.1
7.0
162.3
15.5
6.7
118.9
15.2
6.6
119.3
14.7
6.2
118.6
14.8
6.4
119.0
15.8
7.1
130.1
15.4
7.0
133.3
15.6
7.2
140.4
15.0
7.1
135.7
14.7
7.0
141.1
12.2
5.4
86.7
11.5
5.1
82.0
10.2
4.4
75.0
10.0
4.3
73.5
10.6
4.7
77.9
10.4
4.6
80.2
10.6
4.7
85.2
11.9
5.3
95.5
13.1
5.7
107.4
18.6
9.5
171.8
17.6
9.0
158.4
16.9
8.3
153.3
18.3
9.2
163.5
19.6
9.9
172.0
18.5
9.3
171.4
18.9
9.7
177.2
18.9
9.6
176.5
19.5
10.0
189.1
16.0
6.6
97.6
15.1
6.2
91.9
13.9
5.5
85.6
14.1
5.7
83.0
15.3
6.4
101.5
15.0
6.3
100.4
15.2
6.3
103.0
15.4
6.7
103.6
16.6
7.3
115.7
15.0
7.1
128.1
14.1
6.9
122.2
13.0
6.1
112.2
13.1
6.0
112.0
13.6
6.6
120.8
13.9
6.7
127.8
13.6
6.5
126.0
14.9
7.1
135.8
16.0
7.5
141.0
15.2
7.1
128.3
14.4
6.7
121.3
12.4
5.4
101.6
12.4
5.4
103.4
13.3
6.1
115.3
12.6
5.7
113.8
13.6
6.1
125.5
17.0
7.4
145.8
19.4
8.2
161.3
18.5
8.0
118.4
17.5
7.5
109.9
15.3
6.4
102.5
15.1
6.1
96.5
16.1
6.7
104.9
16.3
6.9
110.1
16.0
6.8
115.5
17.0
7.2
121.9
18.8
8.0
138.8
13.7
5.5
81.3
12.9
5.1
74.9
10.7
4.2
66.0
9.8
3.6
58.1
10.7
4.1
65.8
10.8
4.2
69.3
10.7
4.2
72.0
11.3
4.4
72.7
12.1
4.7
82.8
8.0
3.3
51.8
7.4
3.1
48.4
6.5
2.7
42.2
6.3
2.6
41.4
6.8
2.8
45.0
6.4
2.7
45.7
6.4
2.7
49.8
7.2
3.1
55.9
8.0
3.3
64.6
10.6
4.9
82.4
9.8
4.6
78.1
9.2
4.0
72.2
8.4
3.6
64.5
9.3
4.2
68.8
9.0
3.9
71.6
9.6
4.1
79.1
13.5
5.7
105.7
17.7
6.6
134.2
6.8
2.7
41.8
6.5
2.7
39.2
5.6
2.3
37.0
5.2
2.1
35.6
5.4
2.2
37.5
5.2
2.2
37.9
5.3
2.3
42.2
5.8
2.4
43.9
6.1
2.6
51.5
10.9
4.4
67.9
10.7
4.4
68.3
9.9
4.1
69.9
9.9
4.0
66.3
10.5
4.3
70.2
9.7
4.2
73.2
10.2
4.3
70.9
10.7
4.6
81.5
11.3
5.1
91.0
18.7
9.0
136.8
17.8
8.6
130.7
16.7
8.0
129.3
16.5
7.9
131.2
16.7
8.1
131.6
16.7
8.1
138.0
16.5
8.0
137.8
17.7
8.6
153.7
18.5
9.2
169.7
8.6
A g r ic u lt u r e , f o r e s t r y , a n d fis h in g 3
Total cases...................................................
Lost workday cases.........................................................................
Lost workdays..................................................
M in in g
Total cases...................................................
Lost workday cases .....................................
Lost workdays..........................................................................
C o n s tr u c tio n
Total cases..............................................................................
Lost workday cases ................................................................
Lost workdays.................................................................
General building contractors:
Total cases.....................................................................
Lost workday cases.................................................................
Lost workdays..................................................................
Heavy construction contractors:
Total cases.....................................................................
Lost workday cases................................................................
Lost workdays...............................................................
Special trade contractors:
Total cases..............................................................................
Lost workday cases...............................................................
Lost workdays...............................................................
M a n u fa c tu r in g
Total cases...............................................................................
Lost workday cases ................................................................
Lost workdays.......................................................................
D u r a b le g o o d s
Lumber and wood products:
Total cases.................................................................
Lost workday cases.................................................................
Lost workdays..................................................
Furniture and fixtures:
Total cases.....................................................................
Lost workday cases .................................................................
Lost workdays.....................................................
Stone, clay, and glass products:
Total cases...............................................................................
Lost workday cases .................................................................
Lost workdays.........................................................
Primary metal industries:
Total cases...............................................................
Lost workday cases .................................................................
Lost workdays...........................................................
Fabricated metal products:
Total cases...................................................................
Lost workday cases ................................................
Lost workdays.............................................................
Machinery, except electrical:
Total cases.......................................................
Lost workday cases..............................................
Lost workdays.......................................................
Electric and electronic equipment:
Total cases.................................................................
Lost workday cases ....................................................
Lost workdays..............................................................
Transportation equipment:
Total cases...........................................................
Lost workday cases............................................................
Lost workdays..................................................
Instruments and related products:
Total cases....................................................................
Lost workday cases ...............................................................
Lost workdays.............................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries:
Total cases..........................................................................
Lost workday cases.......................................................
Lost workdays................................................
..........
..........
..........
N o n d u r a b le g o o d s
Food and kindred products:
Total cases...................................................................
Lost workday cases...................................................
Lost workdays...........................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review
April 1990
99
Current Labor Statistics:
Injury & Illness Data
51. Continued— Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by industry, United States
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers2
Industry and type of case1
Tobacco manufacturing:
Total cases..................................
Lost workday cases....................
Lost workdays.............................
Textile mill products:
Total cases..................................
Lost workday cases....................
Lost workdays.............................
Apparel and other textile products:
Total cases..................................
Lost workday cases....................
Lost workdays.............................
Paper and allied products:
Total cases..................................
Lost workday cases...................
Lost workdays.............................
8.1
3.8
45.8
8.2
3.9
56.8
7.2
3.2
44.6
6.5
3.0
42.8
7.7
3.2
51.7
7.3
3.0
51.7
6.7
2.5
45.6
2.5
46.4
9.3
2.9
53.0
9.1
3.3
62.8
8.8
3.2
59.2
7.6
2.8
53.8
7.4
2.8
51.4
8.0
3.0
54.0
7.5
3.0
57.4
7.8
3.1
59.3
9.0
3.6
65.9
9.6
4.0
78.8
6.4
2.2
34.9
6.3
2.2
35.0
6.0
2.1
36.4
6.4
2.4
40.6
6.7
2.5
40.9
6.7
2.6
44.1
6.7
2.7
49.4
7.4
3.1
59.5
8.1
12.7
5.8
112.3
11.6
5.4
103.6
10.6
4.9
99.1
10.0
4.5
90.3
10.4
4.7
93.8
10.2
4.7
94.6
10.5
4.7
99.5
12.8
5.8
122.3
13.1
5.9
124.3
6.9
3.1
46.5
6.7
3.0
47.4
6.6
2.8
45.7
6.6
2.9
44.6
6.5
2.9
46.0
6.3
2.9
49.2
6.5
2.9
50.8
6.7
3.1
55.1
6.6
3.2
59.8
6.8
3.1
50.3
6.6
3.0
48.1
5.7
2.5
39.4
5.5
2.5
42.3
5.3
2.4
40.8
5.1
2.3
38.8
6.3
2.7
49.4
7.0
3.1
58.8
7.0
3.3
59.0
7.2
3.5
59.1
6.7
2.9
51.2
5.3
2.5
46.4
5.5
2.4
46.8
5.1
2.4
53.5
5.1
2.4
49.9
7.1
3.2
67.5
7.3
3.1
65.9
7.0
3.2
68.4
15.5
7.4
118.6
14.6
7.2
117.4
12.7
6.0
100.9
13.0
6.2
101.4
13.6
6.4
104.3
13.4
6.3
107.4
14.0
16.3
118.2
15.9
7.6
130.8
142.9
11.7
5.0
82.7
11.5
5.1
82.6
9.9
4.5
86.5
10.0
4.4
87.3
10.5
4.7
94.4
10.3
4.6
88.3
10.5
4.8
83.4
12.4
5.8
114.5
11.4
5.6
128.2
9.4
5.5
104.5
9.0
5.3
8.5
4.9
96.7
8.2
8.8
8.6
4.7
94.9
5.2
105.1
5.0
107.1
8.2
4.8
100.6
102.1
8.4
4.9
108.1
8.9
5.1
118.6
7.4
3.2
48.7
7.3
3.1
45.3
7.2
3.1
45.5
7.2
3.1
47.8
7.4
3.3
50.5
7.4
3.2
50.7
7.7
3.3
54.0
7.7
3.4
56.1
7.8
3.5
60.9
8.2
3.9
58.2
7.7
3.6
54.7
7.1
3.4
52.1
7.0
3.2
50.6
7.2
3.5
55.5
7.2
3.5
59.8
7.2
3.6
62.5
7.4
3.7
64.0
7.6
3.8
69.2
7.1
2.9
44.5
7.1
2.9
41.1
7.2
2.9
42.6
7.3
3.0
46.7
7.5
3.2
48.4
7.5
3.1
47.0
7.8
3.2
50.5
7.8
3.3
52.9
7.9
3.4
57.6
2.0
.8
12.2
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
.9
13.2
.9
12.8
1.9
.9
13.6
2.0
.8
11.6
.9
15.4
.9
17.1
.9
14.3
.9
17.2
5.2
2.3
35.8
5.0
2.3
35.9
4.9
2.3
35.8
5.1
2.4
37.0
5.2
2.5
41.1
5.4
2.6
45.4
5.3
2.5
43.0
5.5
2.7
45.8
5.4
2.6
47.7
Printing and publishing:
Total cases..................................................
Lost workday cases ....................................
Lost workdays.............................................
Chemicals and allied products:
Total cases..................................................
Lost workday cases ....................................
Lost workdays.............................................
Petroleum and coal products:
T o ta l c a s e s ..................................................................
Lost workday cases...................................
Lost workdays.............................................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products:
Total cases..................................................
Lost workday cases....................................
Lost workdays.............................................
Leather and leather products:
Total cases..................................................
Lost workday cases....................................
Lost workdays.............................................
6.6
8.6
3.5
68.2
8.1
T r a n s p o r t a t io n a n d p u b lic u tilitie s
Total cases..................................................................
Lost workday cases....................................................
Lost workdays ............................................................
W h o le s a le a n d r e ta il tr a d e
Total cases............................................................
Lost workday cases..............................................
Lost workdays.......................................................
Wholesale trade:
Total cases............................................................
Lost workday cases..............................................
Lost workdays.......................................................
Retail trade:
Total cases............................................................
Lost workday cases..............................................
Lost workdays.......................................................
F in a n c e , in s u ra n c e , a n d r e a l e s t a t e
Total cases....................................................................
Lost workday cases......................................................
Lost workdays...............................................................
S e r v ic e s
Total cases............
Lost workday cases
Lost workdays.......
1 Total cases include fatalities.
2 The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses or lost
workdays per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as:
(N/EH) X 200,000, where:
N = number of injuries and illnesses or lost workdays.
1 0 0FRASER
Monthly Labor Review
Digitized for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April 1990
EH = total hours worked by all employees during calendar year.
200,000 = base for 100 full-time equivalent workers (working 40 hours per
week, 50 weeks per year.)
3 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees since 1976.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Washington, DC 20212
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U.S. Department of Labor
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LIB FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF
ST LOUIS
p 0 BOX 442
SAINT LOUIS
MO 63166
1915-1990
Schedule of release dates for
bls
statistical series
Series
Release
date
Period
covered
Release
date
Period
covered
Release
date
Period
covered
Employment situation
May 4
April
June 1
May
July 6
June
June 4
1st quarter
MLR table
number
1; 4-21
Productivity and costs:
Nonfarm business and manufacturing
Nonfinancial corporations
2; 44-47
May 7
1st quarter
Producer Price Indexes
May 11
April
June 14
May
July 13
June
2; 34-37
Consumer Price Indexes
May 16
April
June 15
May
July 18
June
2; 31-33
Real earnings
May 16
April
June 15
May
July 18
June
14-17
U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes
May 24
April
June 28
May
July 26
2nd quarter
38-43
Employment Cost Index
July 24
1st quarter
22-25
Major collective bargaining settlements
July 24
1st quarter
26-29
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2; 44-47
@FedFRASER