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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
September 1988
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In this issue:
Employment profile of older women
Labor force activity from a new perspective
Eye care sponsored by employers
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Ann McLaughlin, Secretary
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Janet L. Norwood, Commissioner
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RESEARCH LIBRARY
Federal R e s e rv e Bank
of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 1988
VOLUME 111, NUMBER 9
OCT 1 2 1988
Henry Lowenstern, Editor-in-Chief
Robert W. Fisher, Executive Editor
Diane E. Herz
3
Employment characteristics of older women, 1987
Early retirement by men and Increased labor force participation by women
in their mld-50’s have rapidly enlarged the female share of the older paid work force
E. F. Mellor, W. Parks II
13 A year's work: labor force activity from a different perspective
The annual March work experience supplement to the Current Population Survey
provides a unique view of labor force activity which complements monthly cps data
Rita S. Jain
19
Employer-sponsored vision care brought into focus
Employee participation in vision care plans doubled between 1980 and 1986
In medium and large firms; coverage rose 150 percent for white-collar workers
John Tschetter
24
An evaluation of
bls
projections of the 1985 economy
Evaluation of bls projections of 1985 employment shows their sensitivity
to underlying estimates of population, labor force, and productivity
REPORTS
Mary Jablonski and others
34
Productivity, age, and labor composition changes in the U.S.
Howard V. Hayghe
38
Employers and child care: what roles do they play?
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DEPARTMENTS
34
45
46
49
53
Research summaries
Major agreements expiring next month
Developments in industrial relations
Book reviews
Current labor statistics
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Employment characteristics
of older women, 1987
Early retirement by men
and increased labor force participation
by women in their mid-fifties
have rapidly enlarged the fem ale share
o f the older paid work force
D ia n e E. H erz
Since the late 1970’s, the number of youths in the labor
force has fallen by 2.4 million and labor force growth of
women in the central age groups (25-44) has slowed
considerably. Some employers have found it increasingly
difficult to recruit workers and have turned to older
persons (age 55 and over) to fill their hiring needs. As the
“graying of America” progresses, older workers may
become a greatly sought-after resource.
However, while the attractiveness of older persons as a
source of labor may have increased, work force participa
tion among those age 55 and over has, until the last few
years, declined steadily. Understanding who older work
ers are, why they leave the labor force or continue to
work, and what types of jobs they hold is critical for
developing strategies aimed at increasing, or at least
maintaining, their employment.1
Most past studies on older workers and retirement have
largely ignored women, partly because the female share of
the older paid work force has traditionally been small. In
1950, for example, only 2 of 10 workers age 55 and over
were women. Since then, early retirement by men and
increased labor force participation by women in their
mid-fifties have expanded that proportion rapidly. As a
result, it is no longer possible to ignore the labor force
Diane E. Herz is an economist in the Division of Labor Force Statistics,
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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behavior of women age 55 and over, who now are 4 of
every 10 older workers.
This article focuses on women age 55 and over who
work. It first presents an overview of the group’s work
activity, occupational distribution, education, and earn
ings, and then discusses these characteristics as they vary
according to marital status and race. The data for this
study come primarily from the Current Population
Survey ( c p s ) . 2 Although it is limited in longitudinal
capability, the c p s is probably the most comprehensive
source of data on employment of older women. Where
possible, other sources are used to supplement c p s
findings.
Work activity
Recent trends.
While labor force participation of men
age 55 and over has declined dramatically, that of older
women as a group has remained remarkably stable. In
1987, 6.2 million women, or 2 of 10 age 55 or older, were
in the labor force—about the same proportion as 20 years
earlier. However, between 1967 and 1987, the labor force
patterns of subgroups of older women varied. Women
between the ages of 55 and 59 participated in the general
increase in female labor force activity, although to a lesser
extent than younger groups of women. (See table 1.) In
contrast, the rates for women ages 60 to 61 were largely
unchanged. Women in their mid to late sixties, like their
male counterparts, responded to changes in both Social
3
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Table 1. Labor force status of the population by sex and
selected ages, 1967 and 1987 annual averages
W om en
Y e a r and age
P o p u la tio n
La b o r
fo r c e
M en
L a b o r fo rc e
p a r tic ip a tio n
P o p u la tio n
La b o r
fo r c e
r a te
L a b o r fo rc e
p a r tic ip a tio n
r a te
19 6 7
25-54 ...............
55-64 ...............
5 5 -5 9 ..............
6 0 -6 4 ..............
60-61 ...........
62-64 ...........
65 and o v e r.....
6 5 -6 9 ..............
70 and over ...
35,265
9,092
4,898
4,195
1,777
2,418
10,222
3,485
6,737
16,675
3,855
2,370
1,490
728
762
984
593
391
47.3
42.4
48.4
35.5
41.0
31.5
9.6
17.0
5.8
32,361
8,218
4,495
3,724
1,589
2,135
7,811
2,896
4,915
31,255
6,937
4,050
2,887
1,334
1,553
2,125
1,260
865
96.6
84.4
90.1
77.5
84.0
72.7
27.2
43.5
17.6
50,763
11,567
5,787
5,781
2,352
3,429
16,476
5,325
11,151
36,485
4,937
3,019
1,918
965
953
1,221
761
459
71.9
42.7
52.2
33.2
41.0
28.0
7.4
14.3
4.1
48,471
10,267
5,249
5,018
2,068
2,950
11,632
4,411
7,221
45,419
6,940
4,185
2,755
1,397
1,358
1,899
1,138
761
93.7
67.6
79.7
54.9
67.6
46.0
16.3
25.8
10.5
19 8 7
25-54 ...............
55-64 ...............
5 5 -5 9 ..............
6 0 -6 4 ..............
60-61 ...........
62-64 ...........
65 and o v e r......
6 5 -6 9 ..............
70 and over ...
Security and private pension benefits by reducing their
labor force participation.3
As table 1 illustrates, participation rates decline rapidly
with age. This occurs for two reasons. First, as women get
older, many leave their jobs and withdraw from the labor
force. This is especially common at age 62, when
eligibility begins for reduced Social Security benefits, and
at age 65, for full benefits. Second, the women in the 55and-over group who were born earliest participated in the
labor market to a lesser extent than those born 10 or 15
years later. Thus, some of the age differences observed in
the 1987 “snapshot” are not totally a result of aging; they
also represent a cohort effect. Cohort effects may include
differences in work patterns, attitudes, and education
levels between groups of women born at different times.
Women who continue working beyond normal retire
ment age often reduce their work activity in terms of
hours, weeks, or both.4 Chart 1 illustrates a shift in work
schedules with age. In 1986, women between ages 55 and
61 worked similar schedules to those of their central-age
counterparts—more than half worked full time and year
round. That proportion edged down for those between
ages 62 and 64, and only a quarter of women age 65 or
older had such schedules. Similarly, the proportion of
women working the most abbreviated schedules (part
time for less than 50 weeks) increased to 1 of 5 after age 62
and 2 of 5 after age 70.
Changing worklife patterns.
Women born at different
times have had strikingly different worklife patterns. The
fact that women at or near retirement ages have dramati
cally lower participation rates than young women is only
partly an aging effect. To a large extent, it reflects
4
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Job Characteristics o f Older Women
differences between cohorts of women. Many over the age
of 50 in 1987, for example, first reached the age of labor
force entry in the 1940’s or 1950’s, when women were not
usually expected or encouraged to work and when
employment opportunities for them were limited (an
exception was during World War II, but most women
returned to their prior work patterns after the war).
Changes in social norms regarding women’s work force
participation in subsequent decades affected young
women dramatically, and the effect has been lasting. As a
result, women in their late thirties today are far more
likely to be in the labor force than were their mothers or
grandmothers at any age.
Chart 2 illustrates differences in the labor force
participation patterns of 5-year cohorts of women who
were between ages 30 and 69 in 1987. By linking together
the participation rates of these groups as they passed
through successive ages (for example, women ages 60 to
64 in 1987 were 45 to 49 in 1972, 50 to 54 in 1977, and so
on) a longitudinal perspective is derived from crosssectional c p s data.5 As the chart illustrates, even between
cohorts born as few as 5 years apart, differences in labor
force participation are striking. At every age, each
successive cohort was more likely to work than the
preceding one. A comparison of the oldest and youngest
groups of women illustrates the cumulative effect of that
trend. For example, 7 of 10 women in their thirties
worked in 1987, more than twice as many as in 1957.
Not only have participation rates risen with each
successive cohort of women, but, as chart 2 shows,
fundamental changes in worklife patterns have occurred
over time. The older cohorts followed a pattern in which
slightly fewer than half of women were in the work force
in their early twenties; their participation rates dropped
sharply during their childbearing years, and then rose to a
peak in their late forties or early fifties. The peak rose
higher and higher for each successive cohort, but the
pattern remained essentially the same.
In the last decade or so, that pattern has apparently
been replaced by one in which participation rates start
much higher and continue to rise with no dropoff during
childbearing years. The pattern for the two groups of
women in their thirties makes it easy to envision future
generations having sustained participation rates above 70
percent until they approach retirement age—a pattern
reflected in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ projections to
the year 2000.6 In fact, although women’s participation
rates are lower than men’s at each age, the current labor
force patterns of young women resemble those of their
fathers more closely than those of their mothers.7
Jobs older women hold
Occupational segregation.
Despite media attention fo
cusing on women’s movement into nontraditional
Chart 1. Distribution of w ork schedules of women, selected ages, 1986
Percent
100
M
Part time,
part year
□
Part time,
full year
■ Full time,
part year
H Full time,
full year
70 and
over
occupations, a majority of women, both older and
younger, work in stereotyped occupations. In 1987, for
example, nearly two-thirds of working women age 55 and
over and more than half of those between the ages of 25
and 34 were employed in three traditionally female job
categories—sales, administrative support (including cleri
cal), and services. (See table 2.)
Some reduction in occupational sex segregation has
occurred in recent years, although new opportunities have
accrued almost exclusively to young women and new
labor force entrants. The limited employment options
available in their youth largely determined the type of
jobs held by women currently age 55 or older. This
explains why only 1 of 10 lawyers and judges between
ages 55 and 64 is a woman, compared to 3 of 10 between
ages 25 and 34. Young women have also increased their
representation in medicine, accounting, engineering, and
management. However, this movement into nontraditional occupations has been somewhat overshadowed by
strong employment growth in several female-dominated
occupations, such as nursing and clerical jobs.8
Occupational representation.
After age 55, the propor
tion of women employed in any occupation begins to
reflect not only past opportunities, but also other factors.
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Earnings, retirement income, and opportunities for parttime work all vary between occupations and greatly affect
whether women work and what types of jobs they hold.
Also, health status determines, to some degree, which
jobs older women may be able to perform. The represen
tation index in table 2 provides a measure of the degree to
which, among all women, older women are overrepre
sented or underrepresented in selected occupation and
worker categories.9 An index value of more than 1
indicates that an age group of women makes up a larger
proportion of one occupation than of all occupations
combined. A value of 1.16 in sales, for example, indicates
that relative to their representation in all occupations,
women age 65 and over are overrepresented in sales jobs
by 16 percent. It is important to note that the index does
not capture the effects of occupational sex segregation;
that is, overrepresentation refers only to the unusually
large presence of older women among all women in a
particular occupation.
Within the 55-and-over group, sharp differences exist
in occupational representation. Among other reasons, the
jobs held by women in their late fifties are usually full
time and year round, while those held by women age 65 or
older often reflect a more marginal, near-retirement or
postretirement pattern. In general, women in their late
5
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Job Characteristics o f Older Women
Chart 2. Labor force participation rates for selected 5-year cohorts of women,
by age in 1987
Percent
Percent
Age
NOTE: Each line represents the w orkllfe pattern of a specific cohort (w hose age In 1987 Is Indicated on the graph).
fifties are about evenly represented across job groups,
while those age 65 and over are substantially overrepre
sented in some occupations and underrepresented in
others.
As seen in table 2, women age 65 and older are
overrepresented in both sales and services jobs. While the
rigid hours required by many occupations force women to
choose between full-time work and no work at all, those in
sales and services jobs are often able to work part time for
the same employer.10 Some women switch jobs late in life,
moving to these occupations from those that are not as
flexible. Apparently, however, job switching is uncom
mon among older women as most are already working in
these occupations.11 Also, changing jobs becomes less
common with increasing age.
Another reason for older women’s overrepresentation
in sales and services jobs may be low rates of pension
coverage in the industries that employ these workers.12
Receipt of a pension other than Social Security greatly
affects whether women continue to work beyond normal
retirement age. In the Social Security Newly Entitled
Beneficiary Survey ( n b s ), a survey of recipients of retiredworker benefits, it was found that women who did not
receive a pension were about 3 times more likely to be
working (18 to 30 months after first Social Security
6
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receipt) than those who received pension benefits.13 In
this context, it is not surprising that women age 65 and
older hold a disproportionate share of both sales and
services (especially private household) jobs, as women
employed in these occupations may work to later ages
than those employed in jobs with higher rates of pension
coverage.
Health also plays a role in whether older women
continue to work, and is one reason the oldest groups of
women are underrepresented in some physically demand
ing occupations, such as operators, fabricators, and
laborers. The relatively small proportion of women who
have been employed in such jobs are likely to be in poorer
health than are those who have performed less strenuous
work. And, even when their health status is comparable to
that of other older women, the greater physical demands
of these jobs may make continued employment difficult.
However, health status is less of a determinant of
women’s continued work activity than is pension receipt;
in 1982, New Beneficiary Survey respondents who re
ported physical limitations and did not receive pension
benefits were two times more likely to be working than
persons with no health limitations who received pensions. 14
Older women are substantially overrepresented among
both self-employed and unpaid family workers and are
underrepresented among wage and salary workers.
Women who are self-employed are often in services
industry jobs and may continue working because of low
earnings and lack of pension coverage.15 Also, these jobs
often provide flexible work schedules and make possible
continued employment. The predominance of all three
age groups of older women (shown in table 2) among
unpaid family workers primarily reflects their employ
ment in farming and other family businesses.16
Cohort differences not only affect the amount of work
older women perform, but also have an impact on the
representation of older women in many occupations. The
most dramatic example is among private household
workers. Limited employment opportunities available to
women in the past, especially black women, channeled
many into domestic work. In 1987, 8 percent of employed
women age 65 or older were in private household jobs (33
percent of black women); this compared to less than 1
percent of women ages 25 to 34. Cohort effects are also
seen in the underrepresentation of older women in
executive, administrative, and managerial jobs, and
among professionals and technicians. Although many of
these jobs remain extremely segregated by sex, employment
growth in these fields has created more opportunities for
young women. Consequently, there is an overrepresentation
of younger women and an underrepresentation of older
women in these fields.
Education
Education is one of the best predictors of older
women’s labor force patterns. It dramatically affects not
only whether they participate in the labor force, but also
their likelihood of finding employment, of working full or
part time, and of holding relatively high- or low-paying
jobs.
In general, women age 55 or older have completed
fewer years of education than their younger counterparts.
As the following tabulation illustrates, in 1987, 4 of 10
women age 55 or older had completed less than 4 years of
high school, compared with about 1 of 10 women between
the ages of 25 and 34. Similarly, those in the younger
group were more than twice as likely as were older women
to have completed 4 years or more of college.
Percent distribution
o f fem ale population
Years o f school completed
2 5 -3 4
55 and over
L ess th a n 4 y ears o f h ig h s c h o o l..........
4 years o f h ig h s c h o o l...............................
13.0
41.8
41.2
38.0
1 - 3 y ears o f c o lle g e ............................... ...
4 o r m o re y ears o f c o ll e g e ......................
22.2
22.9
11.8
9.1
Women who have completed the most years of educa
tion are substantially more likely to work than are their
less-educated counterparts. Education not only increases
the likelihood that one will find work, but it also expands
opportunities for jobs which require minimal physical
demands and provide high levels of satisfaction, making
Table 2. Percent distribution and representation index for selected age groups of women by occupation and class of worker,
1987 annual averages
Occupational
representation index
Percent distribution
of employed women
Category
25-34
55-64
65 and over
55-59
60-64
65 and over
O ccupation
Total employed (in tho u san d s).........................................................................
14,617
4,783
1,191
1.00
1.00
1.00
Executive, administrative, and managerial.......................... .......................................
Professional specialty.....................................................................................................
Health assessment and tre a tin g ..............................................................................
Teachers, college and university...............................................................................
Teachers, except college and u niversity.................................................................
Technicians and related support...................................................................................
Sales occupations.................................................... .....................................................
11.3
16.4
4.9
.4
5.0
4.5
10.9
9.8
11.7
3.0
.5
4.3
1.7
12.6
8.2
10.2
1.3
.5
3.4
1.1
14.9
1.02
.88
.86
1.05
.92
.53
.91
.90
.73
.74
1.32
.64
.50
1.10
.82
.71
.36
1.03
.64
.34
1.16
Administrative support (including clerical)...................................................................
S e rvice s...........................................................................................................................
Private household.......................................................................................................
Protective.............................................................. ........................ ..............................
Services, except private household and p rote ctive ...............................................
Precision production, craft, and re pair.........................................................................
Operators, fabricators, and lab o re rs............................................................................
Farming, forestry, and fishing................................. ......................................................
29.2
15.5
1.0
.6
14.0
2.3
9.0
.9
29.6
19.6
2.7
.5
16.3
2.5
10.6
1.8
24.1
29.1
7.6
.5
20.9
2.7
6.8
2.9
1.00
1.06
1.42
1.02
1.02
1.18
1.22
1.56
1.05
1.10
1.68
.80
1.05
.99
1.14
1.66
.83
1.61
4.27
.94
1.32
1.17
.76
2.59
94.5
5.1
.4
90.1
82.5
16.1
1.5
.97
.72
1.63
.96
C la s s o f w o r k e r
Wage and sa la ry............................................................................................................
Self-em ployed.................................................................................................................
Unpaid family w o rk e rs ...................................................................................................
Note:
8.8
1.1
.7 7
2.05
.88
1.35
2.41
Percents may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
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7
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Job Characteristics o f Older Women
Chart 3. Labor force participation rates of women age 55 and over by years
of school completed, March 1987
Percent in
labor force
Percent in
labor force
8 years
of school
or less
1-3 years
of high
school
4 years
of high
school
continued work both possible and desirable for some
women.
Differences in labor force participation by years of
school completed are illustrated in chart 3. As shown,
high school completion dramatically increases the likeli
hood that older women will be in the labor force. Among
women ages 55 to 64, nearly one-half of those who had
completed 4 years of high school were in the labor force in
1987, compared with fewer than a third of those with less
education. Similarly, about 1 of 10 high school graduates
age 65 or older worked, compared to fewer than 1 of 20
women with less education.
Education is also a good predictor of the amount of
work older women perform. Of women who were
employed in 1986, those with the most education worked
the fullest schedules. Sixty-one percent of college gradu
ates ages 55 to 64 worked full time and year round,
compared with only 46 percent of women with 8 years or
less of education. Among women 65 and over, 28 percent
of the most educated worked these full schedules,
compared with a fifth of the least educated.
Earnings
As women get older, their earnings decline in impor
tance relative to other income sources. For those who
8
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1-3 years
of college
4 or more
years
of college
continue to work, however, earnings remain a critical
source of income. In 1984, for example, 75 percent of
nonmarried women ages 62 to 64 and 31 percent of those
age 65 or older who worked relied on their earnings for at
least half of their total income.17
Women in their late fifties and early sixties who worked
in 1986 had median annual earnings of $11,141, while
those age 65 and over earned $5,348. The lower earnings
of the oldest group primarily reflected their more mar
ginal work schedules. Earnings of women who worked
full time and year round were substantially higher, with
those 55 to 64 making $16,066, and those 65 or older,
$13,217.
Although earnings depend on a number of factors, the
best predictor is probably years of school completed.
Table 3 compares the earnings of full-time, year-round
workers of different education levels. As shown, older
women with the most education earned between two and
three times as much as their least-educated counterparts.
The cross-sectional data included in the table reveal
different patterns for men and women. Within each
educational group, men’s earnings are higher for each
successive age group—until they peak in the 45- to 54year interval. For women, the pattern is much less clear.
In fact, earnings peak at ages 35 to 44 for the group as a
whole, and at different ages depending on educational
attainment. While men in their late fifties and early sixties
earn substantially higher pay than younger men, older
women often earn about the same amount or even less
than their younger counterparts. This pattern—or lack of
one—reflects a combination of factors, including varia
tions between cohorts of women in years of work
experience and in occupational mix. Older women, for
example, are far more likely than younger women to be
employed in low-paying private household work.
Marital status
Marital status has a substantial impact on the work
activity of older women. As discussed previously, for
women 55 and beyond, participation in the labor force is
partially a function of retirement resources. Married
women, who benefit from their husband’s income as well
as their own, generally have the easiest time retiring or
remaining out of the labor force. Many of these women
stop working prior to or upon receipt of reduced Social
Security benefits at age 62.18 In contrast, a large propor
tion of never-married or divorced women rely solely on
their own earnings, other income, or both for support.
Hence, they must continue working beyond normal
retirement age.
Labor force participation rates illustrate differences in
the extent of work activity according to marital status. As
shown in table 4, older unmarried women have a much
stronger attachment to the work force than do married
women. At the extremes, 70 percent of divorced women
ages 55 to 59 were working in 1987, compared to only 45
percent of those with a husband present. After age 65,
divorced women were about three times more likely to be
in the labor force than were married women.
Differences in work activity between specific groups of
older unmarried women are also striking, and reflect
variations in resources available for retirement. For
example, divorced women have participation rates far
exceeding those of never-married or widowed women.
This is not surprising, because divorced women are more
likely to rely primarily on their own income for support,
while widows generally receive survivor benefits. Also, in
contrast to never-married women, many of whom have
worked for most of their lives and can retire on their own
pensions, divorced women may have started their careers
late, accumulating limited pension resources. Data on
occupational tenure indicate that half of never-married
women age 65 or older have 25 or more years of
experience in their current occupation, compared to just
30 percent of their divorced and widowed counterparts.19
Occupational tenure affects pension eligibility, earnings,
and level of Social Security benefits. Hence, divorced
women are often worse off than their never-married
counterparts and must continue to work to older ages.
It is interesting to note that marital status affects the
labor force patterns of men and women in different ways.
While being married tends to reduce the work activity of
older women, older married men have higher participa
tion rates than their nonmarried counterparts. Also,
except for those over 70, older divorced women are both
more likely to be in the labor force and to work full
schedules than are divorced men of the same age. (See
table 4.)
Differences in the work activity of older women
according to marital status have lessened dramatically in
recent years. As the following tabulation illustrates,
never-married women have reduced their labor force
participation dramatically, while married women have
increased theirs. Changes in pensions and Social Security
benefits increased the ability of older never-married
women to stay out of the labor force. Also, changes in
cultural norms that encouraged work activity by married
women of all ages reduced the differences dramatically.
Table 3. Median annual earnings of full-time, year-round wage and salary workers by sex, age, and years of school
completed, 1986
S ex and age
T o ta l
8 ye a rs
1 to 3
o r le s s
y e a rs of
4 y e a rs of
h ig h s c h o o l
1 to 3
4 o r m o re
ye a rs of
ye a rs o f
c o lle g e
c o lle g e
$23,276
21,883
25,326
25,861
24,211
21,403
o f school
h ig h s c h o o l
$16,323
16,813
18,179
17,450
16,066
13,217
$10,088
10,269
10,358
10,314
10,616
8,239
$11,815
11,710
11,679
12,637
12,464
9,860
$14,698
14,424
15,761
16,206
16,085
13,601
$16,724
16,946
18,936
18,750
16,989
12,300
25,400
22,607
27,991
28,955
27,326
23,922
15,503
12,101
15,714
18,989
17,881
15,843
17,829
15,905
19,959
23,930
21,725
17,568
22,670
20,540
25,633
26,969
26,957
24,488
25,852
23,469
28,070
29,636
28,143
26,724
W o m e n
25 34
35_44
45 54
55_64
...................................................................................
........................................................................................
..............................................................................................
...............................................................................................
M en
25 34
35_44
45 54
55_64
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...........................................................................................
............................................................................
........................................................................................
....................................................................................
32,288
27,693
34,189
39,932
39,366
38,976
'
--
9
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Labor force
participation rates
A ge 5 5 -6 4 :
N e v e r-m a rrie d .................................
M a rrie d , spouse p r e s e n t .....................
........
A ge 65 a n d over:
N e v e r-m a rrie d ......................................
M a rrie d , spouse p r e s e n t ..................... ..........
1957
1987
24.0
48.4
37.4
6.6
9.1
6.9
Table 4. Labor force participation rates and percent of
workers with full-time, year-round schedules by sex, age,
and marital status, March 1987
M arried,
spouse
present
Never
m arried
Divorced
W idow ed
L a b o r fo r c e p a r tic ip a tio n r a te
Women:
25 to 3 4 ....................................
55 and o v e r.................................
55 to 5 9 ......................................
60 to 6 4 .................................
65 to 6 9 .............................................
70 and o v e r........................................
67.5
23.6
44.9
29.4
11.3
3.1
82.9
22.8
58.7
37.3
18.9
5.3
83.3
43.9
69.6
52.6
24.5
11.1
52.7
14.3
58.0
37.0
17.1
4.1
Men:
25 to 3 4 ................................................
55 and o v e r............................................
55 to 5 9 ................................................
60 to 6 4 ................................................
65 to 6 9 ...............................................
70 and o v e r.........................................
97.1
43.4
83.1
57.1
26.9
11.0
88.0
37.3
65.6
45.3
18.3
14.9
92.9
42.5
66.1
48.9
22.3
12.4
86.4
15.8
63.1
44.0
19.4
6.9
Women:
25 to 3 4 ............................................
55 and o v e r........................................
55 to 5 9 ...............................................
60 to 6 4 ...........................................
65 and o v e r.........................................
48.6
45.7
51.7
45.6
24.8
69.2
58.3
73.0
64.6
33.3
62.4
60.2
69.8
61.6
33.8
(1)
41.4
63.4
47.2
23.1
Men:
25 to 3 4 ....................................................
55 and o v e r.............................................
55 to 5 9 ............................................
60 to 6 4 ............................................
65 and o v e r.........................................
80.2
65.7
78.7
70.5
35.9
64.8
58.3
68.8
57.3
38.8
67.2
56.5
64.8
58.3
27.6
(1)
44.6
(1)
54.2
33.8
P e rc e n t o f w o rk e rs w h o
w o r k e d fu ll t im e , y e a r r o u n d
’ Not calculated where base is less than 75,000.
10
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Table 5. Population, labor force, and labor force
participation rates of women age 55 and over by years of
school completed and race, March 1987
Years of school completed
Population
Black
Total (in thousands).
It is important to emphasize again that the work
patterns of women age 55 and older not only reflect their
current resources, but also depend on past experiences.
Many of the differences in work activity between older
married and unmarried women should narrow even
further for future groups. Marital status often determined
the lifetime work experiences of women born in the 1920’s
and 1930’s. For the most part, married women had a
more tenuous attachment to the labor force than did their
never-married counterparts. Relying on her husband’s
income, a married woman often remained out of the labor
force, worked intermittently, or chose an abbreviated
work schedule, while an unmarried woman typically
worked full time for many years.
Today, a majority of women work regardless of marital
status. The participation rates of never-married and
Sex and age
Job Characteristics o f Older Women
Less than 4 years of high
sc h o o l............... ................
4 years of high sc h o o l.......
1 - 3 years of college ........
4 or more years of college.
Labor force
Labor force
participation rate
White
Black
White
Black
White
2,547 24,928
610
5,296
23.9
21.2
1,619
9,656
287
1,123
17.7
11.6
576
186
166
9,899
3,058
2,314
183
79
61
2,585
844
744
31.8
42.5
36.7
26.1
27.6
32.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Percent distribution
Total
Less than 4 years of high
sc h o o l................................
4 years of high s c h o o l.......
1 - 3 years of c o lle g e ........
4 or more years of college.
Note :
63.6
38.7
47.0
21.2
22.6
7.3
6.5
39.7
12.3
9.3
30.0
13.0
10.0
48.8
15.9
14.0
—
—
_
_
_
_
_
_
—
—
Percents may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
married women ages 25 to 34 in 1957 differed by more
than 50 percentage points. By 1987, that gap had
narrowed to only 15 points.
Racial differences
Older black women have higher levels of work activity
than older white women. Although the labor force
participation rate of black women age 55 and older (24
percent) is only slightly higher than that of white women
(21 percent), after controlling for educational differences,
the greater work attachment of black women is evident.
(See table 5.) At every educational level, black women are
more likely to be in the labor force than are their white
counterparts. Yet, the employment of older black women
is concentrated in a relatively narrow range of lower
paying occupations.
The more extensive work activity of older black
women, in part, reflects differences in available retirement
resources. New Beneficiary Survey data indicate that
blacks (men and women together) are less likely than
whites to receive pension income, to own their own
homes, or to own other valuable assets.20 Also, older
black women are much less likely than older whites to be
married; hence, black women have fewer resources for
retirement and are likely to continue working to support
themselves. In 1987, more than half of white women age
55 and older were married with a husband present,
compared to only a third of older blacks.
Older black women have completed far fewer years of
education than their white counterparts. In 1986, fully
two-thirds of black women age 55 or older had completed
fewer than 4 years of high school, compared to 39 percent
of white women. Of those in the labor force, nearly half of
older black women had not completed high school,
compared with a fifth of white women. (See table 5.)
Reflecting these differences in education as well as
differences in employment opportunities, in 1987, black
women age 55 and older were about three times as likely
as white women to be employed in service occupations. In
fact, about 1 of 3 black women in their late sixties or older
was employed as a private household worker; this
compared to only 5 percent of white women in the same
age group. Also, administrative support (including cleri
cal) occupations employed about a third of older white
women, but only 13 percent of older blacks. (See table 6.)
In general, workers in services jobs have completed fewer
years of school than those in clerical jobs. In fact, service
workers are four times more likely than clerical workers
to have less than a high school education.
The effect of education is especially clear when compar
ing the occupational distributions of groups of older black
women. More than two-thirds of black women between
ages 45 and 64,21 and nearly all of those age 65 or older
who had completed fewer than 4 years of high school
worked in the services occupations in 1987, while the
majority of those who were college graduates were
employed in professional specialties, mostly as teachers or
nurses.
Vast differences in both educational and employment
opportunities available to black women decades ago and
today have resulted in very different occupational em
ployment patterns for today’s older and younger black
women. The most outstanding difference between the
youngest and oldest cohorts is the proportion employed in
private household work. Fully 33 percent of black
working women age 65 or older worked as cooks,
servants, or cleaners (or in related occupations) in 1987,
compared with only 1 percent of black women between
ages 25 and 34. Young black women, like their white
counterparts, were employed primarily in administrative
support (including clerical) jobs. Although differences
exist even between the youngest groups of black and white
women, their relative narrowness is an indication that the
occupational distributions of future generations of older
women will vary much less by race than in the past.
Black women ages 55 to 64 working year round and full
time in 1986 earned about 84 cents for each dollar earned
by white women the same age.22 Median earnings were
$13,801 for black women ages 55 to 64 and $16,370 for
Table 6. Occupational distribution of women by selected
ages and race, 1987 annual averages
[In percent]
65 and over
5 5 - 64
2 5 - 34
O c c u p a tio n
Total employed (in thousands)....
Managerial and professional
specialty...........................................
Executive, administrative, and
m anagerial..................................
Professional specialty..................
Technical, sales, and
administrative su pp o rt...................
Technicians and related
s u p p o rt........................................
Sales occupations.......................
Administrative support (including
clerical)........................................
S e rvice s............................................
Private household.........................
Protective service.........................
Services, except private
household and p ro te c tiv e ........
Precision production, craft, and
repair................................................
Operators, fabricators, and
laborers ...........................................
Forestry, farming, and fishing..........
Note :
B la c k
W h ite
B la c k
W h ite
489
4,172
17.2
29.2 15.7
22.4
10.3
19.6
6.6
10.6
12.0 4.5
17.2 11.0
10.5
12.0
4.3
6.8
8.9
10.7
44.6
44.7 20.9
46.9
14.5
43.4
2.5
4.7
1.6
13.6
1.7
4.3
1.0
16.1
32.7
21.2
1.3
1.3
28.8 13.7
14.7 49.3
.9 11.5
.5 1.4
31.7
15.9
1.7
.4
8.5
68.4
32.5
.9
26.3
24.5
5.0
.6
18.6
13.3 36.4
13.8
35.9
19.1
1.6
2.6
1.7
2.7
8.2 12.1
.6
1.0
10.3
1.9
4.3
.9
6.7
3.2
B la c k
W h ite
1,793 12,345
3.9
8.1
2.1
14.5
.4
4.6
11.3
2.3
117 1,047
Percents may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
white women. Sex differences in earnings were greater
than race differences, however, as both groups of older
women earned less than older black men ($17,556) and
older white men ($28,165).
M a n y o f t h e l a b o r f o r c e e x p e r i e n c e s of women
age 55 and over in 1987 may never be repeated for new
groups of older women. In the future, women reaching
their late fifties and early sixties will have had substan
tially more work experience than their mothers or
grandmothers. Differences in work history dependent on
race and marital status will have lessened, and women’s
retirement decisions will be more similar to those of men.
However, the employment characteristics of older
women in 1987 do provide some insight into what the
experiences of later generations will be like. Though
future groups of older women will have had many more
years of work experience than women currently age 55 or
older, their occupation and earnings profiles will un
doubtedly continue to affect their work activity at age 55
and beyond.
□
-FOOTNOTES
'Recognizing the importance of issues related to older workers,
Secretary of Labor Ann McLaughlin recently convened a Task Force on
Older Workers.
3See Donald Bell and William Marclay, “Trends in retirement
eligibility and pension benefits, 1974—83,” Monthly Labor Review, April
1987, pp. 18-25; and Employee Benefits in Medium and Large Firms,
1986, Bulletin 2281 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1987).
2 The Current Population Survey ( c p s ) is the monthly household
survey (including 59,500 households in 1987) conducted for the Bureau
of Labor Statistics by the Bureau of the Census. The c p s provides
detailed information on the U.S. labor force, with some data going back
as many as four decades.
4Although from cross-sectional data it is impossible to determine the
actual “normal retirement age,” it is clear that the range of ages 62 to 65
often represents a turning point in work activity, as Social Security and
private pension eligibility lure many workers into retirement.
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11
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
For an explanation of this cohort approach, see Philip L. Rones,
“Using the CPS to track retirement trends among older men,” Monthly
Labor Review, February 1985, pp. 46-48.
6See Howard N Fullerton, Jr., “Labor force projections: 1986 to
2000,” Monthly Labor Review, September 1987, pp. 19-29.
For a comparison of male and female participation patterns using
cross-sectional labor force data for several years, see Susan E. Shank,
“Women and the labor market: the link grows stronger,” Monthly Labor
Review, March 1988, pp. 3 -8 .
8See Barbara F. Reskin and Heidi Hartmann, eds. Women’s Work,
M en’s Work: Sex Segregation on the Job (Washington, National
Academy Press, 1986), Chapter 2.
Job Characteristics o f Older Women
13Howard M. lams, “Employment of Retired-Worker Women,”
Social Security Bulletin, March 1986, pp. 5-13.
14Iams, “Employment,” p. 8.
15See Eugene H. Becker, “Self-employed workers: an update to 1983,”
Monthly Labor Review, July 1984, pp. 14-18. See also Sheldon E.
Haber, Enrique J. Lamas, and Jules H. Lichtenstein, “On their own: the
self-employed and others in private business,” Monthly Labor Review
May 1987, pp. 17-22.
See Patricia A. Daly, “Unpaid family workers: long-term decline
continues,” Monthly Labor Review, October 1982, pp. 3 -5 .
17See Susan Grad, Income o f the Population 55 and Over, 1984,
9
This technique was used in Philip L. Rones, “Older men— the Publication No. 13-11871 (Social Security Administration, 1985), p. 81.
choice between work and retirement,” Monthly Labor Review, Novem
18Iams, “Employment,” p. 7.
ber 1978, pp. 3-10.
^Occupational tenure data are for 1987 and are available for three
'°For a detailed analysis of the demographic characteristics of older
marital status groups: women who are 1) never-married, 2) married
full-time and part-time workers, see William H. Crown, Phyllis H.
(spouse present), or 3) of other marital status. The third category
Mutschler, and Thomas D. Leavitt, Beyond Retirement: Characteristics
includes both widowed and divorced women as well as married women
o f Older Workers and the Implications for Employment Policy
with a spouse absent.
(Waltham, m a , Heller School, Brandeis University, The Policy Center
on Aging, 1987).
Working paper by Donald C. Snyder, U.S. General Accounting
Office, Human Resources Division, “Income and Assets of Recently
Working paper by Donald C. Snyder, U.S. General Accounting
Retired Workers by Race and Hispanic Origin.”
Office, Human Resources Division, “Work After Retirement,” p. 5 and
table 3.
2'Occupational data by educational attainment is not tabulated for 55to 64-year-olds specifically, so data for women ages 45 to 64 were used in
12For a comparison of pension coverage rates by industry, see
this case.
Pensions: Worker Coverage and Retirement Income, 1984, Current
Population Reports, Household Economic Studies, Series P -7 0 , No. 12
After controlling for educational attainment, earnings ratios for
(Bureau of the Census, 1987), pp. 1-13. Also see Donald C. Snyder,
older black women and white women range between 85 and 99 percent.
“Pension Status of Recently Retired Workers on Their Longest Job:
The overall 84 percent ratio reflects the overrepresentation of black
Findings From the New Beneficiary Survey,” Social Security Bulletin,
women at the lower end (and white women at the upper end) of the
August, 1986, pp. 5-21.
education and earnings scale.
12
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A year’s work: labor force activity
from a different perspective
The annual March work experience supplement
to the Current Population Survey provides
a unique view o f labor force activity
which complements the monthly c p s data
E a rl F. M ellor a n d W illiam P arks II
“How many Americans work all year?” “How many
persons experience unemployment sometime during a
given year?” These are some of the questions that cannot
be answered with the typical data from the Current
Population Survey ( cps ), which refer to a single week
each month. Even the annual average data are nothing
more than an average of the situation in those 12
“typical” weeks. The annual work experience survey,
conducted each March as a supplement to the cps ,
provide data which reveal how many persons worked or
looked for work, or did both, during the previous year.
The March supplement provides a comprehensive year
long view of labor force activity, that is, the number of
weeks each person spent working, looking for work, or
not in the labor force. These data provide a different
perspective on the work force than the monthly data. For
example, while the monthly survey indicated that about
8.2 million people were unemployed in a typical week in
1986, the March supplement showed that almost 21
million persons had been unemployed for at least 1 week
during that year.
Thus, the work experience data enhance the monthly
cps numbers. Some trends, for example, the overall
economic strength from year to year or the long-term
increases in labor force participation of women, are
Earl F. Mellor and William Parks II are economists in the Division of
Labor Force Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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evident from both perspectives. Often, however, one view
provides information not obtained from the other, such as
the inability of the monthly CPS to show the number and
weeks women work during the year.
This report examines the results of the March 1987
work experience questions. It addresses five specific issues
or trends for which these data provide a unique view of
the labor market.
1. Despite a widespread perception o f a recent prolifera
tion o f part-time or temporary jobs in the economy, the
proportion o f workers who were employed year round,
usually fu ll time in 1986 was at its highest level in the past
20 years and was up sharply from 1982.
In 1986, 59.2 percent of all persons with some
employment during the year worked at least 50 weeks,
usually in a full-time job. Such schedules are called “yearround, full-time,” or “ full-schedule” work. That
proportion was slightly higher than in the mid-1960’s,
and well above the recessionary low of 55.0 percent in
1982 and the 1976 low for the two decades for which a
consistent series of data are available. (See table 1.) This
lengthening of work schedules is even more impressive
when one considers that women, who are generally less
likely than men to work full schedules, have made up a
steadily expanding share of the work force.
Between 1982 and 1986, the total number of persons
with some employment during the year rose by 9.5
13
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
Table 1. Work experience of the population during the
year, by sex, 1966-86
Y e a r-ro u n d ,
P e r c e n t d is tr ib u tio n
Num ber
Year
fu ll-tim e
of
F u ll tim e
P a r t tim e
a p e rc e n t
w o rk e rs
(th o u s a n d s
To ta
w o rk e rs as
a p e rc e n t
50 to 5
1 to 4 9
5 0 t o 52
1 to 4 9
w eeks
w eeks
w eeks
w eeks
B o th
p o p u la tio n
of
p o p u la tio n
se xe s
1966...
1967...
1968...
1969...
86,266
88,179
90,230
92,477
100.C 58.0
100.C 58.6
100.C 57.9
100.C 57.1
23.3
22.9
23.3
23.4
6.3
6.4
6.4
6.8
12.4
12.1
12.4
13.0
66.9
67.2
67.6
67.9
38.8
39.4
39.1
38.8
1970...
1971 ...
1972...
1973...
1974 ...
93,850
95,481
97,654
101,112
102,608
100.C
100.C
100.C
100.C
100.C
55.6
56.1
57.0
57.0
54.3
23.8
23.3
23.0
22.3
24.3
6.7
7.2
6.7
7.0
7.0
13.9
13.5
13.2
13.7
14.4
67.4
66.7
66.8
67.8
67.3
37.5
37.4
38.1
38.6
36.5
1975...
1976...
1977...
1978...
1979...
102,603 100.C
105,809 100.0
108,914 100.0
112,335 100.0
114,993 100.0
54.3
54.2
54.8
56.2
56.3
24.6
24.3
23.8
22.9
22.7
7.5
7.2
7.1
7.0
7.1
13.7
14.3
14.3
13.9
13.9
66.0
66.9
67.6
68.5
68.9
35.8
36.3
37.0
38.5
38.8
1980...
1981 ...
1982...
1983...
1984 ...
1985...
1986...
115,752 100.0 56.1
116,794 100.0 55.9
116,277 100.0 55.0
117,575 100.0 56.8
121,148 100.0 58.1
123,466 100.0 58.7
125,763 100.0 59.2
22.4
21.7
22.0
20.3
19.7
19.5
19.1
7.7
7.8
8.4
8.8
8.1
8.3
8.4
13.7
14.5
14.5
14.2
14.0
13.6
13.4
68.3
68.0
67.0
66.8
68.2
68.6
69.0
38.3
38.0
36.8
37.9
39.6
40.2
40.8
1966...
1967...
1968...
1969...
51,708
52,396
53,312
54,390
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
70.0
69.9
69.4
58.3
18.8
19.2
19.3
19.5
4.0
4.0
4.2
4.4
7.2
6.9
7.1
7.9
85.4
85.1
85.3
85.2
59.8
59.5
59.2
58.2
1970...
1971 ...
1972...
1973...
1974 ...
55,041
56,257
57,420
58,858
59,389
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
66.1
66.0
67.2
67.9
64.5
21.5
21.2
20.4
19.5
22.8
4.4
4.5
4.2
4.3
4.3
8.0
8.3
8.2
8.3
8.5
84.1
83.5
83.5
83.7
82.7
55.6
55.1
56.1
56.8
53.3
1975 ...
1976 ...
1977...
1978 ...
1979...
59,091
60,361
61,693
63,015
64,063
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
63.8
64.1
64.6
66.1
66.3
23.7
23.4
22.8
21.7
21.3
4.4
4.2
4.1
4.0
4.2
8.1
8.3
8.5
8.1
8.3
80.6
80.8
81.1
81.3
81.1
51.4
51.8
52.4
53.7
53.8
1980...
1981 ...
1982...
1983...
1984...
1985...
1986...
64,260
64,769
64,365
64,512
65,960
67,301
68,233
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
65.2
64.5
62.3
64.3
66.5
66.8
67.3
22.0
21.6
23.0
21.2
19.9
19.7
19.4
4.4
4.5
4.8
5.0
4.7
4.8
4.7
8.4
9.3
9.8
9.6
9.0
8.7
8.7
80.1
79.7
78.2
77.5
78.3
78.8
78.8
52.2
51.4
48.8
49.8
52.1
52.6
53.0
1966...
1967...
1968...
1969...
34,588
35,787
36,918
38,087
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
40.1
42.1
41.4
41.1
30.0
28.4
28.9
28.3
9.6
9.9
9.6
10.3
20.3
19.5
20.1
20.4
50.4
51.3
52.0
52.6
20.3
21.6
21.5
21.6
1970...
1971 ...
1972...
1973 ...
1974 ...
38,809
39,224
40,233
42,253
43,218
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
40.7
41.8
42.5
41.9
40.4
27.2
26.3
26.6
26.2
26.5
10.0
10.9
10.3
10.6
10.6
22.1
21.0
20.5
21.3
22.5
52.5
51.7
52.0
53.6
53.6
21.4
21.6
22.1
22.5
21.7
1975...
1976...
1977...
1978 ...
1979...
43,511
45,447
47,219
49,318
50,929
00.0
00.0
00.0
00.0
00.0
41.4
41.1
42.1
43.6
43.7
25.7
25.4
25.0
24.3
24.5
11.7
11.2
11.1
10.8
10.8
21.1
22.3
21.8
21.3
21.1
52.9
54.4
55.5
57.0
57.9
21.9
22.4
23.4
24.9
25.3
1980...
1981 ...
1982...
1983...
1984...
1985...
1986...
51,492
52,025
51,912
53,063
55,188
56,165
57,530
00.0
00.0
00.0
00.0
00.0
00.0
00.0
44.7
45.1
45.9
47.6
48.2
48.9
49.5
23.0
21.9
20.8
19.2
19.6
19.2
18.8
11.9
11.9
12.9
13.4
12.2
12.3
12.7
20.4
21.1
20.3
19.8
20.1
19.5
19.0
57.7
57.5
56.8
57.3
59.1
59.4
60.2
25.8
25.9
26.1
27.3
28.5
29.1
29.8
M en
W o m e n
14
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Force Activity from a Different Perspective
million, but the number who reported full-schedule work
rose by 10.5 million. The number of part-timers working
all year also grew, although by only 700,000, while partyear employment, particularly among full-time workers,
fell. Over the same 4-year period, a growing proportion of
workers held full-schedule jobs, while the proportion of
the total working population was also expanding. Com
bining the two trends, the proportion of the working age
population who worked year round, full time increased to
41 percent in 1986— significantly higher than earlier
peaks of 39 percent in the late 1960’s, 1973, and 1979, and
well above the recent low of 37 percent in 1982.
Men’s work schedules have gradually declined, with
proportionately fewer working and, of those, fewer
working full schedules. However, between 1982 and 1986,
their work schedules were expanded. The proportion
working year round, full time rose from 49 percent in
1982 to 53 percent in 1986. Despite this rebound, the
proportion of men with full-time, full-year employment
was still well below the 60-percent high recorded in 1966.
Women, however, have had an impressive growth in
year-round, full-time work over the 20-year period. The
proportion with at least some employment during the
year rose from almost 50 percent in 1966 to 60 percent in
1986, while the percentage on full schedules among those
working rose from 40 to 50 percent. Nearly 30 percent of
the female population worked at year-round, full-time
jobs in the mid-1980’s— almost half again more than the
20- to 22-percent proportions of the late 1960’s. Propor
tionately fewer women now are working part time, and,
most importantly, fewer are taking extended time off
during the year. The upward trend has been so strong that
the proportion of women on full schedules did not fall
even during the last two recessions.
2. Women are becoming less and less likely to leave the
work force for part o f the year (or on a seasonal basis).
Of all women with jobs, more than three-fifths worked
year round in 1986, up from about half in 1966. As the
following tabulation shows, the long-term trend toward
full-year work has been evident both among women who
work full time (35 hours or more per week) as well as
those who usually work part time. The growing tendency
toward year-round work has also cut across all age
groups, although it was greater for younger than for older
workers.
Percent of women working:
Year round
Part year
Total
Full
time
Part
time
Full
time
Part
time
100.0
100.0
40.1
49.5
9.6
12.7
30.0
18.8
20.3
19.0
Table 2.
Percent of population who worked and percent who did not work, by sex, age, and race, 1986 and 1966
P e r c e n t o f p o p u la tio n
P e r c e n t o f p o p u la tio n
w h o d id n o t w o r k
w h o w o rk e d
Age
19 6 6
19 8 6
19 6 6
19 8 6
W h ite
B la c k
W h ite
B la c k 1
W h ite
B la c k
W h ite
B la c k 1
67.1
92.4
94.5
84.5
22.0
37.5
76.8
86.5
77.1
16.4
75.9
93.8
98.4
93.2
35.3
67.3
90.1
97.1
88.4
34.1
32.9
7.6
5.5
15.5
78.0
62.5
23.2
13.5
22.9
83.6
24.1
6.2
1.6
6.8
64.7
32.7
9.9
2.9
11.6
65.9
64.6
83.1
77.4
59.2
10.0
36.6
64.5
75.3
60.0
10.0
59.8
69.8
52.4
53.8
13.4
48.9
67.2
66.3
65.2
20.8
35.4
16.9
22.6
40.8
90.0
63.4
35.5
24.7
40.0
90.0
40.2
30.2
47.6
46.2
86.6
51.1
32.8
33.7
34.8
79.2
M en
1 fi t n 1 Q
20 to 24
25 to 44
.....................................................................
......................................................................
65 and older
W o m e n
t n 1Q
20 to 24
25 to 44
...................................................................
...................................................................
A* t n fid
65 and older
1Data are for black and other racial minorities.
Women have traditionally limited themselves to partyear work, often to care for their school-age children
during the summer vacation months. But the proportion
of women leaving the labor force to care for their children
has been declining steadily. Since 1966, the proportion
working full time, year round even though they had
children of school age (6 to 17 years) has increased by 11
percentage points— to 49.6 percent. And there has been a
growing tendency toward full-year work even among
women with younger children, including those with
toddlers under age 3.
The increased stability of women’s labor force activity
is also supported by the “gross-flow” data available from
the monthly cps . Annual averages of these estimates,
which compare the labor force status of people in 2
consecutive months, have been available since 1968. In
that year, about 8 percent of women in the labor force in
one month, and 3 percent of those who worked a full-time
schedule, had withdrawn from the labor force as of the
next month (departures). By 1986, these figures had fallen
to 6 and 2 percent, respectively. Declines of almost the
same magnitude are also evident in terms of “arrivals” —
those not in the labor force in the previous month but
who were in the labor force in the current month. The
following tabulation shows the average monthly percent
age of women both entering and leaving the labor force:
Leaving labor force
Entering labor force
Worked
full-time
Total schedule
Total
Worked
full-time
schedule
7.0
5.4
2.3
1.5
7.9
5.7
2.8
1.7
The decline in the rate of mobility into and out of the
labor force has been dominated by young women,
particularly those ages 25 to 34, who are most likely to
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have young children. The gross-flow data show that
women are tending to stay in their jobs year round.
3. Adult black men, and young blacks o f both sexes, are
far more likely than their white counterparts either to
spend the entire year without a job, or when they worked, to
work fewer weeks.
Racial disparities in non work rates in 1986 were
sharpest among the young. For example, almost onefourth of all black men ages 20 to 24 reported that they
did not work at all in 1986, compared to fewer than onetenth of white men. (See table 2.) This gap has widened
considerably since 1966, when the proportion not work
ing in this age group was 10 percent for black and other
minority races and 6 percent for whites.1 The widening
gap was primarily the result of an increase in the nonwork
rates for blacks, a pattern that was typical of almost all
age groups of men.
For women ages 20 to 24, the story was somewhat
different. Although there was a wide racial discrepancy in
the incidence of work for young women in 1986, it
resulted more from a much-improved employment record
for whites over the 20-year period than a worsening one
for blacks. One might say, then, that young black women
were not part of the surge in employment that affected
most other groups of women.
Teenage blacks experienced a dramatic decline in work
activity over the two decades. In 1966, the nonwork rates
of black teens of each sex exceeded those of white teens by
10 percentage points; by 1986, the gap had grown to 30
points. This large spread stems principally from an
increased rate of employment for white teenage women
and a drop in the black employment rate.
The percentage of teenage men of both races with some
employment fell over the two decades, but much more so
for blacks. In 1986, a black male teenager was twice as
15
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
Table 3. Percent distribution of workers with employment,
by work schedule, 1986
U s i ta lly
fu ll tim e
C h a r a c te r is tic
U s u a lly
T o ta l
5 0 -5 2
1-4 9
w eeks
w eeks
p a rt tim e
M en
White:
16 to 19 ye a rs ..........
20 to 24 ye a rs..........
25 to 54 y e a rs ..........
55 years and older...
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
9.3
46.7
78.9
64.3
26.7
32.1
16.1
16.7
64.0
21.2
5.0
19.1
Black:
1 6 to 19 ye a rs..........
20 to 24 ye a rs..........
25 to 54 ye a rs..........
55 years and older...
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
10.8
35.6
70.4
63.4
32.7
35.9
22.1
13.5
56.0
28.5
7.5
23.4
White:
1 6 to 19 ye a rs..........
20 to 24 ye a rs..........
25 to 54 ye a rs..........
55 years and older...
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
7.1
39.6
56.0
47.2
18.3
27.4
17.1
14.1
74.6
33.0
26.9
38.8
Black:
16 to 19 ye a rs..........
20 to 24 ye a rs..........
25 to 54 ye a rs ..........
55 years and older...
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
5.5
29.2
62.9
47.3
22.9
32.7
20.7
16.6
72.3
38.2
16.4
35.9
W o m e n
likely to have spent the entire year without a job as he
would have in 1966.
In the mid-1960’s, it was rare for a man to spend the
entire year without working except for those in the youn
gest and oldest age groups. By 1986, however, it had
become more common even among men ages 25 to 44.
Proportionately far more black men than white men spent
all of 1986 without work. For example, among the 25- to
44-year-olds2— an age group in which most persons have
completed their education and very few have a disability
that would prevent them from working— 14 percent of
black men were reported as not working at all during the
year, compared with 6 percent of white men. (See table 2.)
Among the men not working in 1986, a greater propor
tion of blacks than whites cited the inability to find a job.
This was particularly true for the 25- to 44-year-olds,
where 1 of every 3 black nonworkers, as compared to 1 of
every 4 whites, gave that as a reason. The overall effect of
these job market problems on blacks is more than the
differences these rates suggest, because, as stated earlier, a
far larger proportion of blacks than whites reported not
working at all.
Differences in nonwork rates tend to disappear by age
55, although reasons for nonparticipation differ by race.
Older black men were far more likely than white men to
cite ill health or disability as their main reason for not
working, while whites were more likely to cite retirement.
While nonwork rates fall sharply as education increases,
the racial difference in the proportions of nonworking men
cannot be explained solely by the generally lower levels of
16
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Force Activity from a Different Perspective
education of blacks as compared to whites. In fact, at each
level of education, from high school dropouts to college
graduates, black men were more likely than whites to
have been jobless the entire year.
Only among adult women was there little racial differ
ence in annual nonwork rates. White and black women
ages 25 to 44 had virtually identical nonwork rates in
1986, at about 25 percent. The converse, of course, is that
75 percent of each group worked in 1986; in 1966, the
work rates in this age group were 66 percent for black
women and only 52 percent for whites.
Racial discrepancies were also evident in the work
schedules of persons who held jobs in 1986. In almost
every age group, a much higher proportion of white than
black men reported working full time year round. (See
table 3.) The large majority of men ages 25 to 44 who
worked part of the year (fewer than 50 weeks) listed job
market difficulties or layoff as the reasons for not working
a full year. Only among older men did whites record more
part-year work than did blacks. As with the nonwork
data, older white men were more likely than blacks to cite
retirement as their reason for part-year work. Blacks were
more likely than whites to cite health and job market
factors.
The patterns of work among women of both races were
generally very similar in 1986. While the proportion of
women in both races employed in year-round, full-time
jobs was up sharply from 1966, the gain was greater for
black women.
4. The numbers o f people employed and o f those unem
ployed anytime during the year are much larger than those
found in the monthly surveys. Unemployment was experi
enced by 16 percent o f the labor force in 1986 versus an
annual average unemployment rate o f 7.0percent.
As mentioned earlier, estimates from the March work
experience survey differ from the annual averages of the
12 monthly surveys. The reference periods are totally dif
ferent and the manner in which persons are placed in the
three labor force status categories also differs. The refer
ence period for the work experience survey is the entire
year, while that for each monthly survey is 1 week. More
over, persons are not placed into mutually exclusive
categories in the work experience survey as occurs in the
monthly cps . For example, in the work experience data,
an individual who was employed part of the year, unem
ployed part of the year, and not in the labor force part of
the year shows up in all three categories. In the monthly
data, by contrast, all individuals are classified in a priority
order, as either employed, unemployed, or not in the labor
force each month; they can never be in more than one
category.
In 1986, almost 126 million persons worked all or part
of the year, while the annual average employment level
Table 4. Comparison of employment and unemployment data obtained from the March 1987 work experience supplement
________________ ______ __________ __________________
with those from the averages of the 12 monthly surveys
P e rc e n t o f
W o r k e d in
C h a r a c te r is tic
19 8 6 as a
E m p lo y e d a s
p e rc e n t o f
a p e rc e n t o f
M a rc h 1 9 8 7
p o p u la tio n ,
p o p u la tio n
19 8 6 an n u al
(W o r k E x p e rie n c e
a ve ra g e s
la b o r fo r c e
R a tio o f
M a rc h su rve y
to a n n u a l
a ve ra g e s
R a tio o f
w ith 1 w e e k
U n e m p lo y m e n t
o r m ore
ra te , 19 8 6
u n e m p lo y m e n t
an n u a l a v e ra g e s
M a rc h su rve y
to a n n u a l
a ve ra g e s
(W o r k E x p e rie n c e
S u rve y)
S u rve y)
S e x a n d ag e
69.0
78.8
61.9
89.9
94.3
83.8
21.5
60.7
71.0
45.7
76.3
89.0
76.0
15.4
1.1
1.1
1.4
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.4
16.2
16.9
25.8
27.6
16.8
11.3
4.9
7.0
6.9
19.0
11.0
6.0
4.4
3.2
2.3
2.4
1.4
2.5
2.8
2.6
1.5
60.2
59.6
80.1
77.0
59.4
10.0
51.4
43.6
64.9
67.8
51.9
7.2
1.2
1.4
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.4
15.3
24.3
23.5
15.0
9.7
4.4
7.1
17.6
10.3
6.2
4.2
2.8
2.2
1.4
2.3
2.4
2.3
1.6
......................................................................
69.7
63.6
67.4
61.5
54.1
58.5
1.1
1.2
1.2
15.0
25.1
22.3
6.0
14.5
10.6
2.5
1.7
2.1
Men:
White
...............................................................................
79.9
70.0
81.2
72.3
60.6
72.5
1.1
1.2
1.1
15.9
25.3
23.6
6.0
14.8
10.5
2.7
1.7
2.2
Women:
White
..........................................................................
60.3
58.5
53.9
51.7
48.8
44.7
1.2
1.2
1.2
13.9
24.8
20.5
6.1
14.2
10.8
2.3
1.7
1.9
S e x , ra c e , a n d
Both sexes:
White
H is p a n ic o r ig in
Hispanic o rig in ..........................................................................
from the monthly surveys was just under 110 million.
Similarly, the work experience data show that 20.7 mil
lion persons were unemployed sometime during the year;
the average of the 12 monthly figures was 8.2 million.
The proportion of the population age 16 and older who
worked sometime in 1986, at 69.0 percent, was considera
bly higher than the 60.7 percent annual average
employment-population ratio. As shown in table 4, the
higher the likelihood of year-round work, the closer the
estimates from the two surveys will be. If all those with
some employment in 1986 had worked every week of the
year, the two series would be identical. On the other hand,
if everyone had worked only 1 month, the ratio of the
work experience survey employment numbers to those of
the monthly data would be 12 to 1. Because the propor
tion working year round, full time has risen over the
years, the work experience-monthly average differences
have narrowed slightly.
In terms of unemployment, there is even greater turn
over from m onth to month. In times of economic
expansion, when unemployment duration is relatively
short, there will be larger differences between total annual
unemployment and average monthly unemployment, for
example, a ratio of 2.2 in 1983, compared to 2.5 in 1986.
Similarly, the ratio of the incidence of unemployment in
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
the March work experience survey to the annual average
unemployment rate was 2.5 for whites and 1.7 for blacks.
This indicates that blacks were unemployed more weeks
during the year and were more likely to be picked up
among the unemployed in the monthly surveys.
In summary, both with regard to the measurement of
employment and unemployment, the two surveys are com
plementary, providing very different but useful perspectives
on the work force.
5. Virtually all persons who experienced some unemploy
ment also worked sometime during the year. In 1986, the
proportion was nearly 90 percent. Much o f the joblessness
was o f short duration, but 44 percent o f the unemployed
were without work for 15 weeks or more.
Of the 20.7 million persons with some unemployment,
about one-fourth were jobless only 4 weeks or less (in
cluding just under 1 million year-round workers with 1 or
2 weeks of unemployment). The probability of having
only a short spell of unemployment was greater for
whites, particularly white women, than for blacks, as
shown in the following tabulation:
17
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
Labor Force Activity from a Different Perspective
Percent o f unemployed
Who also
worked in
1986
Total...........
White men .......
White women ...
Black men........
Black women ...
Hispanic men ...
Hispanic
women..........
Un
Un
employed employed
1 to 4
15 weeks
weeks
or more
Un
employed
40 weeks
or more
88.5
93.1
87.5
83.5
73.1
93.2
24.2
22.0
30.6
16.9
18.3
17.4
44.0
45.8
37.2
53.5
51.4
54.3
10.2
10.0
7.3
16.0
16.2
12.6
83.4
27.1
40.5
8.3
At the other end of the joblessness spectrum, 44 per
cent of those with unemployment were out of work for 15
weeks or more. As shown in the tabulation, there was
more of such long-term unemployment among blacks
than whites. Unemployment of 40 weeks or longer was
reported for 16 percent of blacks and 9 percent of whites.
As indicated earlier, the work experience and the basic
c p s data complement each other in the analysis of em
ployment and unemployment. Most importantly, the
work experience data add another dimension to labor
force behavior— that individuals can experience a range
of work and nonwork situations over the course of a year.
While the monthly data are more timely, and therefore
provide the only measures for current analysis, the year
long perspective provides an insight into long-term
changes in work patterns not available elsewhere.
□
FOOTNOTES■
1 Data were not tabulated separately for blacks until 1972. In that year,
blacks made up 90 percent of the black and other noninstitutional
population. Data for 1966 to 1971 on blacks include both blacks and
other minority races.
i( 2 Available data for 1966 place 25- to 44-year-olds into a single
“ central-age” category.
A note on communications
The Monthly Labor Review welcomes communications that supple
ment, 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 Editor-in-Chief, M onthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20212.
18
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Employer-sponsored vision care
brought into focus
Employee participation in vision care plans
doubled from 1980 to 1986 in medium and large firms;
coverage rose 150 percent for white-collar workers
and 60 percent for blue-collar workers
R ita S. Ja in
In recent years, vision care has emerged as a prominent
part of the health care package. Vision care benefits pro
vide a variety of services to plan participants that are not
usually covered by regular health insurance plans, such as
eye examinations, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and orthop
tics (eye muscle exercises). In an era when concern over
rising premiums has prompted employers to add various
“cost containment” features to their health care plans, the
growth of vision care represents a significant benefit im
provement.
This article is based on data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics 1980-86 surveys of benefits for full-time em
ployees in medium and large firms. The 1986 survey data
were from a sample of 1,500 establishments, which repre
sented approximately 46,000 business establishments
employing 24 million workers.1 Data were tabulated for
three broad occupational groups: professional and admin
istrative workers, technical and clerical workers, and
production workers. The first two groups are considered
white-collar workers, in contrast to blue-collar or produc
tion workers.
efits Survey, vision care, wholly or partially financed by
employers, was available to 40 percent of full-time em
ployees in medium and large firms—nearly double the
21 percent recorded for 1980. Coverage rose 150 percent
for white-collar workers and 60 percent for blue-collar
workers during this period.
Participation in vision care plans was relatively un
changed from 1980 to 1982. B eginning in 1983,
participation grew steadily, and by 1986, nearly twice as
many workers had coverage as in 1980. Although bluecollar workers were more likely to have vision care
benefits in 1980, the faster growth rate for white-collar
workers put them on a par with their blue-collar counter
parts by 1986. The following tabulation shows the percent
of full-time health insurance participants with vision ben
efits in medium and large firms between 1980 and 1986:
Vision care plan participation, 1980-86
1980
1981
1982
1983
The mid-1980’s were years of rapid growth in vision
care plan coverage. According to the 1986 Employee BenRita S. Jain is an economist in the Division of Occupational Pay and
Employee Benefit Levels, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Year
All
participants
Professional
and admin
istrative
Technical
and
clerical
Production
.... ..
.... ..
.... ..
.... ..
21
22
22
28
16
17
18
25
17
18
19
24
25
26
25
32
1984 .... ..
1985 .... ..
1986 .... ..
30
35
40
26
32
39
26
33
41
33
37
40
19
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Table 1.
[In percent]
September 1988
•
Employer-Sponsored Vision Care Benefits
Participants in vision care plans by extent of coverage for selected benefits, medium and large firms, 1986
S u b je c t to s e p a r a te v is io n
C o ve re d
c a re lim its
S u b je c t
in f u l l u p
T y p e o f v is io n b e n e fit
To ta l
C o ve re d
to u s u a l,
P o r tio n
c u s to m a ry ,
o f u s u a l,
and
T o ta l
S c h e d u le d
a llo w a n c e
r e a s o n a b le
c u s to m a ry ,
and
to
Copaym ent
Not
not
lim it
c o ve re d
d e te rm i
o f h e a lt h
n a b le
c a r e p la n
r e a s o n a b le
c h a rg e
C o ve ra g e
o v e r a ll
c h a rg e
All participants:
Examination....................................................
Eyeglasses......................................................
Contact le n s e s ...............................................
O rtho p tics.......................................................
100
100
100
100
93
77
70
4
32
10
3
(1)
56
64
65
1
42
47
60
—
4
3
3
—
13
15
15
1
4
3
2
3
7
23
29
96
(1)
(1)
Professional and administrative participants:
Examination....................................................
Eyeglasses......................................................
Contact le n s e s ...............................................
O rtho p tics.......................................................
100
100
100
100
93
70
67
4
32
9
4
(D
56
57
61
1
39
42
54
4
3
3
—
14
13
13
1
6
3
2
3
7
30
33
96
(1)
(D
Technical and clerical participants:
Examination....................................................
Eyeglasses......................................................
Contact le n s e s ...............................................
O rtho p tics.......................................................
100
100
100
100
92
70
66
4
28
7
4
(D
59
59
61
2
42
44
56
—
3
3
3
—
15
13
13
2
5
5
1
2
8
30
34
96
(1)
(D
Production participants:
Examination....................................................
Eyeglasses......................................................
Contact le n s e s ...............................................
O rtho p tics.......................................................
100
100
100
100
92
85
75
3
34
12
2
(1)
55
70
69
—
44
51
66
—
4
3
3
—
10
18
18
—
3
2
3
3
8
15
25
97
(1)
0)
—
'Less than 0.5 percent.
Note : Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals.
Dashes indicate no employees in these categories.
Extent of coverage
Approximately four-fifths of the participants received
vision care benefits from their regular health insurance
plan, and the remainder had benefits provided under
separate vision care plans. Even for the former group,
vision benefits typically were covered under special provi
sions that were rarely coordinated with other health care
benefits.
Vision care plans cover such services as eye examina
tions, eyeglasses (including frames), contact lenses, and
orthoptics (exercises to improve the functioning of the eye
muscles). Eye examinations provide the information
needed for lens prescriptions and for the diagnosis of dis
ease or injury. Treatm ent of eye disease or injury,
however, is covered by regular health care plans rather
than as a vision care benefit. (Some regular health plans
cover contact lenses after cataract surgery or examina
tions and eyeglasses required because of accidental injury
or surgery.)
Provisions for eye examinations covered 93 percent of
vision care participants in 1986. Seventy-seven percent of
the participants had provisions for eyeglasses, and 70 per
cent for contact lenses. Only 4 percent, however, had
coverage for orthoptics. Coverage differed among occupa
20
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tions, as table 1 shows. Blue-collar workers were more
likely to be in plans that paid for eyeglasses and contact
lenses than were white-collar workers—a pattern that has
remained essentially unchanged since 1980.
Although participation in vision care plans has grown
considerably since 1980, the proportion of participants in
plans paying for eyeglasses and contact lenses has de
clined. This is due less to changes in vision care plans
themselves than to the increasing prominence of Health
Maintenance Organizations ( h m o ’s).2 (Participation in
h m o ’s rose from 2 percent of employees in 1980, to 3
percent in 1983, and to 13 percent in 1986.) In 1986, for
example, three-fourths of the hm o participants were in
plans that also provided vision benefits, compared with 28
percent of participants in other types of health insurance
plans. Generally, hm o vision benefits included only eye
examinations, while traditional insurers usually covered
eyeglasses and contact lenses, as well as examinations.
Thus, while the growth in hm o enrollment has contrib
uted to the rise in vision care participation, it has caused
the proportion of participants with coverage for eye
glasses and contact lenses to decline. The following
tabulation shows the changing mix of services provided by
vision plans in 1980, 1983, and 1986:
Percent of participants
Table 3. Participants in vision care plans with scheduled
allowances by provision for contact lenses, medium and
large firms, 1986
Services covered
1980
1983
1986
Total...................................... ..
Eye examinations only ..............
Examinations and eyeglasses .... ..
Examinations, eyeglasses,
and contact lenses..................
Orthoptics only .........................
Other combinations of
services ..................................
100
11
13
100
10
7
100
19
7
68
5
78
3
64
3
3
2
7
Allowance per examination...........
Less than $ 2 5 .....................................................................
P e r c e n t o f p a r t ic ip a n ts h a v in g
a llo w a n c e s p a y a b le u n d e r—
c o n ta c t le n s e s
Any
O rd in a ry
S p e c ia l
c o n d itio n
c o n d itio n s
c o n d itio n s
Total participants ........................................................
10 0
10 0
10 0
Participants covered..........................
10 0
81
10 0
93
81
1
3
—
15
43
—
$ 5 0 - $ 7 4 ...........................................................................................
23
19
$ 7 5 - $ 9 9 ............................................................................................
46
12
(1)
1
6
2
1
1
14
$ 2 4 - $ 4 9 ............................................................................................
Methods of reimbursement
Vision care plans pay for covered services in one of four
ways: (1) full or partial payment up to the usual, custom
ary, and reasonable charge for the service (ucr );3 (2)
payment according to a schedule (list) of cash allowances,
which specifies the maximum amount payable for each
type of service; (3) the copayment method, in which the
participant pays the initial cost of each service and the plan
pays the remaining portion; and (4) payment subject to
overall health insurance plan deductible or coinsurance
requirements.4
Table 2. Participants in vision care plans with scheduled
allowances by provisions for examinations and eyeglasses,
medium and large firms, 1986
A llow ance
Percent of
p articipants
Eye examinations:
Total participants......................................................................
Allowance per examination ................................................
$15 or le ss.........................................................................
$ 1 6 -$ 2 0 .............................................................................
$ 2 1 -$ 2 5 .............................................................................
100
89
3
8
48
$ 2 6 -$ 3 0 .............................................................................
$ 31 -$ 3 5 .............................................................................
$ 3 6 -$ 4 0 .............................................................................
$ 4 1 -$ 4 5 .............................................................................
$ 4 6 -$ 5 0 .............................................................................
Amount not determinable................................................
8
4
12
3
2
(1)
Allowance not on a per examination basis, or also
applicable to other vision care expenses..........................
11
Eyeglasses, per pair of single vision lenses:
Total participants......................................................................
Allowance per p a ir...............................................................
Less than $ 2 0 ...................................................................
$ 2 0 .....................................................................................
$ 2 1 -$ 2 9 .............................................................................
100
91
1
(D
4
$ 3 0 .....................................................................................
$ 3 1 -$ 3 9 .............................................................................
$ 4 0 .....................................................................................
$ 41 -$ 4 9 .............................................................................
$ 5 0 .....................................................................................
1
7
21
9
6
$ 51 -$ 5 9 .............................................................................
$ 6 0 .....................................................................................
$ 61 -$ 6 9 .............................................................................
$70 or m o re ......................................................................
Amount not determinable................................................
20
7
2
10
4
Allowance not on a per pair of eyeglasses basis, or also
applicable to other vision care expenses............................
9
'Less than 0.5 percent.
Note :
Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
39
$ 1 0 0 - $ 1 4 9 ..................................................................................
$ 1 5 0 - $ 1 9 9 ..................................................................................
$ 2 0 0 - $ 2 4 9 ..................................................................................
$ 2 5 0 or m o re ..............................
Allowance not determinable ..............
Other type of allowance2...............
No specified m axim um ..................
Participants not covered3 ..................
(1)
—
(1)
(1)
7
—
-
1
—
—
12
10
—
—
40
—
21
19
-
'Less than 0.5 percent.
b e n e fits were subject to a dollar limitation which applied to all vision care
expenses during a year or other specified period.
3Coverage was limited to special conditions.
Note : Dashes indicate no employees in this category. Because of rounding,
sums of individual items may not equal totals.
The methods used vary somewhat by type of service, as
illustrated in table 1. About one-third of the participants
were in plans that paid in full up to the ucr charge for eye
examinations, while 10 percent were in plans that paid in
full for eyeglasses. Contact lenses were rarely covered at
the full ucr rate. Three to four percent of participants
were in plans that paid a portion of the ucr rate, typically
50 or 80 percent.
The most common method of reimbursement was
through a schedule of maximum cash allowances. This
method applied to about four-tenths of the participants
for examinations and eyeglasses, and to 60 percent for
contact lenses.
Table 2 shows the range of payments that plan sched
ules allowed for vision care services. Allowances for eye
examinations were commonly set at $21 to $25 and rarely
exceeded $40. Maximum payments for a pair of eyeglasses
(frames and single vision lenses) ranged widely, but most
commonly were $40 to $60.
In plans covering about four-tenths of the participants,
reimbursements for contact lenses depended on whether
the lenses were required as a result of surgery. Maximum
allowances were usually either not specified or set at $ 150
or more if lenses were needed after cataract surgery or
other special conditions (table 3). Otherwise, allowances
were lower, generally ranging from $25 to $100. In the
remaining plans, maximum allowances were the same re
gardless of surgery, and were usually set at $50 to $100.
About one-sixth of the participants were under the co
payment method of reimbursement. Essentially the
21
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
opposite of the scheduled cash allowances method, copay
ment arrangements pay the balance of covered charges
after the employee has paid an initial amount of expense.
Copayments ranged considerably, depending on the type
of service provided, as illustrated in table 4.
Participants were most often required to make a copay
ment of $3 or $5 for each eye examination. Copayments
for eyeglasses and contact lenses were commonly set at $5
per visit or $10 per prescription. About one-fourth of the
participants in copayment plans were required to satisfy
one copayment, usually an annual payment of $10, rather
than a separate copayment for each use of vision care
services.
A few participants were subject to the reimbursement
methods of the regular health care plan. In these cases,
two types of reimbursement provisions usually applied.
First, vision care expenses were included along with other
types of medical expenses in meeting an overall deductible
(a specified amount of medical expense that an insured
person must pay before benefits will be paid by the plan).
Second, the participant paid a specified percentage (usu
ally 20 percent) of the charges for covered services that
exceeded the deductible, and the plan paid the rest.
Special plan limits
Most vision care plans imposed limitations on how fre
quently covered services would be reimbursed. Participants
in a plan were commonly limited to one eye examination per
Table 4. Participants in vision care plans with copayment
provisions, by type and amount of copayment, medium and
large firms, 1986
P e r c e n t o f p a r t ic ip a n ts
C o p a y m e n t p ro v is io n
Eye
e x a m in a tio n s
Tota l..................................
100
Per v is it............................................
$ 1 .............................................
$ 2 .............................................
$ 2 .5 0 ........................................
$ 3 ..............................................
$ 4 ..............................................
70
4
5
$ 5 .............................................
$ 7 .5 0 ........................................
$ 1 0 .............................................
$ 1 5 .............................................
$ 2 0 .............................................
More than $ 2 0 ..........................
35
1
7
2
3
E y e g la s s e s
C o n ta c t le n s e s
100
100
35
—
(1)
(1)
1
1
11
2
1
(1)
34
—
—
1
—
23
1
5
2
2
(1)
24
1
5
1
2
(1)
Per prescription ..............................
$5 ...............................................
$7.50 .........................................
$ 10.00 .........................................
More than $ 1 0 .............................
_
—
—
—
Per ye a r............................................
Less than $ 10 ............................
$ 1 0 ...........................................
$ 1 5 ...........................................
28
2
23
3
23
1
19
2
23
1
20
2
Other period ....................................
2
2
2
—
41
1
7
32
1
41
2
7
32
(1)
'Less than 0.5 percent.
Note : Dashes indicate no employees in this category. Because of rounding,
sums of individual items may not equal totals.
22
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Employer-Sponsored Vision Care Benefits
6- or 12-month period and to one set of lenses per 1- or 2-year
period. Other special limits also applied. Most plans did not
cover the extra cost of oversized, photosensitive, or multi
focal plastic lenses; nor did they cover prescription sunglasses
or duplicate glasses. As noted previously, some plans did
not cover contact lenses unless required by cataract surgery.
Employee contributions to plan premiums
Four-fifths of the participants in vision care plans had
the benefits provided through their regular health insur
ance plan. Although reimbursement methods and benefit
limits generally applied separately to the vision care por
tion of the plan, employee premium payments were
usually specified for the health care plan as a whole. In
these cases, it was impossible to determine how much, if
any, of the employee premium was intended to help fi
nance the cost of vision care. As the following tabulation
shows, total employee premium payments differed little
when plans with vision care benefits were compared with
those without such benefits:
Regular health plans
Without
vision care
benefits
With
Separate
vision care vision care
benefits
plans
In d iv id u a l co verage
P e rc e n t o f p a rtic ip a n ts in:
N o n c o n trib u to ry p la n s .. ..
A v erag e m o n th ly
em ployee c o n trib u tio n .. ..
F a m ily co verage
P e rc e n t o f p a rtic ip a n ts in:
C o n trib u to ry p l a n s ........... ..
N o n c o n trib u to ry p la n s .. ..
A v erag e m o n th ly
em ployee c o n trib u tio n .. ..
41
59
36
65
11
89
$12
$14
$ 8
63
37
48
52
14
86
$42
$40
$15
h vision care benefits less likely to
require employee contributions than plans without such
benefits, but monthly premiums on average were about the
same regardless of the presence of vision benefits.
In contributory plans, employee are required to con
tribute toward plan premiums. In noncontributory plans,
premiums are fully financed by the employer. Average
monthly employee contributions were computed only for
plans that specified a fixed monthly premium for the em
ployee.
Approximately one-fifth of the vision care participants
had their benefits provided under special vision care
plans. Of these employees, about one-tenth contributed
toward the cost of their coverage. Monthly premium pay
ments for individual coverage averaged about $8, while
contributions for family coverage amounted to about $15.
(These data, however, apply to a very small number of
employees and are subject to higher than normal sample
error.)
□
-FOOTNOTES
'T he 1986 survey results are reported in Employee Benefits in Medium
and Large Firms, 1986, Bulletin 2281 (Bureau o f Labor Statistics, 1987).
The survey is part of a series of annual studies conducted from 1979 to
1986 in private sector establishments employing at least 50, 100, or 250
workers, depending on the industry. Industrial coverage includes: min
ing; construction; m anufacturing; transportation, comm unications,
electric, gas, and sanitary services; wholesale trade; retail trade; finance,
insurance, and real estate; and selected services. The 1980-85 results are
reported in the following b l s bulletins: 1980 survey (Bulletin 2107);
1981 survey (Bulletin 2140); 1982 survey (Bulletin 2176); 1983 survey
(Bulletin 2213); 1984 survey (Bulletin 2237); and the 1985 survey (Bulle
tin 2262).
2Health M aintenance Organizations provide comprehensive health
care on a prepayment rather than fee-for-service basis. For additional
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
information on h m o s , see Allan Blostin and William Marclay, “ h m o s
and other health plans: coverage and employee premiums,” Monthly
Labor Review, June 1983, pp. 28-33.
3The usual, customary, and reasonable rate ( u c r ) is a rate that is: not
more than the provider’s usual charge; within the customary range of
fees in the locality; and is reasonable, considering the circumstances.
4The deductible is a specified amount of medical expense that an
insured person must pay before benefits will be paid by the plan. Coin
surance is a provision where both the (insured) participant and the
insurer share, in a specified ratio, the health care expenses resulting from
an illness or injury. The coinsurance percentage is the portion of charges
paid by the insurer.
Is the 40-hour week immutable?
Most workers—women as well as men—have a strong work commit
ment, typically asserting that they would continue to work even if it were
financially unnecessary to do so. But this psychological commitment to
work is not always reflected in the work histories of women, who move in
and out of the labor force and between full-time and part-time jobs as a
consequence of their changing family responsibilities. Permitting workers
to tailor their working hours to their family circumstances would both
reinforce their work commitment and contribute to the development of a
more productive and satisfied labor force.
Much of the stress experienced by parents—mothers and fathers—is a
consequence of the existing structure of work. But the 5-day, 40-hour
workweek need not be considered immutable. Indeed, this “normal”
work schedule is itself a fairly recent phenomenon, dating back only to
the 1930’s. Employment policies offering greater flexibility in working
hours through both temporary leaves and a reduction in work hours
could substantially alleviate the conflicts and strains working parents
now face.
— P h y l l is M
oen
“New Patterns of Work,” Work & Family:
A Changing Dynamic (Washington,
The Bureau of National Affairs,
1986), p. 219.
23
An evaluation of bls projections
of the 1985 economy
Evaluation o f b l s projections
o f 1985 employment shows their sensitivity
to underlying population, labor force,
and productivity estimates; it also shows
their accuracy is similar to past projections
Jo h n T sc h e t t e r
The Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly prepares projec
tions of the growth of gross national product ( g n p ) and
industrial output and employment for the U.S. economy.
These projections are a framework for the Bureau’s occu
pational projections program. They also serve as a
framework for analysis of other issues. This article evalu
ates b l s projections for 1985,1 and is the final step in the
projections program at the Bureau.2 This final evaluation
is an important process. Without it we cannot quantify
the limits of our projected data but can only describe
them in general terms.
The Bureau has published projections of the 1985 econ
omy on three separate occasions: 1973, 1976, and 1978.
As seen in the following tabulation, the 1973 and 1976
projections underestimated the level of 1985 total em
ployment. In contrast, the 1978 projections overestimated
employment.
Difference from actual:
Employment
(millions)
Percent
Level
(millions)
Framework for the evaluation
P ro je c te d in—
1973 .................................
109.9
- 1 .8
- 2 .0
1976 .................................
109.7
- 1 .9
- 2 .1
1978 .................................
113.9
1.8
2.0
A c tu a l 1 9 8 5 .....................
111.9
—
—
John Tschetter, an economist, was formerly with the Office of Economic
Growth and Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
24
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
The 1973 and 1976 projections underestimated both
the level of the 1985 population (16 years and older) and
the level of labor force participation. A low estimate of the
1985 unemployment rate offset somewhat the population
and labor force errors. The error for the 1978 projections
reflects an underestimate of the unemployment rate and
an overestimate of the labor force, which offset somewhat
the total 1978 error.
b l s prepares projections of the labor force, total eco
nomic activity, industry output and employment, and
occupational employment. A forthcoming article in the
Monthly Labor Review will evaluate the projections of the
1985 labor force. This article evaluates the projections of
1985 g n p and industry employment and describes the
size of the projection errors for g n p and employment by
major industries. It also describes some of the factors
contributing to these errors. However, for the projections
of industry employment, it is possible only to calculate the
size of the errors.
The 1973 b l s projections of the U.S. economy esti
mated economic growth for the 1972-85 period; the 1976
projections were for the 1973-85 period; and the 1978
projections were for the 1977-85 period, b l s projections
describe what the economy might look like in 10 to 15
years, and are designed to capture secular rather than
cyclical changes. The projections, in turn, reflect the re-
suits from economic models as well as specific judgments
concerning key variables such as growth of the labor
force, fiscal policy, labor productivity, and unemploy
ment.3
To emphasize the uncertainty of projections, bls has
developed three alternative projections or scenarios—
high, middle, and low. Each in turn incorporates a num
ber of alternative judgments concerning labor force, fiscal
policy, labor productivity, and unemployment. The pro
jections reviewed here are the middle scenarios from the
three projection efforts.
Data revisions, as usual, complicate this evaluation.
The definitions and conventions for classifying industries
in the Standard Industrial Classification (sic) system
have changed. The 1973 and 1976 projections used the
1967 sic. The 1978 projections and the actual 1985 data
used the 1972 sic. Because of this and other changes, we
cannot directly compare the projected values, as origi
nally published, with the actual 1985 values. To solve this
problem, this evaluation applies the projected trends to
the revised historical data series to obtain “revised” pro
jected 1985 values consistent with the new classification
system. In essence, the “jumping off point” was revised
for each projection to reflect data revisions. However, the
projected trends for each detailed series remained un
changed.
models currently used by bls and other forecasters. How
ever, all macroeconomic model work is similar in the
manner in which it provides a framework for the prepara
tion of a consistent set of projections for a given set of
assumptions and goals.
In the Thurow model, the key equation for the supply
g n p was the production function which estimated the
level of private g n p , given the labor and capital resources
available to the private sector. The demand section related
personal consumption, investment, government, and net
foreign trade to personal income, profits, and other in
come variables. The income section was oriented toward
personal income, which was determined by social insur
ance contributions, transfer payments to persons, and
other taxes; by supply g n p ; and by other variables. In the
next section, we review the results of the bls projections
of the aggregate economy based on the variables in the
supply block of the Thurow model.
Supply g n p . As seen in the following tabulation, each
projection overestimated the level of real g n p (in 1982
dollars):
Difference from actual
(billions)
Percent
Level
(billions)
P ro je c te d i n —
1973 .................................
$4,405
22.1
$797
Review of the projection errors
1 9 7 6 .................................
4,152
15.1
544
The following sections describe the errors in the three
sets of bls projections. They are reviewed and discussed
in the sequence in which bls developed them. The basic
principles underlying bls procedures used to develop pro
jections have remained constant over the years, but many
changes in procedure have been made as new data series
became available and as statistical tools improved. Thus,
if the reader is familiar with current bls methodology, he
or she is also relatively familiar with the methodology for
the projections being evaluated here.
The first several steps of the bls projection procedure
involve estimates of the aggregate economy or g n p . An
other set of steps involves estimates of industry level
activity. The g n p estimates reflected groups of assump
tions about five major economic factors— fiscal policy,
demographics, productivity, unemployment, and prices.
For the projections evaluated here, bls used the Thurow
macroeconomic model. This model, like any macroeco
nomic model currently used, is basically a set of equations
that correlate different aspects of the economy with each
other. The Thurow model, which was developed in the
late 1960’s, divides the economy into three distinct but
related blocks: supply g n p , total income, and demand
g n p . Estimates of supply g n p , demand g n p , and total
income were developed simultaneously. The specific equa
tions used in the Thurow model differ substantially from
1 9 7 8 .................................
4,017
11.3
A c tu a l 19 8 5 .....................
3,608
—
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gnp
409
—
The trends for real g n p were overestimated in each
projection. Further, the differences between the projected
and actual trends are similar. The percent errors for the
g n p estimates were different only because the projections
covered different time spans— 13, 12, and 8 years, respec
tively.
Year
published
Period
covered
1973 ............
1976 ............
1978 ............
Annual percent change in
gnp
--------------------------------------------------
Projected
Actual
Difference
1 9 7 2 -8 5
4.1
2.7
- 1 .4
1 9 7 3 -8 5
3.5
2.3
- 1 .2
1 9 7 7 -8 5
3.9
2.5
- 1 .4
The large errors for supply g n p reflect bls ’ projected
productivity trends. In each case, bls projected that pro
ductivity in the nonfarm sector would accelerate slightly
from the historical trend. In each instance, the actual
productivity growth was slower than the historical
growth. In the 1973 and 1976 projections, bls underesti
mated employment growth which, in turn, partially offset
the productivity errors in the supply g n p estimates. In
the 1978 projections, bls overestimated total employ
ment growth, which added to the error resulting from the
high productivity estimate.
25
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Demand GNP. In the demand section, projections were
made of personal consumption expenditures, investment
expenditures, government expenditures, and net foreign
trade.
Each projection underestimated personal consumption
expenditures as a proportion of g n p . The largest error
occurred in the 1973 projections. At that time the pro
jected share for 1985 was 62.3 percent of g n p but the
actual 1985 share would be 65.2 percent, bls had ex
pected personal consumption expenditures as a share of
total g n p to decline slightly from what was then a post
war high. It was argued that the large 1972 share was
related to the economy being near the peak of a business
cycle and was not related to longer term trends. Over the
1972-85 period, however, personal consumption expend
itures rose from 62.2 percent of g n p to 65.2 percent, a
proportion that was again a record high.
The projections were also incorrect in their estimates of
the role of foreign trade in the 1985 economy. The share
of imports was consistently underestimated in each pro
jection. The errors in the share of projected exports were
small. For example, the 1973 projection error for exports
was only 0.2 percentage point (a 10.3-percent share com
pared to an actual 10.1-percent share). Between 1972 and
1979, exports as a share of g n p increased 2.7 percentage
points; between 1979 and 1985, the export share declined
by 1.1 percentage points. The export share fluctuated
partly because the value of the dollar fluctuated.
Finally, bls had difficulty projecting government’s
share of g n p . For example, the 1973 projections underes
timated Federal Government expenditures as a share of
g n p by 1.4 percentage points and overestimated the State
and local government share. In 1973, bls projected that
the growth of defense expenditures would be modest after
the end of the Vietnam war, and bls did not anticipate the
growth in defense expenditures during the late 1970’s and
the early 1980’s, bls expected State and local government
expenditures to continue increasing as a share of g n p
over the 1972-85 period, although not as rapidly as dur
ing the 1955-72 period. However, the State and local
government share declined over this period as these gov
ernment units faced budget problems which limited the
growth of expenditures.
The largest errors in the 1973 projections of final de
mand shares of GNP were for personal consumption
expenditures (a 2.9-percentage point underestimate),
State and local government (a 2.4-percentage point over
estimate), Federal Government (a 1.4-percentage point
underestimate), and imports (a 1.2-percentage point un
derestimate). (See table 1.)
The largest errors in the 1976 projections were for per
sonal consumption expenditures (a 1.5-percentage point
underestimate), Federal Government (a 1.9-percentage
point overestimate), and State and local government (a
1.4-percentage point overestimate).
26
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Evaluation o f
Table 1.
1985
b l s
’ Projections o f the 1985 Economy
Distribution of projected and actual final demand,
[In percent]
P r o j e c t e d in —
A c tu a l
C a te g o ry
19 73
19 76
19 78
19 8 5
Gross national product....
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
C onsum ption..........................
Durable g oods......................
Nondurable goo d s...............
S e rvice s................................
62.3
7.5
24.0
30.8
63.7
—
—
64.6
9.5
24.0
31.1
65.2
9.8
23.5
31.9
Investm ent..............................
Nonresidential structures....
Producers' durable
equipm ent............................
Residential inve stm e n t.......
Inventory c h a n g e .................
18.1
4.7
18.3
4.3
19.0
3.5
17.6
4.1
7.3
4.9
1.2
7.9
5.0
1.1
7.8
5.8
1.9
8.4
4.8
.2
Net e x p o rts.............................
Exports..................................
Im ports..................................
- 1.6
10.3
-1 1 .9
-1 .7
10.6
-1 2 .3
- .6
9.9
- 1.6
-3 .0
10.1
-13.1
G overnm ent............................
Federal..................................
State and lo c a l.....................
21.2
7.6
13.6
19.7
7.1
12.6
17.0
6.3
10.6
20.1
9.0
11.2
—
Note : Estimates are based on 1982 dollars. Dash indicates detail not
available.
In 1978, the largest projections errors were for imports
(a 2.5-percentage point underestimate), investment (a 1.4percentage point overestimate), and Federal Government
(a 2.7-percentage point underestimate).
Output by major industry. The next several steps of the
bls projections program involve projections of industry
activity rather than projections of aggregate g n p using
the macroeconomic model. Projections of industry activ
ity are based on input-output and industry productivity
models. In the first step of the industry projections, the
final demand projections are combined with projections
of industry technologies (based on input-output analysis)
to yield industry output projections. The industry output
estimates are, in turn, used to make projections of value
added or gross product originating by major industries.
For each projection, the errors in projecting the share
of g n p by major industry were usually modest (at least in
comparison to the errors in projecting final demand
shares of g n p ). The largest errors generally occurred in
the 1978 projections. Service industries were projected to
account for 13.1 percent of g n p in 1985, while their ac
tual share was 15 percent. (See table 2.) The source of this
error is difficult to determine precisely, but it was offset
by overestimates in mining and construction. However,
bls substantially underestimated (by nearly half) the
growth of business services while overestimating the
growth of medical services. The error might also be re
lated to bls projected input-output coefficients. The
input-output errors cannot be determined, inasmuch as
consistent historical and projected input-output tables are
not available. The projected share for transportation in
dustries was 4.7 percent in 1978; the actual share was 3.5
percent. The error in projecting manufacturing’s share was
only 0.2 percentage point.
For the 1973 projections, the largest errors, or differ
ences between actual and projected shares of g n p , were
usually less than 1 percentage point. For example, the
projected share for retail trade was 8.8 percent of g n p ;
the actual share was 9.5 percent. The projected share for
construction was 5.3 percent of GNP; the actual share was
4.6 percent.
Labor productivity.
bls also projects labor productiv
ity— output per hour—by industry. For each of the three
projection periods, two labor productivity projections
were made. First, bls projected labor productivity in the
private nonfarm sector to accelerate modestly compared
to the historical trend. Second, for each major industry,
projected productivity trends were developed that were
similar to the historical trends. For example, in the 1973
projections, labor productivity growth in the nonfarm
sector was projected at 2.9 percent per year over the
1972-85 period. During the historical period, the growth
was 2.5 percent per year. (For 1973 projections, the his
torical period was the 1955-72 period). The projected
growth of manufacturing productivity was 2.7 percent per
year over the 1972-85 period, compared to 2.8 percent
per year over the 1955-72 period. In each instance, the
actual nonfarm economy productivity growth trends
turned out to be substantially slower than the historical
trends. The similarity between historical and projected
trends held only for manufacturing industries as a group.
The productivity trends for nonmanufacturing industries
as a group also slowed substantially compared to histori
cal trends.
Table 2. Distribution of projected and actual gross
product originating, by major industry, 1985
19 76
19 78
19 8 5
Gross national p ro d u ct.....
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Goods-producing sector:
Agriculture.............................
M ining....................................
C onstruction.........................
M anufacturing......................
1.8
3.5
5.3
22.1
2.1
4.1
5.6
22.5
2.2
4.2
5.4
22.1
2.6
3.6
4.6
21.9
Service-producing sector:
Transportation......................
C om m unication...................
Public u tilitie s........................
Wholesale trade...................
Retail trade............................
Finance, insurance, and
real estate............................
S e rvice s................................
Government enterprises......
General governm ent...........
4.7
2.5
2.9
6.9
8.8
4.7
2.3
3.3
6.9
9.5
4.7
2.5
2.8
7.2
9.6
3.5
2.6
2.9
7.5
9.5
15.0
14.7
1.3
9.3
14.3
13.3
1.3
9.8
14.9
13.1
1.4
9.0
14.5
15.0
1.2
9.8
Statistical discrepancy,
rest-of-w orld........................
1.2
.3
.9
.8
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Period
covered
Projected
Actual
Difference
A c tu a l
In d u s try
19 73
Total employment. Included in the bls projection pro
gram are estimates of total employment, employment by
major industry, and employment by detailed industry.
(The last element in the bls projections program is the
projection of employment by occupation. It is not possible
to evaluate 1985 occupational projections because in 1982
an entirely new system of occupational classification was
put in place.)
As noted in the introduction, bls underestimated 1985
employment in the 1973 and 1976 projections and overes
timated employment in the 1978 projections. Thus, bls
underestimated the growth of total employment in the
1973 and in the 1976 projections and overestimated em
ployment growth in the 1978 projections. The following
tabulation shows the projected and actual annual growth
rates in total employment for each of the three projection
periods:
Year
published
[In percent]
P r o j e c t e d in —
These two errors cannot be explicitly documented be
cause required data were not published by bls . The point,
however, can be made with actual trends. For the 1973
projections, bls assumed that productivity trends for the
1955-72 period would essentially continue over the
1972-85 period. Over the 1959-72 period, productivity in
the nonfarm business economy increased 2.3 percent per
year and in the manufacturing industries, 2.5 percent per
year. However, over the projected period, 1972-85, pro
ductivity in the nonfarm economy grew only 0.9 percent a
year, or 1.4 percentage points less than during the refer
ence period. Manufacturing productivity grew 2.6 percent
per year over the 1972-85 period, or only 0.1 percentage
point more than during the reference period.
Productivity growth for nonfarm industries as a group
slowed over the projected period, bls did not incorporate
this trend in its 1973 projections. Similar errors occurred
for the 1976 and 1978 projections.
1 9 7 3 .......
1 9 7 2 -8 5
1.8
2.0
-.2
1 9 7 6 .......
1 9 7 3 -8 5
1.7
1.8
- .1
1 9 7 8 .......
1 9 7 7 -8 5
2.2
2.0
.2
These modest differences between the projected and ac
tual growth in each of the three periods reflect substantial
offsetting errors in the projection of population, labor
force participation rates, and the unemployment rate. The
1973 and 1976 projection errors were further offset be
cause an overestimate of the number of persons holding
two jobs or more reduced the total error.
For each of the three projection periods, population
growth among persons age 16 and older was underesti
mated by the Bureau of the Census. The error for the 1973
and 1976 projections was 8 million persons. The error for
the 1978 projections was 5 million persons. These errors
27
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
were, in part, related to the substantial adjustment to
population estimates as a result of the 1980 Census of the
Population. The population errors were also partially re
lated to an underestimate of the level of net migration
during the 1980’s.
bls underestimated the level of female participation in
the labor force in the 1973 and 1976 projections. In its
1973 initial projections of the 1985 labor force, bls as
sumed that the large increase in female labor force
participation which occurred in the early 1970’s would
not continue to the same extent in the 1980’s. However, in
its 1978 projections, bls finally accepted the rapidly ris
ing female labor force participation rate as a long-term
phenomenon.
bls also assumed that the economy would operate with
relatively full employment over time in each of three pro
jection periods. The 1973 projections estimated the 1985
unemployment rate at 4 percent; the 1976 projections at
4.5 percent; and the 1978 projections at 4.7 percent. The
actual 1985 unemployment rate was 7.2 percent.
Major industries.
Employment has been shifting from
goods-producing industries to service-producing indus
tries over the past decade. While bls projected this shift,
the size of the shift was underestimated in each of the
three projection periods. In 1973, the projected 1985
share of total employment accounted for by goods-pro
ducing industries was 3.6 percentage points higher than
the actual share; in 1976, it was 2.4 percentage points
greater; and in 1978, it was 2.6 percentage points greater.
(See table 3.)
Among the major industries, the share of total employ
ment was overestimated for manufacturing and State and
local government and underestimated for services. In the
Table 3.
Projected and actual employment, 1985
[Percent distribution]
Actual
Projected in —
Industry
1973
1976
1978
1985
All in d u strie s.....................
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Goods-producing...................
Agriculture.............................
M ining....................................
C onstruction.........................
M anufacturing......................
30.0
2.0
.6
5.1
21.6
29.1
2.3
.7
5.5
20.6
29.3
3.0
.9
5.1
20.3
26.7
2.9
.8
5.4
17.6
Service-producing..................
Transportation......................
Communication ...................
U tilities..................................
Wholesale trade...................
Retail trade...........................
Finance, insurance, and
real estate............................
S e rvice s................................
Private households..............
69.7
3.0
1.2
.7
4.8
14.9
70.9
2.8
1.3
.8
4.8
15.3
70.7
3.0
1.2
.7
5.1
17.2
73.3
3.0
1.2
.8
5.4
16.9
5.3
19.8
1.8
5.4
20.3
.8
5.3
20.4
.9
5.8
22.3
1.1
1.9
2.7
1.9
2.6
1.8
2.5
2.0
2.6
14.7
15.0
12.3
12.1
Government:
Armed F o rce s ......................
Federal G overnm ent...........
State and local
governm ent.........................
28
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Evaluation o f
b l s
’ Projections o f the 1985 Economy
1973 projections, as an illustration, the projected increase
in manufacturing employment was 4.2 million jobs over
the 1972-85 period. However, the actual increase in man
ufacturing employment was only 200,000 jobs.
The errors occurred in part because bls overestimated
the projected output trends in manufacturing industries
and underestimated the trends in service industries. These
output errors in turn reflect other errors in the projec
tions. bls could not anticipate the severe 1981-82
recession and the subsequent slow recovery over the
1982-85 period, or the adverse •foreign trade develop
ments of the 1980’s. These two related phenomena
particularly affected manufacturing output and employ
ment trends.
The errors in projecting the distribution of employment
in 1985 also occurred because of errors in projecting pro
ductivity growth for the detailed industries. For each of
the three periods, the projected productivity growth in
the service sector was greater than the actual growth. In
the 1973 projections, bls assumed that productivity
growth in the service industries would nearly match that
in the manufacturing industries. However, the actual pro
ductivity growth for these sectors has not been similar.
Over the 1972-85 period, manufacturing productivity
grew 1.7 percent per year, while services productivity
grew very little, if any. These productivity errors were the
largest for the 1973 projections.
Detailed industries. BLS also projects employment among
the detailed industries. For 1973, the average projected
increase in industry employment was 1.6 percent per year
over the 1972-85 period. The average actual increase was
0.8 percent per year, just half of the projected average
trend. (See table 4.) For the 1976 projections, the differ
ence between the average projected and actual trends was
only 0.5 percentage point per year. For the 1978 projec
tions, the difference was the largest, 1.8 percentage points
per year.
We can review the accuracy of these projections in other
ways. For about two-thirds of the industries in the 1973
and 1976 projections, the errors were relatively small, less
than 2 percentage points per year above or below the ac
tual trends. For the 1973 projections, the errors were
relatively small for 57 of the 101 industries, and the same
was true for 62 of the 101 industries in the 1976 projec
tions; for the 1976 projections, the errors were relatively
small for only about two-fifths of the industries evaluated
here, or 55 of the 123 industries.
Another issue is whether BLS correctly projected the direc
tion of change. Had employment increased or declined in
all the industries where bls projected increases or declines?
In the 1973 projections, the direction of employment change
was correctly projected for 65 of 101 industries; in the 1976
projections, the direction was correct for 64 of the 101
Table 4. Projected and actual industry employment trends
to 1985 and selected error estimates from the 1973,1976,
and 1978 projection rounds
[In percent]
P r o j e c t e d in —
Ite m
19 73
19 76
19 78
Average trends:
P ro je cte d ...................................................
Actual..........................................................
D iffe re n ce ..................................................
1.6
.8
.8
1.2
.7
.5
0.2
1.8
1.8
Average absolute error:
Jobs (thousands).......................................
Percent e rro r..............................................
177
30.5
151
25.4
97
23.8
Annual trends:
Unweighted ...............................................
Weighted ...................................................
Squared......................................................
2.0
1.5
6.4
1.9
1.4
5.8
2.9
1.5
14.6
industries; and in the 1978 projections, it was correct in 67
of 123 industries.
There are other measures for reviewing industry projec
tion errors. Average percentage errors allow positive errors
to offset negative errors. An alternative is the average abso
lute percentage error or the error without regard to sign.
With this alternative, positive and negative errors are not
offset. A third statistic is a weighted average percentage
error. It weights the individual absolute percentage errors
by the employment size of each industry. By weighting the
errors, this third statistic emphasizes the errors of the
larger industries. A final statistic is the root mean squared
error. It is the average of the individual percentage errors
after the errors have been squared. This fourth choice em
phasizes extreme errors.
The average absolute error (unweighted) for the 1973
projection was 2.0 percentage points per year across all the
industries in the private economy over the 1972-85 pe
riod. As a result, projected employment levels, on average,
were about 30.5 percent higher or lower than the actual
employment levels.
In each of the three projection periods, the detailed
errors declined when industry size was considered. For the
1978 projection, the average absolute error declined from
2.9 percentage points per year to 1.5 percentage points per
year when the errors were weighted for industry size.
Finally, there were many large errors in each of the
three projection periods. In the 1976 projections, the aver
age of individual errors without regard to sign was 1.9
percentage points per year. When the individual errors are
squared, the average of individual errors rises sharply to
5.8 percentage points per year. The greatest errors over the
three projection periods, at the individual industry level,
occurred for ore mining, blast furnaces, and farm machin
ery. (See table 5.)
Industry projections
Industry projections are the results of many steps, all of
which may contribute to an error in projections. The fol
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
lowing discussion covers some of the difficulties in project
ing a specific trend for a specific industry.
In its projections, bls has always highlighted the fastest
growing industries. In each of the three projection periods,
bls included computer and peripheral equipment and
business services among the five fastest growing industries.
Indeed, these two industries were the fastest growing for
the respective periods. Nevertheless, bls still underesti
mated their growth—by an average of 2 percentage points
per year for computers and 2.9 percentage points per year
for business services. These errors are similar to the aver
age errors for all industries. They highlight the difficulty of
projecting trends that are considerably above average.
Industries affected by imports pose other problems.
The motor vehicles industry is one that has received con
siderable attention. In the 1973 and 1978 projections, bls
overestimated the growth of this industry. In 1973, bls
projected modest employment growth for the industry for
the 1972-85 period, during which employment in the
industry actually remained unchanged. But the 1973 error
was below the average for all industries. In 1978, bls
projected considerable employment growth for this indus
try for the 1977-85 period when, in fact, employment in
the industry would decline. But the 1978 error was above
the average error for all industries. However, in 1976, bls
projected employment in the industry to decline over the
1973-85 period and employment did decline, but slightly
less than bls projected. The average error for the motor
vehicles industry across the three projection periods was
typical for all industries.
The iron and steel industry also has received considerable
attention. In each of the projection periods, employment in
blast furnaces and basic steel products and in iron and steel
foundries was projected to grow modestly when, in fact,
employment declined.
The economic scene
Several major economic events occurred during the late
1970’s and early 1980’s that had an effect upon the projec
tions process. Energy prices and interest rates fluctuated
widely. The Federal Government operated in substantial
deficit and the U.S. trade imbalance grew significantly
while labor productivity growth slowed. At the same time,
the value of the U.S. dollar also fluctuated and the Nation
experienced two recessions. The magnitude of these
changes highlights the uncertainty inherent in projecting
employment trends over an 8- to 12-year period.
Error sources
Employment.
This section focuses on the contribution
of the errors of individual variables to the error in pro
jected total employment. To what extent were the
projections of total employment wrong because the pro
jections of one of the component variables such as the
29
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Table 5.
September 1988
•
Evaluation o f
b l s
’ Projections o f the 1985 Economy
Errors In estimates of 1985 industry employment from the 1973,1976, and 1978 projections rounds
[Percentage points]
A ve ra g e
P r o j e c t io n y e a r
A ve ra g e
P r o j e c t io n y e a r
a b s o lu te
a b s o lu te
19 73
Agriculture.................................................
Ore mining.................................................
Crude petroleum........................................
Stone and clay mining...............................
Construction...............................................
Guided missiles.........................................
Meat products............................................
Dairy products............................................
-3 .1
5.9
- 1 .0
-7.6
1 .2
-.6
1 1
0 .6
5.0
10.9
1.9
7.3
6 .1
2 .6
.8
-3.1
.7
4.9
-.0
-.6
-.4
4
-3.3
-4.5
-7.8
-3.9
.4
.8
2 .0
.2
-1.7
.8
.5
.5
.5
.5
5
- .1
3.5
2.4
.4
3.5
1.4
5
5
7
31
19
-.1
-.1
-.1
- .1
- 1
-
-.0
.9
1
2 .1
7
.4
30
51
3 .3
14
1 .0
.4
1.4
.2
.5
.9
.6
3.2
2 .8
25
30
2 .8
51
40
4.2
1 .0
1 .2
1 .6
3.3
1.3
-.4
.4
.9
.6
19
.4
.7
?8
1 8
1 1
-1.9
1.1
.6
36
7
29
9
*L2
1 1
6
4.2
.4
1
7
1 2
1 1
1
2.7
5
25
-2.3
8
1
2
4.3
5.4
-.1
1.4
1.1
2 0
14
14
55
31
2 0
.8
1.7
36
-1.4
.7
-.6
- 6
50
39
1 8
5
3.1
.1
56
19 76
19 78
e rro r
Farm machinery..........................................
Construction and mining equipment..........
Material handling equipment......................
Metalworking machinery ...........................
Special industry machinery .......................
3.4
4.8
5.0
3.5
8.7
5.7
4.9
4.1
2.4
General industrial machinery.....................
Machine shop products..............................
Computers.................................................
Typewriters and other office equipment ....
Service industry machines.........................
3.1
-1.5
-.5
3.8
1.7
Electric transmission equipment................
Electrical industrial apparatus...................
Household appliances...............................
Electric lighting and wiring .........................
Radio and television sets...........................
4.8
Telephone apparatus................................
Other communications equipment.............
Electronic components..............................
Other electrical machinery.........................
Motor vehicles...........................................
1.5
-2.5
-2.3
-.4
2 .8
5.2
3.6
4.0
2.4
-.7
3.6
-.2
2 .6
3.0
.8
3.2
1 .2
-3.7
2.7
3.8
3.9
3.9
4.3
3.2
3.5
3.3
4.5
5.5
4.3
5.2
4.0
3.5
4.3
4.0
3.9
1 .8
-4.5
-3.1
4.8
-5.4
-2.3
2.7
4.1
1 .1
.8
.7
1 .2
-.4
3.7
1 .8
-.8
-.7
3.4
3.3
3.3
-
1 .8
3.2
2 .0
3.1
4.6
3.1
-
2 .0
2 .2
2 .6
2 .0
1 .2
3.5
3.6
5.4
4.9
1 0 .0
8.3
-2.3
Medical and dental instruments.................
Optical and ophthalmic equipment............
Photographic equipment...........................
Watches and clocks...................................
Miscellaneous manufactured products .....
-1.5
-1.5
3.0
-.9
- .1
1 .2
2 .0
1 .2
2 .0
Railroad transportation..............................
Local transit...............................................
.2
.8
15
1.4
Water transportation..................................
.9
-.2
-1.5
-1.3
1 .0
-4.5
4.6
.4
5
Communication, except broadcasting........
Radio and tv broadcasting.........................
2 .1
Gas utilities................................................
-5.2
.4
- 2 .8
- 2 .2
.5
-3.2
.7
-.9
- 1 .0
-1.7
4.3
.7
1.9
1.4
.9
-.7
-.5
.5
.5
-3.2
.7
.9
.9
1.5
-.5
- 2 .0
- 1 .6
- 1 .6
-2.7
-.4
-1.7
2 .0
-.2
1 .0
-1.4
-3.7
2.9
-1.9
-2.5
- 1 .0
-1.5
.3
- 2 .6
-3.1
.5
1 .0
2.7
1.5
.8
3.1
8
.6
3.0
2 0
4.1
3.7
4.3
3.4
19
Insurance...................................................
1 6
2.4
2 .1
5.8
27
8 .2
8 0
6.3
4.2
Hotels and lodging places..........................
Personal and repair services.....................
31
24
28
2.7
27
24
14
23
3.5
46
5.6
17
46
2.7
31
3.7
5*7
57
57
57
4.0
49
49
49
49
3.1
17
4.6
51
41
5.0
5.2
4.1
3.9
.3
-
-
unemployment rate were incorrect? To isolate the impact
of the errors in the labor force projection, for example, we
had to determine what the projected total employment
level would have been if bls had correctly projected the
unemployment rate, the number of persons in the Armed
Forces, and other variables and had only made an error in
projecting the labor force. The difference between this
calculated total employment level and actual 1985 em
1 .2
-.6
-.6
-.6
2 .1
1 .2
-.6
-
2 .2
Professional and legal services.................
Automobile repair.......................................
Motion pictures .........................................
-
2 .1
Health services except hospitals...............
-
Other medical services..............................
Educational services..................................
-
2 .0
1 .6
-.5
1 8
31
1.1
1 .6
1 .1
Private households....................................
1 .6
2 .6
2 .2
4.1
13.0
3.9
1.5
-.4
.6
Water and sanitary services......................
Wholesale trade........................................
.0
-.1
.2
1.1
2 6
1 8
2 .1
6 .8
-.6
17
43
4.7
2 .0
1 .8
4.8
3.1
3.1
.4
1 8
2 0
3.6
1.7
Ship and boat building...............................
Railroad equipment...................................
Miscellaneous transportation.....................
Scientific and controlling instruments........
2.5
8
1
2 .8
2 8
23
49
2 0
30
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
19 73
35
2 .0
Engines and turbines..................................
2 .0
-.1
.5
.5
8
Plastics materials.......................................
-
-.1
-.8
4
Paper products...........................................
e rro r
4.0
.3
Canned and frozen products .....................
Grain mill products....................................
Bakery products........................................
Sugar.........................................................
Miscellaneous fabricated textiles..............
Logging......................................................
19 78
19 76
-.8
1 .0
-
2 .0
-.9
-.5
1 .2
-1.3
- 1 .0
-.6
-.6
1.3
.3
4.6
-.6
.7
-.1
.2
.8
-1.4
1 .8
2 .1
-.8
- .1
-.6
-.8
- 1.1
-3.3
- 1.8
3.7
-.2
1.1
.8
1.4
3.1
5.4
2.4
2 .1
.3
.6
.6
.6
.5
1 .2
2 .2
2.5
.9
.9
1.1
1.4
1.3
.5
.7
2.9
ployment is the effect of the erroneous labor force
projection. We repeated this process for each variable in
the employment projection. Table 6 shows the results of
these calculations.
For 1973, the largest error was the projected 1985
labor force. If labor force had been the only error, bls
projections would have underestim ated total 1985
employment by 8.9 million jobs. However, this large neg-
ative error was partially offset by two large positive
errors in unemployment and in the adjustment for dual
jobholders.
In 1976, the projected labor force again had the largest
negative error. That error was also partially offset by posi
tive errors in projecting unemployment and in the
adjustment for dual jobholders.
For 1978, the largest error was projected unemploy
ment. This positive error was partially offset by a modest
negative error for the projected labor force.
Supply g n p .
Supply g n p is one of three parts of the
bls simultaneous macroeconomic projection. As noted
earlier, supply g n p includes projections of labor produc
tivity, average annual hours, and other variables, as well
as total employment. Here we want to determine the con
tribution of the errors in each underlying variable to the
error in the supply g n p estimate. Our analysis is limited
to the first-round effects.
As with the projection of total employment, in order to
isolate the impact of the erroneous labor force projection
on the g n p projection, we have to determine what the
projected g n p level would have been if bls had correctly
projected the unemployment rate, average annual hours,
labor productivity, and other variables and had only made
an error in projecting the labor force. The difference be
tween this g n p level and the actual 1985 g n p is the effect
of the erroneous labor force projection. We repeated this
process for each variable in the g n p projection. Table 7
shows the results of these calculations.
The 1973 projections overestimated g n p because of the
productivity projection. That error contributed $920 bil
lion to the total error of $797 billion. This positive error
was partially offset by the effect that negative errors in the
labor force projection had on supply g n p .
The 1976 projection also overestimated g n p because of
its productivity projection. The error of the productivity
projection matched the total error of $544 billion. This
positive error was again partially offset by the negative
error for the labor force projection.
The 1978 projections continued to overestimate g n p
because of the productivity projection error. That error
accounted for $355 billion of the total $409 billion error.
It was not possible to carry out a similar set of calcula
tions for the detailed industry projections. To do that, a
current input-output table comparable to the table used in
each of the three sets of projections would be required.
Such current tables do not exist.
bls
projections: on target or off the mark?
In this article, we only list the errors of bls projections
of the 1985 economy. At some point, we need a standard
to gauge the relative accuracy of the published data. One
gauge of relative accuracy is past bls projections. An
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other is to compare bls projections with other medium-term
projections. Because employment projections are the primary
product of the BLS projection program, we limit this com
parison to employment.
Past b l s projections.
bls has now evaluated eight em
ployment projections. The errors in the projections of
total employment growth range from a -0.4 percentage
point per year for the 1976 projection of the 1980 economy
to a positive 0.6 percentage point per year for the 1973
projection of the 1975 economy. (See table 8.) The average
absolute errors in projecting industry trends have ranged
from 1.3 to 2.9 percentage points per year. The spread of
error is slightly smaller when the errors are weighted for
industry size, ranging from 1.0 to 2.1 percentage points per
year. The 1980 projections prepared in 1970 were the most
accurate, while the 1980 projections prepared in 1973 were
the least accurate. The three projections for the 1985 econ
omy fall about in the middle of the error range of past bls
projections.
Other medium-term projections.
Finally, how do bls
projections compare with other projections? Several fore
casters conducting similar studies underestimated the
1985 level of total employment. Their errors were similar
to those of bls because all the forecasters used the same
population projections and assumed similar unemploy
ment rates, bls and another forecaster underestimated
the employment shift from goods-producing industries to
service-producing industries.
In the 1970’s, several organizations prepared projec
tions of th mid-1980’s economy. In 1973, Clopper Almon
of the University of Maryland and the National Planning
Table 6. Factored errors In projection of 1985 total
employment
[Numbers in thousands]
P r o j e c t e d in Ite m
19 73
19 76
19 78
Total e rro r....................................................
-1 ,9 8 6
-2 ,2 1 9
2,054
Error due to:
Labor fo rc e ...........................................
Armed F o rc e s .....................................
U nem ploym ent....................................
Adjustment factor1 ..............................
Interaction............................................
-8,931
-1 6
3,775
3,662
-4 7 6
-6 ,7 2 4
-1 1
3,185
1,748
-3 2 7
-7 5 6
-1 3
2,949
-1 1 3
-1 3
P e r c e n t o f to t a l e rro r
Total e rro r....................................................
100
100
100
Error due to:
Labor fo rc e ...........................................
Armed F o rc e s .....................................
U nem ploym ent....................................
Adjustment fa c to r '..............................
Interaction............................................
-4 5 0
-1
190
184
-2 4
-3 1 6
0
150
82
-1 5
-3 7
-1
143
-6
-1
'Includes adjustment for multiple jobholders and other statistical differences
between employment as measured by the Current Population Survey and the
Current Employment Survey (790).
31
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Association (n p a ) published projections for the 1973-85
and 1973-83 periods, respectively.4 In this brief compari
son, we assume that n p a ’s 1973-83 trends continued
through 1985. In 1976, the n p a published projections for
the 1976-86 period.5 Like bls , Almon and n p a use mod
els and judgments to make projections. (Again, this
comparison is limited because very few medium-term em
ployment projections are developed. Most projections are
for 1 year ahead, not 10 years ahead.)
1973-85 projections.
Total employment growth was
slightly underestimated in the bls and Almon projections
of the mid-1980’s economy and slightly overestimated in
the n p a projections. The errors were small, less than
0.3 percentage point per year, and similar because each
economic projection used the Bureau of the Census popu
lation projections. Further, each assumed the economy
would operate in the longer run at full employment.
Almon overestimated real g n p growth for the 1973-85
period by 0.4 percentage point per year, n p a overesti
mated g n p growth by 1.3 percentage points per year.
As previously noted, bls overestimated the trend by
2.1 percentage points per year. The differences reflect the
respective productivity projections. Almon projected a
slowdown in productivity while n p a projected a slight
acceleration, bls projected a more substantial accelera
tion.
Both Almon and bls underestimated the employment
shift from the goods-producing sector to the service-pro
ducing sector. Almon projected that employment in the
goods-producing sector would account for 7 percent of
the net new jobs over the 1973-85 period, while the ac
Table 7.
Factored errors in projection of 1985 supply
g n p
[Billions of 1982 dollars]
r o je c te d in —
Ite m
Total e rro r....................................................
Error due to:
Labor fo rc e ...........................................
Unemployment rate.............................
Adjustment fa c to r................................
Government including
Armed Forces..................................
Average annual hours.........................
Labor productivity................................
Interaction............................................
19 73
19 76
19 78
$797
$544
$409
-3 0 6
129
125
-2 3 0
109
60
-2 6
101
-4
-2 8
10
920
-5 3
-2 3
57
544
27
-6
3
355
6
P e r c e n t o f to t a l e rro r
Total e rro r....................................................
Error due to:
Labor fo rc e ...........................................
Unemployment rate.............................
Adjustment fa c to r................................
Government including
Armed Forces..................................
Average annual hours.........................
Labor productivity................................
Interaction............................................
32
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
100
100
100
-3 8
16
16
-4 2
20
11
-6
25
-1
-4
1
115
-4
10
100
5
-1
1
82
1
- 7
Evaluation o f
b l s
’ Projections o f the 1985 Economy
Table 8 .
errors in projecting employment trends,
selected periods
b
l s
[Percentage points]
D iffe r e n c e b e tw e e n p ro je c te d
a n d a c tu a l tr e n d s
Year
Year
p u b lis h e d
p ro je c te d
In d u s t r y tr e n d s
T o ta l
( A v e r a g e a b s o lu te e rro r s )
e m p lo y m e n t
W e ig h te d b y s ize
U n w e ig h te d
o f in d u s tr y
- 0.2
1.4
1.1
1975
.6
2.3
1.3
1980
1980
1980
- .3
- .2
- .4
1.3
2.7
1.5
1.0
2.1
1.2
1985
1985
1985
- .2
-.1
.2
2.0
1.9
2.9
1.5
1.4
1.5
1 96 6 ...............
1970
1973 ...............
1 9 7 0 ...............
1973 ...............
1 9 7 6 ...............
1973 ...............
1 9 7 6 ...............
1978 ...............
tual share was 2 percent, bls projected that employment
in the goods-producing sector would account for
16 percent of the additional jobs, while the actual share
was 7 percent. (The estimates of the actual share differ
because the two forecasters used different employment
measures. For example, Almon’s measure converts parttime workers to full-time equivalents, while the bls
measure does not.) Because n p a did not project employ
ment for all industries, this point cannot be evaluated.
1977-85 projections.
bls overestimated total employ
ment growth between the late 1970’s and mid-1980’s,
while n p a underestimated the growth. The respective er
rors were less than 0.3 percentage point per year. The
difference between the projections reflects the respective
labor force projections, bls overestimated the labor force
growth, while n p a underestimated it. Both assumed the
economy would be operating at near full employment.
Both bls and n p a overestimated real g n p growth by
about 1.5 percentage points per year. Each assumed pro
ductivity would accelerate.
Finally, both underestimated the employment shift
from the goods-producing sector to the service-producing
sector. Both projected that about one-fourth of the addi
tional employment would occur in the goods-producing
sector; the actual share was less than one-tenth during the
1977-85 period.
Future benefits
Evaluations of the projections are designed to show
their strengths and weaknesses. Without an evaluation, we
might only guess at the accuracy of the projections and
probably compound any errors introduced into the pro
cess. Accordingly, the judgments and economic models
which go into any projection are continuously reviewed.
In this evaluation no pattern of errors emerged which
would suggest changes in the data or procedures. We have
not separated the effects of data or procedural errors on
the projection process. However, it does seem important
to explore wider ranges of assumptions because, at least
for 1985, many of the broad assumptions about the U.S.
economy were wide of the mark.
□
-FOOTNOTES'The initial projections of the 1985 economy were described in “Pro
jections of GNP, income, output, and employment,” Monthly Labor
Review, December 1973, pp. 27-42; and in detail in The Structure o f the
U.S. Economy in 1980 and 1985, Bulletin 1831 (Bureau of Labor Statis
tics, 1975). The second projections of the 1985 economy were described
in Ronald E. Kutscher, “Revised projections of the U.S. economy to
1980: an overview,” Monthly Labor Review, March 1976, pp. 3-8;
Charles T. Bowman and Terry H. Morlan, “Revised projections of the
U.S. economy to 1980 and 1985,” Monthly Labor Review, March 1976,
pp. 9-21; and Thomas J. Mooney and John H. Tschetter “Revised
projections to 1985,” Monthly Labor Review, November 1976, pp. 3 -9 .
The third projections were published in Norman C. Saunders, “The U.S.
economy to 1990: two projections for growth,” Monthly Labor Review,
December 1978, pp. 36-46; Valerie A. Personick, “Industry output and
employment: bls projections to 1990, Monthly Labor Review, April
1979, pp. 3-14; and Arthur Andreassen, “Changing patterns of de
mand: bls projections to 1990,” Monthly Labor Review, December
1978, pp. 47-55.
tion of bls’ projections of 1980 industry employment,” Monthly Labor
Review, August 1984, pp. 12-21; Max L. Carey and Kevin Kasunic,
“Evaluating the 1980 projections of occupational em ployment,”
Monthly Labor Review, July 1982, pp. 22-30; and Howard N Fullerton’s
evaluation of projections of the 1985 labor force, Monthly Labor Review,
forthcoming.
2bls periodically evaluates its labor force, industry employment, and
occupational employment projections. See John Tschetter, “An evalua
6The next ten years,
Association, 1976).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3 The distinction between judgment and economic models is artificial
in the context of projections. Judgments are usually based on analysis of
trends and relationships between variables, that is, models. The distinc
tions between independent and dependent variables (which is where the
distinction between judgment and model originates) is important in the
context of model building or econometrics.
4Clopper Almon, Jr., Margaret B. Buckler, Lawrence M. Horwitz,
and Thomas C. Reimbold, 1985: Interindustry forecasts o f the American
economy (Lexington, m a , Lexington Books, 1974).
5The U.S. economy: 1973-83,
Planning Association, 1974).
neps
neps
report no. 7 6 - N - l (National
report no. 7 6 - N - 2 / 3 (National Planning
33
n a ob
a
a
o
Research Summaries
Productivity, age, and labor
composition changes in the U.S.
D
Table 1. Average age of the civilian labor force age 16 and
over by sex, selected years, 1948-86
A ve ra g e age
Year
M
ary
and
K
J a b l o n s k i, L a r r y R
ent
K
osenblum
It is well known that, since 1973, the United States has
been experiencing a slowdown in the rate of growth of
labor productivity. From 1948 to 1973, output per labor
hour in the private nonfarm business sector grew at an
average annual rate of 2.5 percent, while the 1973-86 rate
of growth was 0.8 percent, or only one-third as large.
Throughout the period of the slowdown, the composi
tion of the U.S. labor force has been changing. (See
table 1.) Between 1970 and 1980, the average age of work
ers fell sharply, by 2.3 years, and from 1980 to 1986, it
rose slightly, by 0.2 year. Besides changes in the age com
position of the work force, there also have been changes in
the composition of the labor force with regard to sex and
educational attainment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
has been studying the relationship between changes in
labor composition and productivity growth. Following a
discussion of historical and recent Bureau estimates of the
relationship between age of the worker and productivity,
this report describes preliminary results now available
from the new study.
Age and productivity
Several earlier studies conducted by the Bureau directly
addressed the issue of age and job performance.1 This
research was part of a broad Department of Labor pro
gram of the 1950’s and 1960’s that examined problems
faced by older workers. In each of the studies of compara
tive job performance by age, indexes of output per hour
were constructed using data from employer records.
These data were compiled for specific age groups.
The authors are economists in the Division of Productivity Research,
Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report is drawn from a paper presented
at the conference on “An Aging Workforce: Agenda for Action,” spon
sored by Wayne State University and the U.S. Departm ent of Labor, in
Detroit, Ml, M arch 10-11, 1988. An extended version will appear in a
volume of papers prepared for the conference.
34
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
p e rs o n s
,
unze
A ll
W om en
M en
1948
1950
1955
1958
1960
.......................
.......................
........................
.......................
.......................
39.0
39.4
40.4
40.5
40.4
36.6
37.5
39.0
39.6
39.8
40.0
40.1
41.1
40.9
40.7
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
.......................
.......................
.......................
.......................
.......................
40.0
39.2
37.6
36.9
37.0
39.5
38.4
36.8
36.3
36.5
40.3
39.7
36.1
37.4
37.5
1986 .......................
37.1
36.6
37.5
The performance of factory workers in the footwear
and furniture industries was the subject of the first study;
two other studies involved clerical workers and mail sort
ers. Findings from all of the studies are displayed in table
2. The results of the footwear and furniture study showed
that, for men and women in both industries, there was
some decline in output per hour between the ages of 25
and 64. For men, the decline began after age 45, while for
women, it started after age 35. There were more substan
tial declines in productivity among those age 65 and over
in the footwear industry (although this was not the case in
the furniture industry). For example, in comparison to the
average output per hour of men ages 25 to 34, that of men
ages 55 to 64 in the footwear industry was 8 percent
lower, and that for men age 65 and over was 19 percent
lower.
However, the footwear and furniture study also found
that there was much variation in output rates within each
age group, and that the degree of variability was not
closely related to age. In fact, the degree of variation was
such that many of the older workers performed better in
terms of output per hour than the average for those in the
35-to-44 age group. For example, among men in the foot
wear industry, 44 percent of those ages 45 to 54 and 30
percent of those ages 55 to 64 exceeded the average output
rate for the 35-to-44 group.
In the study of clerical workers, almost no decline in
output per hour was seen between the ages of 25 and 64.
The difference between the average productivity of those
in the 25-to-34 group and those in the 55-to-64 group was
less than 1 percent. Furthermore, the clerical workers
Table 2. Indexes of output per hour for workers in
selected industries and occupations, by age, selected
years
[lndex=100 for 35-to-44 age group]
Men
Industry
and age
group
Index
Women
Coefficient
of
variation
Index
All workers
Coefficient
of
variation
Index
Coefficient
of
variation
Footw ear
(1 9 5 6 -5 7)
Under 2 5 ........
2 5 - 3 4 ............
3 5 - 4 4 ............
4 5 - 5 4 ............
5 5 - 6 4 ............
65 and over ...
93.8
100.3
100.0
97.7
92.5
81.1
17.9
16.3
13.8
14.1
14.5
16.6
94.4
102.8
100.0
98.8
94.1
88.0
17.1
17.5
15.2
15.6
13.1
20.7
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
98.5
101.5
100.0
96.1
94.5
93.6
16.3
15.1
11.8
11.0
11.8
11.6
101.4
107.4
100.0
98.7
85.6
—
18.8
19.4
17.8
16.0
18.6
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
_
—
—
—
—
—
Household
fu rn itu re
(1 9 5 6 -5 7 )
Under 2 5 ........
2 5 - 3 4 ............
3 5 - 4 4 ............
4 5 - 5 4 ............
5 5 - 6 4 ............
65 and o v e r ...
Clerical
w orke rs
(1 9 5 8 -5 9)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Under 2 5 ........
2 5 - 2 9 ............
3 0 - 3 4 ............
3 5 - 3 9 ............
3 9 - 4 4 ............
—
—
—
—
—
4 5 - 4 9 ............
5 0 - 5 4 ............
5 5 - 5 9 ............
60 and o v e r ...
Under 2 5 ........
2 5 - 3 4 ............
3 5 - 4 4 ............
4 5 - 5 4 ............
5 5 - 6 4 ............
65 and o v e r ...
—
—
—
92.4
99.4
100.0
100.1
98.6
101.2
22.3
20.1
18.1
19.4
19.4
20.5
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
101.2
100.1
101.3
100.1
99.8
13.7
13.2
13.0
12.2
12.8
_
_
_
_
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
99.5
100.9
99.1
96.2
12.6
12.9
15.0
13.7
Mail
so rte rs
(1961)
Source :
See text footnote 1.
who were 65 and over had the highest average output per
hour of all the age groups. As in the footwear and furni
ture study, however, a substantial amount of variation in
productivity within each age group was found.
Mail sorters were the third group of workers studied.
As with the other studies, the output per hour of workers
ages 35 to 44 was indexed to 100. The results of this study
indicated that there was not a significant amount of varia
tion in average output per hour among age groups below
60. Among those 60 and over, a small decline was ob
served. Once again, however, there was considerable
within-group variation in output per hour among individ
uals. In each group, the majority of workers had indexes
below 95 or above 105.
Together, these studies suggest that there is not a large
decline in average productivity between the ages of 25 and
64. The most noteworthy decreases tended to be seen
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among those in the oldest group, but in each study, there
was much variation in output per hour within age groups.
In all of these studies of comparative job performance,
measures of output per hour were constructed with data
on the output of individual workers available from em
ployer records. For the majority of workers, such data are
not available, thereby precluding the direct measurement
of productivity. However, there are ample data on wages,
from which more can be learned about productivity. If
firms maximize profits in a competitive economy, then
the wage of a group of workers is equal to the value of
their marginal product. The marginal product is the in
crease in output resulting from an additional hour of
labor. So, the connection between age and an individual’s
wage can be examined to gain additional insights regard
ing the connection between age and productivity.
Age and earnings are linked together by work experi
ence, on-the-job training, skills, and productivity. Older
workers, on average, have more work experience than
younger workers, and because of this they tend to have
had more on-the-job training. When workers undergo
training, they learn new skills and these new skills make
them more productive. A worker who has become more
productive tends to earn a higher wage. Hence, as workers
become older, their earnings tend to rise. However, dur
ing the later years of their working lives, workers may see
their hourly earnings level off or possibly drop. This can
occur because workers may stop acquiring training to
wards the end of their working lives. If skills are no longer
being acquired, hourly earnings may stabilize. Further
more, if skills lose value over time, then an individual may
find that earnings fall as retirement nears due to this de
preciation. So, in general, one would expect a worker’s
wage to rise for many years and then to level off or per
haps start to decline.
To learn more about the relationship between age and
productivity, the Bureau constructed age-earnings pro
files, which are presented in chart 1. Each profile is a
curve showing the estimated relationship between age and
hourly earnings for a particular group of workers, such as
male high school graduates. These profiles are based on
experience and earnings equations, estimated separately
for men and women. Experience equations were estimated
because our major data sources do not include a measure
of actual work experience. The empirical results are used
to estimate the accumulated work experience of individ
uals, based on certain worker characteristics: age, ed
ucational attainment, and in addition, for women, marital
status and number of children. (Note that accumulated
work experience includes experience acquired while in
school.) The estimation was performed with data from
the 1973 Exact Match Study, which linked data from the
Current Population Survey, Social Security Administration
records, and Internal Revenue Service tax returns. Based
on the empirical results, a male college graduate has 15
35
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Research Summaries
To create age-earnings profiles for high school and col
lege graduates, estimated work experience was calculated
with coefficients of the estimated experience equations for
each combination of age, sex, and educational level. For the
women’s profiles, marital status and number of children had
to be specified because these factors enter into the women’s
experience equation; “ married with two or three children”
was the family status that was specified. Estimated hourly
earnings were derived with the intercept and the experience
and schooling coefficients of the estimated earnings equations
for 1986.2
years of estimated experience at age 35. A 35-year-old fe
male college graduate has 14 years of estimated experience
if she is single, and 9 years if she is married and has two
children.
Earnings equations were constructed with estimated work
experience as an explanatory variable. Schooling variables
also were included because education, like on-the-job train
ing, raises productivity and wages. The remaining explana
tory variables are control variables, such as for region of
residence. The equations were estimated with data from the
Current Population Survey.
Chart 1. Estimated hourly earnings by age, sex, and educational attainment, 1986
Hourly earnings
(In dollars)
Hourly earnings
(in dollars)
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
Age
Hourly earnings
On dollars)
Hourly earnings
(In dollars)
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
Age
NOTE: Estimates for women pertain to married women with two or three children.
36
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The age-earnings profile for male high school graduates
reveals that their hourly earnings climb until age 46, and
then begin to drop slowly. For male college graduates, the
peak occurs a couple of years later, at age 48, after which
hourly earnings gradually fall. The profiles for women are
much flatter than those for men. The estimated hourly
earnings of female high school graduates reach the maxi
mum level for women in their late forties and then remain
there. For female college graduates, the peak level is at
tained around age 50, and the wage stays there until it
gradually begins to decline for women in their sixties. So,
for all of these workers, estimated hourly earnings peak
between the ages of 45 and 50; men’s earnings start to fall
after the peak, while women’s earnings stay level for years
after the peak is reached. Notice that these age-earnings
profiles are based on cross-sectional data, rather than data
for specific cohorts of workers over time. Because of this,
the shapes of the actual age-earnings profiles of particular
cohorts may differ somewhat from those of the profiles
depicted in the chart. However, the profiles that the Bu
reau has constructed do provide a general idea as to the
relationship between age and productivity.
Composition of the labor force
Turning to the labor composition study itself, the Bu
reau has, as mentioned earlier, developed preliminary
results. These results may be revised when the study is
complete. The growth rate of the labor composition index
measures the contribution to labor input of changes in the
composition of the work force with regard to work experi
ence, education, and sex. Experience is used rather than
age because experience is more closely tied to on-the-job
training and job skills. The labor composition index is
formed with information on hours of work that have been
classified by estimated work experience, education, and
sex and information on the price of labor. The price for
each type of labor is calculated using the estimated earn
ings equations described earlier.3
The Bureau study has found that, in the private non
farm business sector, the index of labor composition grew
at an average annual rate of 0.24 percent from 1948 to
1973. During the first part of the productivity slowdown,
1973-79, the growth rate of labor composition was only
0.06 percent. Then, from 1979 to 1986, the rate was 0.51
percent, which is about twice as large as the pre-slow
down rate of growth.
As might be expected, experience accounts for the low
growth rate of the labor composition index over the pe
riod 1973-79. The main effect of experience on labor
composition was -0.42 percent per year during that time.
In contrast, prior to the productivity slowdown, the main
effect of experience was much smaller in magnitude,
-0.10 percent. Then, from 1979 to 1986, the main effect
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Table 3. Annual rates of growth of output per hour of all
persons and its components in private nonfarm business,1
1948-86 and selected subperiods
[In percent]
P ercen tag e-p o in t
change in growth
rate betw een —
Measures
194 8 - 86
194 8 - 73
197 3 - 79
1 9 7 9 -8 6
194 8 - 73
Output per hour
of all persons ..
1.9
2.5
0.5
1 9 7 3 -7 9
and
and
1 9 7 3 -7 9
1 9 7 9 -8 6
1.2
-2 .0
0.7
Contribution
of capital
intensity2 .....
.8
.8
.6
.9
-.2
.3
Contribution
of labor
composition3
.2
.2
.0
.3
-.2
.3
Multifactor
productivity4
.9
1.5
-.1
.0
-1 .6
.1
1Excludes government enterprises.
2Changes In capital services per hour multiplied by capital's share of currentdollar output.
3Changes in labor composition effects multiplied by labor's share of currentdollar output.
4 Output per unit of combined labor and capital inputs, adjusted for labor
composition.
of experience was no longer negative; instead, it was
slightly above zero, at 0.04 percent per year.
The growth rate of output per hour in private nonfarm
business was 2.5 percent from 1948 to 1973. (See table 3.)
The growth rate dropped, by 2 percentage points, to 0.5
percent for the period 1973-79. The corresponding drop
in the contribution of labor composition to productivity
growth was 0.2 percentage point, which means that
changes in labor composition account for 10 percent of
the initial slowdown in labor productivity. Between 1979
and 1986, the contribution of labor composition to labor
productivity was 0.3 percentage point higher than in
1973-79, while labor productivity growth was 0.7 percent
age point higher. Hence, changes in labor composition
account for about half of the increase in the productivity
growth rate that was seen over the 1979-86 period.
To s u m u p , the growth rate of labor composition fluctu
ated between 1948 and 1986, and an important source of
these fluctuations was changes in the amount of work
experience that U.S. workers possessed. This, in turn, was
strongly affected by changes in the age distribution of the
labor force that occurred during the period. These rela
tionships are especially evident in the data for the 1970’s.
Between 1973 and 1979, the average age of the work force
fell by one full year and the index of work experience fell
four times as fast as it did prior to the slowdown. The
growth rate of labor composition was only one-quarter as
large as it was before the slowdown.
Since 1979, labor composition growth has been much
higher than it was during the first part of the slowdown.
This has been due in large part to an increase in the effect
37
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
of work experience on labor composition. An important
reason for this increase is that the average age of the work
force has been slowly moving upward in the 1980’s, after
rapidly declining in the 1970’s. The rise in the average age
toward the years of peak productivity is expected to con
tinue until at least the year 2000, and it is likely to have a
positive effect on the growth of labor composition and
labor productivity.4
--------- FOOTNOTES---------
'The methodology and results of these studies are described in the
following: Job Performance and Age: A Study in Measurement, Bulletin
1203 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 1956); Comparative Job
Performance by Age: Large Plants in the Men's Footwear and Household
Furniture Industries, Bulletin 1223 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Novem
ber 1957); Ronald E. Kutscher and James F. Walker, “Comparative Job
Performance of Office Workers by Age,” Monthly Labor Review, Janu
ary 1960, pp. 39—43; and James F. Walker, “The Job Performance of
Federal Mail Sorters by Age,” Monthly Labor Review, March 1964, pp.
296-300.
2Because the construction of the profiles involves earnings data for
just one year, 1986, inflation is not an issue here. The shapes of the
profiles give an indication of what happens (on average) to the real
hourly earnings of individuals over the course of their working lives.
3A complete discussion of the methodology and results of the labor
composition study will be available in a future Bureau of Labor Statistics
publication.
4See Ronald E. Kutscher, “Overview and implications of the projec
tions to 2000,” Monthly Labor Review, September 1987, pp. 3 -9 ; and
Howard N Fullerton, Jr., “Labor force projections: 1986 to 2000,”
Monthly Labor Review, September 1987, pp. 19-29.
Employers and child care:
what roles do they play?
H
ow ard
V. H a y g h e
As more and more mothers are joining the ranks of the
employed, child care has become one of today’s most
widely debated social and political issues. Awareness of
the problem has spread dramatically, as demonstrated by
the recent report by the Secretary of Labor and by child
care initiatives presently in the Congress.1 Employers,
too, are beginning to be involved in the search for solu
tions.
As in the past, American employers on the whole still
do not play an active role in the care of their workers’
children. However, with mothers becoming a more imHoward V. Hayghe is an economist in the Division of Labor Force
Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
38
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Research Summaries
portant part of the work force, some employers are
coming to realize that the difficulties that their employees
face in arranging care for their children may result in
absenteeism, tardiness, low morale, and productivity
problems. This may be exacerbated in some areas by
worker shortages. Consequently, there is some evidence
that employers are looking at steps they can take to help
their employees who are parents.2
To determine what employers were doing, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics conducted a special nationwide survey
of approximately 10,000 business establishments and gov
ernment agencies in the summer of 1987.3 Results from
this survey show that direct aid to working parents is still
very limited. Only about 2 percent, or 25,000, of the Na
tion’s 1.2 million nonagricultural establishments with 10
or more employees actually sponsored day-care centers
for their workers’ children while an additional 3 percent
provided financial assistance towards child-care ex
penses.4 But, as this report will show, employers are doing
a number of other things to aid employees with growing
children.
Scope of the issue
The potential demand for child care is immense. As of
March 1987, there were 10.5 million children under the
age of 6 whose mothers were in the labor force— more
than half of all children these ages.5 In addition, there
were 15.7 million youngsters ages 6 to 13 whose mothers
were in the labor force and who required some sort of care
or supervision before and after school or on school holi
days. A total of 26.1 million children under age 14 lived in
homes where both parents or the lone parent was in the
labor force.
How are these children being cared for? The following
tabulation, which is based on data collected by the Bureau
of the Census in the winter of 1984-85, shows a percent
age distribution of children under age 15 in terms of the
institution or person primarily responsible for their super
vision while their mothers worked:6
Total........................................................
In ow n h o m e ...................................................
In o th e rs ’ h o m e ..............................................
D a y -c a re f a c i l i t y ............................................
S c h o o l.................................................................
C h ild cares fo r s e l f ........................................
P a r e n t .................................................................
Percent
100.0
17.8
14.4
9.1
52.2
1.8
4.7
The survey also showed that there were more than a mil
lion children ages 5 to 14 who cared for themselves after
school— the so-called “latch-key” children.7 These data
simplify the actual complexity of today’s child-care ar
rangements: parents working different shifts; transporting
the children to and from the day-care providers; and cop
ing with breakdowns in the arrangements or other
emergencies. However, child-care arrangements are not
Table 1. Provision of child-care benefits and work-schedule policies aiding child care by establishments with 10 or more
employees, by establishment size and industry, summer 1987
H a v e n e ith e r b e n e fits n o r w o r k -s c h e d u le p o lic ie s
T o ta l
S iz e a n d in d u s try
e s t a b lis h m e n t s
(in th o u s a n d s )
P e r c e n t p r o v id in g
P e r c e n t w ith
c h ild -c a r e
w o r k -s c h e d u le
b e n e fits
p o lic ie s a id in g
Num ber
c h ild c a re
(in th o u s a n d s )
o r s e r v ic e s
P e rc e n t
c o n s id e r in g
P e rc e n t o f to ta l
b e n e fits
o r p o lic ie s
1,202
11.1
61.2
442
36.8
2.4
919
236
47
9.0
15.3
31.8
62.0
58.1
59.4
337
90
15
36.7
38.1
32.5
3.6
9.0
Private, to ta l.......................................................................................
Goods-producing..........................................................................
Service-producing.........................................................................
Transportation and public u tilitie s...........................................
Trade, to ta l................................................................................
W holesale..............................................................................
Retail.......................................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real e s ta te ......................................
Services.....................................................................................
1,128
272
856
59
427
124
303
80
290
10.1
7.6
8.5
7.3
18.4
14.7
61.4
51.3
64.6
54.2
67.1
55.4
71.8
60.6
64.3
413
126
288
25
136
55
81
28
98
36.6
46.4
33.5
42.9
31.6
43.4
26.8
34.9
33.9
4.8
3.0
Government.......................................................................................
74
26.4
57.2
29
39.6
2.9
Private:
10 to 49 em ployees..................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................................
250 employees or m o re ...........................................................
879
213
36
8.3
14.1
31.6
62.2
58.6
58.5
321
80
12
36.5
37.6
33.1
3.6
9.9
Goods-producing:
10 to 49 em ployees..................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................................
250 employees or m o re ...........................................................
196
62
14
3.5
9.8
29.9
53.9
44.8
44.5
88
6
45.1
51.1
44.8
3.6
7.1
Service-producing:
10 to 49 em ployees..................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................................
250 employees or m o re ...........................................................
683
151
9.7
15.8
32.7
64.6
64.3
67.7
233
48
34.1
32.0
25.6
3.6
13.1
Government:
10 to 49 em ployees..................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................................
250 employees or m o re ...........................................................
40
23
24.1
27.2
32.7
57.9
53.7
62.0
16
40.2
43.0
30.7
3.9
5.6
T o ta l............................................................................
S iz e
10 to 49 employees..........................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees........................................................................
250 employees or m ore...................................................................
1.8
In d u s try
6.3
11.3
11.8
2.4
2.0
2.6
2.5
1.9
2.3
1.6
In d u s tr y b y s iz e
22
11
the concern solely of parents, children, and day-care pro
viders; employers are also affected in terms of worker
reliability and productivity.8
What employers reported
In the survey conducted in the summer of 1987, about
11 percent of the establishments with 10 employees or
more reported that they provided at least some employees
such direct benefits as employer-sponsored day care, fi
nancial assistance toward it, or information and referral
services to guide employees to child-care providers in
their communities (table 1). Typically, large establish
ments (250 employees or more) were far more likely than
small ones to offer such child-care benefits to their em
ployees. Private employers in the service sector and
government agencies were much more likely than goodsproducing establishments to offer child-care benefits to
their employees.
About three-fifths of the establishments reported that
at least some of their workers could take advantage of
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32
6
10
3
1.8
1.1
2.1
1.8
indirect benefits in the form of work-schedule or leave
policies that could aid them in fulfilling their family obli
gations including child care. Such policies— which
include flexitime, flexible leave, and voluntary shifts to
part-time work schedules— may or may not have been
initiated with child care in mind.
Small establishments were just as likely as the large
ones to provide such “liberal” work-schedule/leave poli
cies, while private service sector establishments (which
include day-care providers) were more likely than either
goods-producing firms or government agencies to have
them in place. Moreover, when both industry and size of
establishment are taken into account, flexible work-schedule/leave policies were more prevalent among large
private service sector establishments and government
agencies than among large goods-producing establish
ments. One reason for this difference may be that in order
to coordinate the production processes and maximize effi
ciency, large establishments in goods-producing in39
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
dustries are more likely to adhere to rigidly standardized
work schedules.9
Work force composition— especially the proportion of
women— is undoubtedly a major factor underlying the
extent of child-care assistance (either benefits or workschedule policies) by industry. In the summer of 1987,
53 percent of payroll employees in private service-produc
ing establishments were women, as were 51 percent in
government agencies. In contrast, just 28 percent of the
workers in goods-producing establishments were women,
including only 11 percent in mining and construction
(combined).
Direct benefits
The direct child-care benefits that some employers pro
vide fall into five basic categories: employer-sponsored
day care; assistance with child-care costs; information and
referral to community child-care resources; counseling
services; and a variety of miscellaneous benefits. Employ
er-sponsored child care includes a variety of arrangements
such as onsite day care or care at a nearby location and
consortia (that is, several employers joining together to
establish a day-care center for use by their employees).
Also included are day-care providers that accept their
own employees’ children.
Likewise, employer assistance with child-care costs
comes in many different forms. These include flexible
spending accounts, contractual arrangements with day
care providers that allocate space for employees’ children
or give them discounts, or giving employees vouchers (or
checks) to defray their expenses. The voucher method
may be included as part of the regular benefits package or
may be an option in a “cafeteria” or flexible compensation
plan.
Child-care information and referral services provided by
employers can range from something as simple as main
taining a list of child-care providers all the way up to staff
assistance in locating and evaluating the providers and
even matching the employees with the most appropriate
provider. Counseling services include advice and informa
tion on parenting and parenting problems, while the
“other” or miscellaneous category includes such dispa
rate—and often informal—benefits as payment for extra
child-care expenses incurred because of overtime or illness
of the child to bringing the child to work (school bus
drivers are an example of the latter).
As already noted, relatively few employers provide
such direct benefits. The most frequently provided— 10
percent of the establishments— are information, referral,
and counseling services (table 2). Only 2 percent of estab
lishments provided day-care facilities (either onsite or
through a consortium); some of these employers turned
out to be day-care businesses which made their facilities
available to the children of their employees. An additional
40
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Research Summaries
3 percent of the establishments, while not providing day
care facilities, assisted with child-care expenses.
There are several reasons why employers seldom pro
vide day care. One is, of course, cost. The employer has to
be able to make a determination that a day-care center
will increase productivity sufficiently—by, for example,
reducing absenteeism, boosting morale, or improving re
cruitment and retention— to offset its cost. Another is
that establishing a day-care center requires dealing with
issues of legal liability as well as a thicket of State and
local regulations governing such undertakings. Finally, a
firm may not believe that it has a sufficient number of
employees with day-care needs to justify the benefits at
all.
Providing financial assistance to employees who are
parents also presents problems. Employers as well as em
ployees may not be very familiar with the methods of
setting up flexible spending accounts as permitted by the
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.10 Another method
for a s s is t in g e m p lo y e e s with c h il d - c a r e e x p e n s e s a r e so called “cafeteria” style, flexible compensation plans under
which employees are allowed to select from a “menu” of
benefits those that they feel are most appropriate to their
life-cycle stage. Such plans were authorized under Section
125 of the Internal Revenue Code in 1978. However, the
Internal Revenue Service subsequently challenged some
versions of this arrangement, and, perhaps because of this,
or because many employers may still be unfamiliar with
such plans, relatively few establishments aid their employ
ees with their child-care expenses.11
As might be expected, the type and frequency of child
care benefits varies by firm size. R elatively few
establishments with less than 50 employees (10 to 49) of
fered any benefits: 2 percent sponsored day care, another 2
percent gave financial assistance, and 8 percent provided
information, referral, or counseling services (or a combina
tion of these). In contrast, 14 percent of those with at least
250 employees sponsored day care or provided financial
assistance toward it, and 31 percent provided information,
referral, or counseling services (or a combination).
Child-care support benefits appear to be almost unheard
of in goods-producing establishments. Undoubtedly, this
reflects the fact that relatively few women work in these
industries. Among private service-producing establish
ments, 2 percent sponsored day care, and 4 percent gave
some form of financial assistance, while about 10 percent
provided information, referral, or counseling.
Among government agencies (Federal, State, and lo
cal), however, the proportion supporting some form of
day care and information, referral, or counseling was
much higher than was the case in private industry, largely
because of legislative and executive initiatives. For in
stance, California has mandated its agencies to provide
information and referral services to State employees, as
well as the general public. Michigan has established a
Table 2. Characteristics of establishments with 10 or more employees providing child-care benefits or services, by type of
benefit or service, summer 1987
P e r c e n t p r o v id in g :
To ta l
C h a r a c te r is tic o f
e s ta b lis h m e n t
T o ta l....................................................................................
C h ild -c a r e
e s t a b lis h m e n t s
E m p lo y e r -
A s s is t a n c e w ith
(in th o u s a n d s )
sp o n s o re d
c h ild -c a r e
d a y c a re
expenses
O th e r
in fo rm a tio n
C o u n s e lin g
a n d re fe rr a l
s e r v ic e s
c h ild -c a r e
b e n e fits
s e r v ic e s
1,202
2.1
3.1
5.1
5.1
1.0
919
236
47
2.2
1.9
2.4
4.7
8.9
4.3
6.3
14.0
3.8
7.6
17.1
2.9
3.1
1.9
1.5
4.3
2.3
4.2
3.0
.7
4.6
4.9
4.2
S iz e
10 to 49 employees..........................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees........................................................................
250 employees or m ore....................................................................
5.2
.7
1.6
In d u s try
Private, to ta l.......................................................................................
Goods-producing, to ta l.................................................................
Mining and construction................................................... .......
Manufacturing, to ta l..................................................................
Durable g o o d s ......................................................................
Nondurable goods.................................................................
1,128
272
109
163
94
69
1.6
Service-producing, to ta l...............................................................
Transportation and public u tilitie s...........................................
Trade, to ta l................................................................................
W holesale...............................................................................
R etail.......................................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real e s ta te .......................................
Services........ ............................................................................
856
59
427
124
303
80
290
2.0
.1
.1
0)
.1
.6
Government.......................................................................................
.3
.3
.3
.2
.4
2.2
2.4
1.9
2.0
2.5
2.3
2.7
4.6
.9
.6
.5
.7
.7
.8
1.0
1.2
3.1
3.6
2.9
5.6
7.9
4.0
5.0
3.5
4.0
4.1
3.9
8.5
5.9
5.6
.4
.5
.4
1.9
1.5
74
9.4
2.9
15.8
18.2
2.3
Private:
10 to 49 employees......................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...................................................................
250 employees or m ore...............................................................
879
213
36
1.5
2.4
4.9
10.3
3.6
5.5
14.6
3.1
6.4
17.0
.7
1.5
2.7
Goods-producing:
10 to 49 em ployees..................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................................
250 employees or m o re ...........................................................
196
62
14
1.3
2.4
8.9
.9
4.2
13.3
1.3
5.1
17.9
2.1
Service-producing:
10 to 49 employees..................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................................
250 employees or m o re ...........................................................
683
151
2.7
5.9
11.3
4.4
15.4
3.7
7.1
16.5
2.4
7.9
16.4
2.4
4.8
17.2
8.8
1.0
23.2
7.8
3.9
3.6
11.9
4.4
11.9
1.0
1.1
7.2
10.3
25.9
5.8
14.3
24.5
1.9
1.5
5.6
5.0
4.5
7.9
15.9
3.1
18.6
17.7
17.4
1.5
2.9
3.7
3.5
4.1
2.3
3.1
2.0
6.1
8.1
In d u s try b y s iz e
Transportation and public utilities:
10 to 49 em ployees..........................................................
50 to 249 employees........................................................
250 employees or m o re ...................................................
22
45
12
2
1.8
2.7
.2
.8
.3
1.9
2.2
4.3
.0
.4
.3
Trade:
10 to 49 em ployees..........................................................
50 to 249 employees........................................................
250 employees or m o re ...................................................
351
69
7
.0
2.2
.4
.5
2.5
4.6
Finance, insurance, and real estate:
10 to 49 em ployees..........................................................
50 to 249 employees........................................................
250 employees or m o re ...................................................
61
16
3
.5
.8
6.1
12.1
1.5
24.2
Services:
10 to 49 em ployees..........................................................
50 to 249 employees........................................................
250 employees or m o re ...................................................
226
54
10
5.5
5.3
9.0
2.7
7.9
Government:
10 to 49 employees......................................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...................................................................
250 employees or m ore..............................................................
40
23
11
6.0
8.0
11.2
14.3
10.2
6.1
2.5
17.9
14.1
13.2
4.3
2.8
12.0
4.4
2.6
.5
.7
.7
1.8
3.1
.9
.3
1.1
2.6
1Less than 0.05 percent.
pilot day-care program to serve the children of State em
ployees, while New York State, in conjunction with its
State employee unions, has created 30 day-care centers
and is planning on establishing 50 or more by the end of
1988.12 Meanwhile, the General Services Administration
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
of the Federal Government has appointed an official with
the specific task of creating more child-care facilities at
Federal agencies.13
When both the number of employees and the type of
industry are taken into account, some interesting patterns
41
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
in the availability of child-care benefits emerge. Among
goods-producing industries, the proportion of establish
ments with day-care centers remains very low regardless
of the number of employees, but the larger the firm the
more likely it was to offer information, referral, and coun
seling services. Among service-producing establishments,
the availability of all four major benefit categories also
increases with size. It is notable, however, that in finance,
insurance, and real estate, in which only 1.5 percent of
establishments with 250 employees or more had day care,
about 25 percent had at least one of the following: finan
cial assistance, information and referral, and counseling
benefits. Trade establishments, however, despite having a
high proportion of female employees, were infrequent
providers of benefits. Instead they offered a great deal of
schedule flexibility. Service industry establishments with
250 employees or more had the highest proportion pro
viding day-care services.
Indirect benefits
Work-schedule policies that can aid parents in meeting
their child-care responsibilities are far more common than
child-care support benefits. One obvious reason is that
their perceived cost, if any, is less than that of direct
benefits. Moreover, such policies do not involve the legal
and technical complexities of establishing and maintain
ing day-care centers or financial assistance benefits.
Flexitime and flexible leave are the most common
forms of work-schedule/leave policies cited by employers
as being of possible aid to workers with child-care prob
lems. About 43 percent of the establishments maintained
flexitime policies and an equal proportion had flexible
leave arrangements.
Linder flexitime, employees can vary the beginning and
end times of their work day; under one version, they can
work extra hours on some days so they can work fewer
hours on others. Although there is surprisingly little vari
ation in the frequency of this kind of work schedule by
size of establishment, it is obviously not appropriate for
all industries. Flexitime in private industry is most likely
to be found in retail trade establishments and least likely
to be found in mining, construction, and manufacturing,
in which the close coordination of tasks and workers
makes such scheduling difficult.
The retail trade industry is unique in relation to other
industry categories. As shown in table 1, 72 percent of
retail establishments offer their employees some sort of
flexible work-schedule/leave policy benefit. This is not
surprising, given the seasonal peaks and troughs in de
mand for specific types of goods, for example, Christmas,
Easter, and summer. Peaks and troughs even occur on a
weekly or daily basis. Hence, it is critical for the industry
to maintain highly flexible staffing patterns.14 To attract a
flexible work force, retail establishments must be pre
42
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Research Summaries
pared to offer a wide variety of work schedules. This, in
turn, represents an ideal situation for persons with offworksite responsibilities— such as mothers or students—
to find employment.
Examples of flexible leave are personal leave, or sick or
annual leave flexibly administered— that is, not restricted
to a specific time of the year or to periods of illness (some
employers allow workers to use sick leave to take care of
an ill child) or vacations. Like flexitime policies, the avail
ability of flexible leave varies little by size of establishment
but does differ by industry, ranging from 37 percent in
manufacturing to 47 percent in retail trade.
About 35 percent of all establishments allowed full
time employees to shift temporarily to part-time jobs on a
voluntary basis with corresponding cuts in pay and bene
fits. The employees might work fewer hours at their usual
job or be transferred to a part-time position. This practice
is more prevalent among small than large establishments.
It was also much more prevalent among the retail trade
(50 percent) and services industries (39 percent).
Job sharing, which is the division of one full-time job
into two part-time ones held by different people, was of
fered by about 16 percent of establishments. There was
very little variation in the extent of this policy by estab
lishment size; it was more prevalent in government
agencies than in industry.
T h e i n f o r m a t i o n c o l l e c t e d in the Survey of Em
ployer-Provided Child Care Benefits shows that employers
as a group have yet to respond in a significant way to the
child-care needs of their workers. About 90 percent of
establishments with 10 or more employees do not provide
direct benefits such as day care or financial assistance.
While it is true that 60 percent allow employees to alter
their work schedules in ways that might help them with
child care, it must be kept in mind that these policies serve
a variety of purposes and may not have been formulated
with child care in mind. Thus, they do not necessarily
indicate that employers are focused specifically on the
child-care needs of their workers.
Great care must be taken in generalizing from these
data about employers’ motivations and attitudes regard
ing child care. Many employers, especially those with few
employees, may deal with child-care problems of their
workers on an ad hoc basis as they arise, rather than
offering specific child-care benefits or establishing workschedule policies with child care in mind. Also, although
child-care benefits are sometimes used as a tool for re
cruitment or retention purposes, many firms may have no
problems of this type.15
Because the 1987 survey was a one-time effort, it is
difficult to extrapolate future trends from these data. It
found that only 2 percent of the 442,000 establishments
that reported no child-care benefits or flexible workschedule policies said they were “considering” doing
Table 3. Characteristics of establishments with 10 or more employees with work-schedule or leave policies aiding child care,
by type of policy, summer 1987
P e r c e n t p r o v id in g :
C h a r a c te r is tic o f
e s ta b lis h m e n t
e s t a b lis h m e n t s
(in th o u s a n d s )
V o lu n ta ry p a rt
F le x it im e
J o b s h a r in g
W o rk at h om e
F le x ib le le a v e
O th e r
tim e
1,202
43.2
34.8
15.5
8.3
42.9
2.1
919
236
47
45.1
37.7
34.9
36.0
32.0
25.1
16.0
13.7
15.7
9.2
5.6
3.8
43.8
39.9
40.2
1.9
2.9
3.1
Private, to ta l.............................................................................
Goods-produclng, to ta l.......................................................
Mining and co nstruction..................................................
Manufacturing, to ta l.........................................................
Durable g o o d s..............................................................
Nondurable g o o d s .......................................................
1,128
272
109
163
94
69
43.6
31.3
33.0
30.1
27.5
33.8
35.3
22.4
20.7
23.6
23.2
24.1
15.0
9.0
8.5
42.9
37.3
J /.5
37.2
35.3
39.8
Service-producing, to ta l......................................................
Transportation and public utilities...................................
Trade, to ta l........................................................................
W holesale.....................................................................
R e ta il.............................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real e sta te ..............................
Services ............................................................................
856
59
427
124
303
80
290
47.5
34.4
51.2
32.3
58.9
38.9
47.2
39.4
24.6
44.1
28.6
50.4
26.1
39.2
16.9
9.6
18.1
11.7
20.7
14.9
17.3
T o ta l..........................................................................
S iz e
10 to 49 em ployees.................................................................
50 to 249 e m plo ye es..............................................................
250 employees or m o re .........................................................
In d u s tr y
8.2
9.4
8.8
10.3
8.2
9.9
7.0
4.8
9.9
8.6
1.8
1.3
1.2
1.3
1.6
0.9
1.9
6.7
5.6
9.5
4.0
13.7
12.2
44.6
40.4
45.8
42.5
47.2
41.4
44.6
1.2
0.6
1.9
1.1
7.1
2.3
1.5
3.0
74
37.5
26.7
23.5
4.0
43.7
Private:
10 to 49 em ployees.............................................................
50 to 249 employees ..........................................................
250 employees or m o re ......................................................
879
213
36
45.3
38.5
36.1
36.3
32.9
25.0
15.6
12.7
13.9
2.8
9.4
5.6
43.7
39.9
38.9
Goods-producing:
10 to 49 em ployees........................................................
50 to 249 em ployees.......................................................
250 employees or m o re ..................................................
196
62
14
34.6
23.5
19.4
24.5
17.9
14.0
10.5
4.6
6.7
9.4
5.3
3.1
39.5
31.9
32.0
1.1
1.6
Service-producing:
10 to 49 em ployees........................................................
50 to 249 employees.......................................................
250 employees or m o re ..................................................
683
151
48.3
44.4
44.7
39.6
39.0
34.1
17.1
16.1
17.9
9.4
5.9
4.6
44.9
43.1
44.5
1.7
2.9
3.7
45
34.6
32.4
41.4
25.3
21.9
24.6
9.8
8.5
10.9
7.0
12
2
40.5
39.1
45.0
.8
2.0
4.7
Trade:
10 to 49 employees..................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................
250 employees or m ore...........................................
351
69
7
51.4
50.4
46.5
44.5
42.1
41.9
18.2
17.8
15.6
3.7
3.9
46.6
41.1
51.4
1.4
1.9
3.5
Finance, insurance, and real estate:
10 to 49 employees.................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................
250 employees or m ore...........................................
61
16
3
38.5
39.6
44.6
26.0
26.0
26.8
16.5
8.4
16.2
15.1
9.3
7.1
41.4
41.1
44.5
.8
1.8
3.7
Services:
10 to 49 employees.................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................
250 employees or more...........................................
226
54
48.8
40.8
44.3
38.6
42.8
32.9
17.0
17.9
21.9
13.7
7.7
4.4
44.2
47.2
39.3
2.5
4.7
3.6
Government:
10 to 49 em ployees.............................................................
50 to 249 e m plo ye es..........................................................
250 employees or m o re ......................................................
40
23
41.1
32.1
35.5
29.8
23.5
21.7
24.4
22.4
4.2
4.1
3.4
46.2
39.9
42.2
6.8
G overnm ent.............................................................................
In d u s tr y b y s iz e
Transportation and public utilities:
10 to 49 employees..................................................
50 to 249 em ployees...............................................
250 employees or m ore...........................................
22
10
11
something in the future. This appears to contradict more
optimistic reports and comments by experts in the field of
child care which indicate that employers are generally
becoming more supportive of the child-care needs of their
workers.16 However, these reports are more often than
not based on anecdotal evidence rather than surveys with
consistent methodologies and definitions, and so it is very
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
22.6
6.0
4.2
6.0
1.6
2.8
1.9
8.4
3.3
difficult to derive accurate estimates of the trends in em
ployer policies regarding child care.
--------- FOOTNOTES--------‘See U.S. Department of Labor, Report of the Secretary’s Task Force,
Child Care: A Workforce Issue.
43
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
2See, for example, Beth E. Hoffman, “Employee surveys spark deci
sion to establish child care,” Quirk's Marketing Research, August September, 1987, p. 34; or “California makes business a partner in
daycare,” Business Week, June 8, 1987, p. 100.
3For more information on the survey methodology, see Technical
Note in “ bls Reports on Employer Child-Care Practices,” usdl News,
88 -7 , Jan. 15, 1988.
4According to the bls Handbook o f Methods, an establishment is
defined as an economic unit which produces goods or services, such as a
factory, mine, or store. It is generally at a single location and engaged
predominantly in one type of economic activity. Where a single location
encompasses two or more distinct activities, these are treated as separate
establishments, provided that separate payroll records are available and
certain other criteria are met. See Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statis
tics, 1988), p. 13.
5For further information on children and mothers, see “Over half of
mothers with children one year old or under in labor force in March
1987,” usdl News, 87-345, Aug. 12, 1987.
6U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Household
Economic Studies, Series P -7 0 , No. 9, Who’s Minding the Children?
Child Care Arrangements: Winter 1984- 85 (U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, 1987), p. 3, table B.
1Ibid., p. 10, table F.
8See M. Purnell and P. Proctor, Industry Sponsored Child Care: A
Question o f Productivity, 1977 (Texas, Industrial Commission, 1977); or
P. Voydevoff, Implications o f Work-Family Relationships for Productiv
44
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Research Summaries
ity (W hite Plains, NY, Work in Am erica Institute), Studies in
Productivity, Vol. 13 (New York, Pergamon Press, 1982).
9See Sheila B. Kamerman and Alfred J. Kahn, The Responsive Work
place: Employers and a Changing Labor Force (New York, Columbia
University Press, 1987), p. 236.
10 This law created a new Section 129 of the Internal Revenue Code
that provides that employees may exclude from their gross income
amounts paid by employers under qualified dependent care assistance
programs. Employers, in turn, may deduct as an employee fringe benefit
all amounts paid into the plan. See Employees and Child Care: Develop
ment o f a New Employee Benefit, BNA Special Report (Washington, The
Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., 1984), p. 13. In effect, the Federal
Government is providing the benefit, because employees’ Federal in
come tax obligations are reduced and these savings partially offset
child-care expenses.
11Ibid., pp. 14-16.
1Statement of Shirley Dennis, director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. De
partm ent o f Labor, before the Subcom m ittee on G overnm ent
Operations, U.S. House of Representatives, September 9, 1987.
13For an overview of Federal efforts to establish day-care centers for
Federal employees, see Lesley Barnes, “Agencies Open Doors to On-Site
Sitting,” Government Executive, vol. 20, No. 3, p. 50.
14See Steven E. Haugen, “The employment expansion in retail trade,
1973-85,” Monthly Labor Review, August 1986, p. 13.
15Employees and Child Care, pp. 6 -7 .
16Ibid., p. 5.
Major Agreements
Expiring Next Month
This list of selected collective bargaining agreements expiring in October 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 Classification.
N um b er o f
L a b o r o r g a n iz a t io n 1
E m p lo y e r a n d lo c a t io n
I n d u s tr y o r a c t iv it y
w ork ers
P r iv a te
C o n s t r u c t i o n ...........................................
F o o d p r o d u c t s .......................................
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 , N e w M e x ic o B u ild in g B ra n ch
L a b o r e r s ...........................................................
2,000
( N e w M e x ic o )
S o u th e a s te r n S ta te s A r e a A g r e e m e n t ( I n t e r s t a t e ) .............................................
B o ile r m a k e r s ..................................................
6,000
K e e b le r C o . (I n te r s ta te ) ......................................................................................................
B a k e r y , C o n fe c tio n e r y a n d T o b a c c o
2,800
W o rk er s
A p p a r e l ......................................................
L o n d o n to w n M a n u fa c tu r in g C o . ( I n t e r s t a t e ) ........................................................
A s s o c ia t e d G a r m e n t In d u str y o f S t. L o u is , u n d e r w e a r b ra n ch
L a d ie s ’ G a r m e n t W o r k e r s .....................
1,800
3,000
U p h o ls t e r e r s ..................................................
1,450
C lo th in g a n d T e x tile W o r k e r s .............
(I n te r s ta te )
F u r n it u r e ..................................................
S im m o n s C o . ( I n t e r s t a t e ) ..................................................................................................
R u b b e r ........................................................
G e n e r a l T ir e a n d R u b b er C o . (M a y fie ld ,
..........................................................
R u b b er W o r k e r s ...........................................
1,400
S to n e , c la y , a n d g la s s p r o d u c t s . . .
L i b b e y - O w e n s - F o r d C o . ( I n t e r s t a t e ) .....................................................................
A lu m in u m , B rick a n d G la s s W o rk er s
2,700
M a c h in e r y .................................................
L u fk in In d u s tr ie s In c . (L u fk in ,
) ............................................................................
B o ile r m a k e r s; M a c h in ists ; M o l d e r s ..
1,000
T r a n s p o r ta tio n e q u i p m e n t .............
B a th Iro n W o r k s (B a th , m e ) ...........................................................................................
N o r fo lk S h ip b u ild in g a n d D r y d o c k C orp . (N o r fo lk , v a ) ..............................
T R W I n c . (C le v e la n d , o h ) ...............................................................................................
M a r in e a n d S h ip b u ild in g W o r k e r s . . .
B o ile r m a k e r s ..................................................
A ir c r a ft W o r k e r s A llia n c e ( I n d .) ........
4,500
1,900
2,900
U t i l i t i e s ......................................................
F lo r id a P o w e r a n d L ig h t C o . (M ia m i, f l ) .............................................................
C o n s o lid a te d G a s S u p p ly C o rp . ( W e s t V ir g in ia ) ................................................
D u k e P o w e r C o . (C h a r lo tte , n c ) ..................................................................................
W is c o n s in P u b lic S e r v ic e ( W is c o n s in ) .......................................................................
E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s ( i b e w ) .....................
S e r v ic e E m p l o y e e s .....................................
E le c tr ic a l W o r k e r s ( i b e w ) ....................
O p e r a tin g E n g in e e r s ..................................
5,000
1,650
2,050
R e ta il t r a d e ...............................................
B r a d le e s M e r c a n tile ( N e w J e r s e y ) ..............................................................................
F o o d E m p lo y e r s C o u n c il In c . (N o r th e r n C a lifo r n ia ).......................................
C h a in a n d in d e p e n d e n t f o o d s to r e s ( N e w M e x i c o ) ...........................................
S u p er F r e s h F o o d M a r k e ts (I n te r s ta te ) ...................................................................
Food
Food
Food
Food
2,500
3,800
4,000
1,150
R e s ta u r a n ts .............................................
E a s t B a y R e sta u r a n t A s s o c ia t io n (S a n F r a n c is c o ,
H o te l E m p lo y e e s a n d R e sta u r a n t
E m p lo y e e s
S e r v i c e s ......................................................
N e w Y o r k C ity d ru g s to r e s ( N e w Y o r k ) .................................................................
R e ta il, W h o le s a le a n d D e p a r tm e n t
S to re
A m u s e m e n t s ...........................................
W a lt D is n e y W o r ld /E p c o t C e n te r (F lo r id a ) ........................................................
V a r io u s .............................................................
8.000
O h io :
S ta te , C o u n ty a n d M u n ic ip a l
1,350
tx
ky)
ca
) ......................................
and
and
and
and
C o m m e r c ia l
C o m m e r c ia l
C o m m e r c ia l
C o m m e r c ia l
W o r k e r s .........
W o r k e r s ..........
W o r k e r s .........
W o r k e r s .........
1,100
2,000
4,500
P u b lic
E d u c a tio n ................................................
U n iv e r s ity o f C in c in n a ti, c la s s ifie d e m p lo y e e s ..................................
E m p lo y e e s
‘A ff ilia te d w ith A F L - C I O
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e x c e p t w h e r e n o te d as in d e p e n d e n t ( I n d . ) .
45
Developments In
Industrial Relations
GE, coalition settle despite union split
The General Electric Co. ( g e ) and a coalition of unions
settled peacefully on new 3-year contracts, but the terms
drew strong criticism from some union officials before
they were approved by rank-and-file members. This was
particularly true within the Electronic Workers, whose
negotiating committee and a panel of local union officials
recommended that rank-and-file members reject the ac
cord, although union president William H. Bywater had
backed it. The terms were also supported by the steering
committee of the Coordinated Bargaining Committee, the
umbrella organization of the 12 unions that bargain with
g e . Within the Electronic Workers, the union represent
ing the largest number of employees in the bargaining
with g e , the final tally was 33,378.5 in favor of the agree
ment, and 6,785.5 against.
The dissatisfaction with the terms apparently focused
on the size of the wage gains and on the adequacy of
provisions for increasing employee job security. Ulti
mately, it appeared that members of the various unions
approved the terms simply because there was no wide
spread enthusiasm to initiate a national strike, which
would have been the first at g e since 1969. To some
extent, strikes are difficult to mount against g e because of
the large number of unions involved.
The settlement, which came on June 26, the expiration
date of the 1985 agreements, provides for an immediate
wage increase of 2.5 percent, followed by 1.5-percent in
creases in June of 1989 and 1990. The workers also gained
two lump-sum payments: $165 payable immediately and
$900 payable in June 1989. The provision for automatic
semiannual cost-of-living pay reviews was continued at
the rate of 1 cent an hour for each 0.15-per-cent increase
in the b l s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earn
ers and Clerical Workers ( c p i - w ). According to the
company, the guaranteed wage increases and cost-of-liv
ing adjustments—assuming a 4.5-percent increase in the
c p i - w — will raise average pay to $13.40 an hour.
Under the 1985 contracts, employees received two
3-percent general wage increases plus special adjustments
to those in upper pay grades; one lump-sum payment
equal to 3 percent of the employee’s hourly pay rate mul“Developments in Industrial Relations” is prepared by George Ruben of
the Division of Developments in Labor-Management Relations, Bureau
of Labor Statistics, and is largely based on information from secondary
sources.
46
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tiplied by 2,080 hours; and cost-of-living adjustments
totaling 43 cents an hour.
The accords also provide for:
• A special early retirement benefit for 25-year employ
ees affected by permanent job loss. This benefit consists
of the employee’s normal lifetime pension and two sup
plements ($9 a month for each year of credited service
and a flat $200 a month) that continue until age 62.
• A $7,500 retirement payment to employees terminated
because of the discontinuance of a product line, work
transfer, or automation. (Previously, the payment was
$5,000 and applied only when jobs were lost because of
transfers and automation).
• Expansion of the preferential hiring provision to permit
laid-off workers to apply for jobs for up to 3 years at all
of g e ’s domestic plants (previously, they could apply
for jobs for up to 1 year within 250 miles of their
former job). Affected employees are now eligible for
company payment of moving expenses up to $1,500,
and for extension of the wage-rate guarantee to 52
weeks (previously 39 weeks).
• Retraining assistance of $5,000 over 3 years for laid-off
workers, up from $3,000 over 2 years.
Changed pension provisions include increases in the
range of minimum rates to $17-$23.50 a month (from
$16-$22), varying with the employee’s hourly pay rate,
for each year of credited service effective July 1, 1988. The
rate will rise to $18—$25 on January 1, 1990. Improve
ments were made in the alternate “formula” pension
which applies if it results in a higher benefit for a retiree.
In another pension change, the employees’ contribution
was reduced to 3 percent of earnings in excess of $25,000
a year, instead of $14,000.
Other terms included $750,000 lifetime major medical
coverage per person (formerly $500,000); $275 a week
sickness and accident benefits (formerly $250); and
$40,000 minimum life insurance coverage (formerly
$35,000).
Overall, the settlements covered nearly 70,000 employ
ees, including 40,000 represented by the Electronic
Workers and 6,300 represented by the United Electrical
Workers, the two unions that negotiate with g e on a
national basis. Following past practice, similar terms were
negotiated by the other unions, which bargain with the
company on a plant-by-plant basis.
A change beneficial to ge is a new requirement that
some employees contribute toward the cost of medical
insurance. The contribution schedule ranges from $1 a
week for workers with annual straight-time earnings of
$25,000-537,499 to $5 a week for those earning $100,000
or more. Other changes include lengthening the pay pro
gression schedule for new employees and reducing the
10-percent shift differential to 60 cents an hour during the
first years on the job.
Aluminum contract reflects profit gains
Improved sales and profits were reflected in develop
ments in the aluminum industry. At Kaiser Aluminum
and Chemical Corp., a settlement with the United Steel
workers provided for economic gains for employees, in
contrast with the 3-year agreement negotiated in 1985,
which cut compensation by an average of $4.50 an hour.
At that time, Kaiser said the reduction was necessary
because of a worldwide oversupply of aluminum and high
energy costs.
Elsewhere in the industry, the Aluminum Company of
America and Reynolds Metals Co. began negotiations
with the United Steelworkers and the Aluminum, Brick,
and Glass Workers almost a year in advance of the sched
uled June 30, 1989, expiration date of their current
agreements. The unions, each of which represents some
employees at both companies, asked for the early negotia
tions in an effort to take advantage of the improved
conditions in the industry by recouping the $1 an hour
compensation cut they had accepted in 1986 and gaining
further increases in new contracts to become effective im
mediately. This would also put bargaining back on the
same 3-year cycle as at Kaiser, which broke away in 1985
because its financial difficulties were more severe than
those of the other companies.
The 1988 accord at Kaiser features a new profit-sharing
plan tied to the Midwest price of aluminum according to a
formula similar to one used by the Bonneville Power Ad
ministration in determining variable charges for power.
According to the company, aluminum prices at the time
of settlement were high enough to assure maximum quar
terly distributions of $2 per compensated hour.
Other terms include a 50-cent-an-hour pay increase in
lieu of the $5 a share dividend employees were scheduled
to receive under a stock distribution plan adopted in 1985
and now terminated; an immediate $1,000 contract sign
ing bonus; re-establishment of a provision for automatic
quarterly cost-of-living pay adjustments, beginning in the
second year; and restoration of three paid holidays elimi
nated in 1985.
The contract covers 5,400 employees at plants in Gramercy, Chalmette, and Marrero, LA; Mead, Trentwood,
and Tacoma, w a ; Ravenswood, wv; Newark, Toledo,
and Belpre, oh ; and Purvis, MS.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
West Coast lumber workers strike
Bargaining in the West Coast lumber industry centered
on employee demands for restoration of cuts in compensa
tion they had accepted in 1986, when the industry was in
a recession. The reductions generally ranged from $1.25
to $1.65 an hour. Despite the fact that they were generally
operating at a profit in 1988, the employers argued for
only partial restoration of the cut, contending that they
were facing increasing competition from producers in
Canada and the Southern States. Usually, their contract
proposals called for two lump-sum payments and one
wage increase over a 3-year period. This was rejected by
the labor organizations involved, the International Wood
workers of America and the Western Conference of
Industrial Workers, a unit of the Carpenters union. More
than 8,000 of the 38,000 sawmill and plywood employees
in the region walked out after their contracts expired on
June 1. The stoppage initially involved Willamette Indus
tries, daw Forest Products Co., and Champion Interna
tional Corp. but it was later extended to several other
companies.
The unions did record a peaceful settlement, with Bo
hemia Inc., which they viewed as a pattern-setter but
other companies refused to accept the proposal, contend
ing that it was too costly. The 4-year Bohemia contract
provides for wage increases of 5 percent in June of 1988
and 4 percent in June of 1989, 1990, and 1991. It also
provides for restoration of Christmas Eve and New Year’s
Eve paid holidays that had been terminated in the 1986
settlement, and for improvements in vacation, pension,
and health and welfare provisions. The accord covers
about 800 workers at six operations in Oregon.
Briggs & Stratton contract calls for raise
Briggs & Stratton Corp., the world’s largest manufac
turer of small gasoline engines, and Local 232 of the
Allied Industrial Workers negotiated a 3-year contract
that will become effective when the existing contract ex
pires August 1, 1989. Union officials contended that they
were pressured into the unscheduled bargaining by com
pany threats to move some jobs from the Milwaukee (wi)
area. Gerald Zitzer, the company’s director of employee
relations, denied such threats were made, saying, “We
just talked about our financial condition.” Late in 1987,
the company did move 200 jobs to a new plant in Juarez,
Mexico, after the union refused to reopen the current
agreement.
The new contract for the 8,200 employees provides for
one wage increase of 2 percent, effective August 1, 1989.
Other provisions include continuation of a profit-sharing
plan and improvements in pension benefits and recall and
transfer rights.
47
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Strikers ruled not eligible for food stamps
Employees’ collective bargaining strength was diminished
somewhat by a Supreme Court ruling that households are
ineligible for food stamps when any member is on strike.
In the ruling,- the Court upheld the constitutionality of a 1981
amendment to the Food Stamp Act that prohibits strikers from
receiving the aid.
Writing for the majority, Justice Byron R. White said
that the Congress had acted to avoid favoritism to one
side or another in a labor dispute, and the Government’s
refusal to subsidize a strike is not an infringement of that
right. Justice White acknowledged that denial of food
stamps to strikers pressures them to “abandon their
union’’ by returning to work “but the strikers’ right of
association does not require the Government to furnish
funds to maximize the exercise of that right.”
In the minority opinion, Justice Thurgood Marshall,
joined by Justices William J. Brennan, Jr., and Harry A.
Blackmun, argued that the amendment improperly dis
criminates against strikers by permitting workers idled by
a strike to receive food stamps, as long as they themselves
are not on strike. “Only strikers, though they may be as
‘willing to work’ in every salient respect, must give up
their eligibility for food stamps if they refuse to cross a
picket line.”
The majority finding reversed a lower court ruling in
the case, which was initiated by the Auto Workers and
the United Mine Workers unions.
Fired noncompetitive employees cannot sue
Federal employees who are not in the competitive civil
service system cannot sue the Government if they are fired
or suspended, says the Supreme Court. Writing for the fivemember majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said that the Civil
Service Reform Act of 1978 specifies that only employees
in the competitive service are permitted to carry appeals of
adverse personnel actions outside their agency. This excludes
about 500,000 employees selected on a noncompetitive
basis, except for those who are military veterans.
In dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for Justices
William J. Brennan, Jr., and Thurgood Marshall, argued that
employees selected on a noncompetitive basis could appeal
personnel actions beyond their agency prior to the 1978 legis
lation, which did not change their rights.
Pregnancy leave policy found biased
A Federal District Court ruled that pregnancy leave
policies of the former Western Electric Division of
American Telephone and Telegraph Company constituted
gender-based bias. As a result, up to 30,000 present and
former female employees of what is now A T & T Technolo-
48
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Developments in Industrial Relations
gies will share in backpay and be credited with additional
seniority under a plan to be worked out by individual
plaintiffs, the company, and the Equal Employment Op
portunity Commission, subject to court approval.
In the case, which began in 1978, the plaintiffs charged
that Western Electric’s policies denied pregnant workers
the same disability leave accorded workers with other
medical disabilities. During the 1965—69 period, pregnant
employees were required to begin maternity leave in the
sixth month of pregnancy, regardless of whether they
were capable of continuing to work. During the following
2 years, pregnant employees were permitted to continue
working until the seventh month, but they could continue
to exercise seniority rights only during the first 30 days of
leave. As a result, they were not assured of a return to
work when their pregnancy disability ended. In contrast,
other disabled employees remained on the active job list
for up to a year, were automatically entitled to reinstate
ment unless a layoff occurred during their absence, and
accrued seniority during the entire absence.
The pregnancy leave policy, which Western Electric
claimed it terminated in 1971, severely limited the em
ployment opportunities of women, in violation of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, according to the court. The company
argued that the case should be dismissed because the stat
ute of limitations had expired, but the court held that the
case was valid because Western Electric had continued to
violate a 1982 court decision that employees on maternity
leave had the same return-to-work rights as employees on
other types of disability leave.
Women win case against State Farm
State Farm Insurance Co. settled charges by a group of
female plaintiffs that the company had discriminated
against them in recruiting and hiring sales agents in Cali
fornia. The settlement came about 3 years after the
Federal District Court ruled against the company.
The 1988 settlement covered 1,113 women who applied
for sales jobs with the company from July 1974 to Decem
ber 1987. Under the settlement, State Farm, for the next
10 years, will reserve 50 percent of new sales agent jobs in
California for women. This is the same quota the com
pany has been using in California during the last 2 years.
The settlement also allocates $1.3 million to be divided
equally among the three original plaintiffs, and permits
other plaintiffs to seek damages to be determined later.
The plaintiffs’ attorney claimed that the total damages
could be the highest in the history of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, but this was termed “highly speculative” by the
company’s attorney.
Women held two of State Farm’s 1,454 sales agent jobs
in California in 1974, and 65 of 1,847 jobs in 1981.
□
Book Reviews
Breaking new ground
Anti-protection: Changing Forces in United States Trade
Politics. By I. M. Destler and John S. Odell, assisted
by Kimberly Ann Elliott. Washington, Institute for
International Economics, 1987. $10, paper.
American proponents of open international trade have
felt much put upon in the 1980’s. The simultaneous ap
pearance of widespread unemployment and massive trade
deficits in the United States have created growing senti
ment for protection. While the steel and auto industries
have been perhaps the most successful in obtaining help,
industries as widespread as textiles, motorcycles, and mi
crochips have also sought intervention. Internationalists,
a party to which I. M. Destler and John Odell certainly
belong, fear that these few can jeopardize the many’s gain
from trade, because a well-defined special interest in pro
tection creates more incentive to political action than the
diffuse interests of consumers. As an antidote, Anti-pro
tection seeks to identify interest groups that may be
injured by sanctions against foreign trade and mobilize
them for political action.
The technique is simple: mobilize by example. The
book is a catalog of efforts by interest groups to influence
the legislative and executive branches to deny import re
lief in 14 specific cases. Enough successful coalitions are
identified to suggest that political action can prevent or
dilute specific acts of protectionism that may harm a par
ticular group’s interests.
While I believe that such political mobilization is Dest
ler and Odell’s true goal, they have presented it in the
context of a scholarly monograph. As they suggest, it is
perhaps the first piece of serious political science address
ing antiprotection activity, and it is complete with
quantification, nonparametric statistical analysis, and even
a bit of econometrics. But, it is in exactly these areas that
their efforts fall short. The quantifications are exceedingly
crude; scales of antiprotection activity are created using a
totally arbitrary and subjective weighting scheme. Why,
for instance, should four congressional hearings be worth
six points when one such appearance is worth four? The
statistical analysis purporting to establish a causal link
between political activity and policy outcomes is based on
a sample of a mere 14 cases and does not report levels of
significance. The econometric work on the determinants of
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
antiprotection activity is a slapdash application of a so
phisticated technique. The findings, as the authors tacitly
admit, are quite likely the result of misspecified models. In
one case, for example, the model “explained” just over 16
percent of the observed variation in political activity of 95
importers and found that trade dependence was an insig
nificant influence on their behavior.
Their substantive findings, on the other hand, are inter
esting enough to be of value w ith o u t s ta tis tic a l
technicality. These findings were: (1) Those who partici
pate most in antiprotection politics are not consumers but
the special interests that benefit most from the specific
trade that would be inhibited. (2) A sharp increase in
political activity opposing product-specific protection oc
curred over the decade ended in 1986. (3) The extent of a
group’s antiprotection activity is conditioned by its de
pendence on the specific item to be restricted and the
probability the protection will be granted if not opposed.
(4) Anti-protection activity matters.
I am surprised that Destler and Odell thought it useful
or necessary to bring to bear the full statistical armory of
the social scientist on these issues. If they intended to give
their findings extra credibility, they are not convincing for
the reasons outlined earlier. If their aim was mobilization,
they might have simply expanded on selected cases with
an eye toward identifying specific political techniques use
ful to antiprotection coalitions. As it stands, they do
neither well. Indeed, the quantitative aspects of the paper
may very easily turn away the very audience they sought
to mobilize.
Criticism is part of Destler and Odell’s burden for being
out in front of this issue, and it would be unfair of me not
to make some specific suggestions for improvement. First,
several classes of cases the authors excluded from their
analysis might be included: rejected escape clause petitions
at the International Trade Commission, administratively
decided trade cases from the Commerce Department, and,
especially, legislative initiatives that die in congressional
committee. These are, at their heart, political proceedings,
and their inclusion would bring the number of cases in the
statistical analysis closer to an acceptable level. Second,
the measures of political activity might include participa
tion in political action com m ittees and campaign
financing. Data are available at the Federal Election Com
mission and are in dollars, a convenient scaling device.
49
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Third, when, as the authors’ frankly admit, “received the
ory on these phenomena is quite weak,” effort should be
directed toward improving the theory before, or even
rather than, conducting unconvincing empirical tests.
— R ic h a r d M . D e v e n s , Jr .
D ivision o f L a b o r F o rc e S tatistics
B u re a u o f L a b o r S tatistics
Book Reviews
T ra jte n b e rg , M an u el,
Patents, Citations and Innovations: Trac
ing the Links.
C a m b rid g e , m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f
E c o n o m ic R esearch , Inc., 1987, 42 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r
Series, 2457.) $2, paper.
W a ld ro p , J u d ith , “ T h e F a sh io n a b le F a m ily ,”
graphics, M a rc h 1988, pp. 2 2 -2 6 .
American Demo
W ard ley , P e te r, “ L a b o u rin g O v er P ro d u c tiv ity E stim ates: A
C o m m e n t o n H ir s c h a n d H o u s m a n ’s M o d e l o f C o a l
M in e rs’ P ro d u c tiv ity , 1 8 7 4 -1 9 1 4 ,” Economica, N o v em b er
1987, pp. 5 2 1 -2 4 .
Publications received
Economic growth and development
Agriculture and natural resources
B rew er, A n th o n y , “ T u rg o t: F o u n d e r o f C lassical E c o n o m ic s,”
Economica, N o v e m b e r 1987, pp. 4 1 7 -2 8 .
“ C u ttin g a S w ath T h ro u g h F a rm S ubsidies a n d S u rp lu se s,” The
oecd Observer, D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 7 -J a n u a ry 1988, pp. 9 - 1 1 .
L am p e, D av id , ed.,
R e so u rc e s fo r th e F u tu re , Resources for the
port, 1987. W a sh in g to n , 1987, 77 pp.
Future Annual Re
The Massachusetts Miracle: High Technol
ogy and Economic Revitalization. C am b rid g e, m a , T h e m i t
P ress, 1988, 367 pp. $16.95.
Health and safety
Economic and social statistics
B ean, F ra n k D ., B. L in d say L ow ell, L ow ell J. T a y lo r, “ U n d o c u
m e n te d M ex ican Im m ig ra n ts a n d th e E a rn in g s o f O th e r
W o rk e rs in th e U n ite d S ta te s,” Demography, F e b ru a ry
1988, pp. 3 5 -5 2 .
B oone, L ouis E ., D a v id L. K u rtz , C. P a tric k F leen o r, “ T h e
R o a d to th e T o p ,” American Demographics, M a rc h 1988,
pp. 3 4 -3 7 .
C a rd , D a v id , Longitudinal Analysis of Strike Activity. C a m
brid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E co n o m ic R e se a rc h , Inc.,
1987, 52 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2263.) $2, p ap er.
C h o ld in , H a rv e y M ., “ G o v e rn m e n t S tatistics: T h e C o n flict B e
tw e e n R e s e a rc h a n d P riv a c y ,” Demography, F e b ru a r y
1988, pp. 1 4 5 -5 4 .
Adjusting Output
and Productivity Indexes for Changes in the Terms of Trade.
R e p rin te d fro m the Economic Journal, S ep tem b er 1986, pp.
D iew ert, W . E rw in a n d C a th e rin e J. M o rriso n ,
6 5 9 -7 9 . C am b rid g e,
R e se a rc h , In c., 1987.
N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic
( n b e r R e p rin t, 937.) $2, p aper.
m a
,
M cC all, N e ld a a n d o th ers, “ E v a lu a tio n o f A riz o n a H e a lth C are
C o st C o n ta in m e n t S ystem , 1 9 8 4 -8 5 ,” Health Care Financ
ing Review, W in te r 1987, pp. 7 9 -9 0 .
Digging Our Own Graves: Coal Miners and
the Struggle Over Black Lung Disease. P h ila d e lp h ia , p a ,
S m ith , B a rb a ra E llen,
T em p le U n iv ersity P ress, 1987, 240 pp. $24.95.
Personnel for
Health Needs of the Elderly Through the Year 2020. Be-
U .S. D e p a rtm e n t o f H e a lth a n d H u m a n Services,
th e s d a , m d , U .S . D e p a r tm e n t o f H e a lth a n d H u m a n
S erv ices, P u b lic H e a lth S ervice, N a tio n a l In s titu te s o f
H e a lth , N a tio n a l In s titu te on A ging, 1987, 199 pp.
Learning
About Risk: Consumer and Worker Responses to Hazard
Information. C am b rid g e, m a , H a rv a rd U n iv ersity P ress,
V iscusi, W . K ip a n d W esley A . M a g a t a n d o th e rs,
1987, 197 pp. $27.50.
Industrial relations
The Tragedy of Black Lung: Federal Compensa
tion for Occupational Disease, K a la m a z o o , m i , W . E.
B a rth , P e te r S.,
Social
U p jo h n In s titu te fo r E m p lo y m e n t R esearch , 1987, 292 pp.
$16.95, clo th ; $11.95, p aper.
F itz ro y , F elix R . a n d K o rn e liu s K ra ft, “ E fficiency a n d In te rn a l
O rg a n iz a tio n : W o rk s C o u n cils in W est G e rm a n F irm s ,”
Economica, N o v e m b e r 1987, pp. 4 9 3 -5 0 4 .
B aer, W a lte r E ., Arbitration for the Practitioner. Jefferson, n c ,
M c F a rla n d & C o., In c., P u b lish ers, 1988, 161 pp. $24.95.
F e rriss, A b b o tt L ., “ T h e U ses o f Social In d ic a to r s ,”
Forces, M a rc h 1988, pp. 6 0 1 -1 7 .
K ru e g e r, A la n B., The Determinants of Queues for Federal Jobs.
C am b rid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic R esearch ,
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C ro c k e tt, G e o ff a n d K e n H a ll, “ S a la rie d P ro fe ssio n a ls a n d
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8 5 6 -7 4 .
F isc h e r, S tanley, ed., nber Macroeconomics Annual 1987. C a m
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sonable N o tic e in C a n a d ia n W ro n g fu l D ism issal C ases,”
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tio n s,” by B ru ce E. K a u fm a n a n d Jo rg e M a rtin ez -V azq u ez;
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Job Creation in America: How Our Smallest
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1987, 75 pp., b ib lio g rap h y . $8.95, C an ad a; $10.75, o th e r
co u n trie s. A v ailab le fro m C a n a d ia n G o v e rn m e n t P u b lish
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tion, High-tech, and Emerging Industries. W a sh in g to n , U .S.
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The oecd Observer, D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 7 - J a n u a ry 1988, pp.
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cent Trends and Future Prospects. (A Comparative Survey of
Seven Industrialised Market Economy Countries). G eneva,
T re u , T iz ia n o a n d o th ers,
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and Cures. K a la m a z o o , m i , W . E. U p jo h n In s titu te for
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quences. N ew Y o rk , C a m b rid g e U n iv ersity P ress, 1987, 344
pp. $49.50.
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th e L a b o u r M a rk e t,” Employment Gazette, M a rc h 1988,
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What Do We Know About Worker Dis
placement in the U.S.? C am b rid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u reau o f
H a m e rm e sh , D a n ie l S.,
E c o n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c. 1987, 12 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Se
ries, 2402.) $2, p aper.
On the Composition and Outcome of Swedish
Labour Market Policy, 1970-1987. S to ck h o lm , Sw eden,
Jo h a n n e sso n , Ja n ,
D e leg atio n fo r L a b o u r M a rk e t P olicy R esearch , 1987, 34
pp.
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the Hard Choices. D o v er, m a , A u b u rn H o u se P u b lish in g
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Work Expe
rience and Psychological Development Through the Life
Span. W a sh in g to n , A m e ric a n A sso ciatio n fo r th e A d v a n c e
M o rtim e r, Jey lan T . a n d K a th ry n M . B o rm an , eds.,
I n te r n a tio n a l e c o n o m ic s
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c o u n tr y , M u l ti f a c to r T e s ts o f th e F a c t o r A b u n d a n c e
T h e o ry ,” The American Economic Review, D e c e m b e r 1987,
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m e n t o f Science, 1988, 306 pp. (aaas S elected S ym posium ,
107.) $29.95, p ap er. D istrib u te d by W estview P ress, Inc.,
B o u ld er, c o .
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R osen, E llen Israel, Bitter Choices: Blue-Collar Women In and
Out o f Work. C hicago, il, T h e U n iv ersity o f C h icag o P ress,
1987, 220 pp. $25.95.
R o th b e rg , D ia n e S. a n d B a rb a ra E n so r C ook, Employee Benefits
for Part-Timers. 2d. ed. A le x a n d ria , v a , A sso c ia tio n o f
P a rt-T im e P rofessionals, 1987, 78 pp. $14.95, m em bers;
$16.95, n o n m em b ers, p ap er.
S chappi, J o h n V., Improving Job Attendance. W a sh in g to n , T h e
B u re a u o f N a tio n a l A ffairs, In c., 1988, 254 pp.
V an H o rn , S usan H o u se h o ld e r, Women, Work, and Fertility,
1900-1986. N ew Y o rk , N ew Y o rk U n iv ersity P ress, 1988,
232 pp. $35.
Innovating to Compete: Lessons for Diffus
ing and Managing Change in the Workplace. San F ra n c isc o ,
W a lto n , R ic h a rd E .,
ca , J o s s e y -B a s s In c., P u b lish ers, 1987, 361 pp. $25.95.
Quits, Moves, Spatial Equilibrium and Work
place Relocation. C a m b rid g e , m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f
Z ax, Jeffrey S.,
E c o n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c., 1987, 31 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r
Series, 2469.) $2, p aper.
M o n e ta r y a n d fis c a l p o lic y
B ecketti, Sean a n d C h a rle s S. M o rris, “ L o a n Sales: A n o th e r Step
in th e E v o lu tio n o f th e S h o rt-T e rm C re d it M a rk e t,” Eco
nomic Review, F e d e ra l R e s e rv e B a n k o f K a n s a s C ity ,
N o v e m b e r 1987, pp. 2 2 - 3 1 .
G a rn e r, C. A la n , “ T h e Y ield C u rv e a n d In fla tio n E x p e c ta tio n s,”
Economic Review, S e p te m b e r-O c to b e r 1987, pp. 3 - 1 5 .
K a h n , G eo rg e, A ., “ D o lla r D e p re c ia tio n a n d In fla tio n ,” Eco
nomic Review, F e d e ra l R e s e rv e B a n k o f K a n s a s C ity ,
N o v e m b e r 1987, pp. 3 2 -4 9 .
P earce, D o u g la s K ., “ C hallenges to th e C o n c e p t o f S tock M a r
k et E fficien cy ,” Economic Review, F e d e ra l R eserv e B an k o f
K a n sa s C ity, S e p te m b e r-O c to b e r 1987, pp. 1 6 -3 3 .
Facilitating Technological Change: The Hu
man Resource Challenge. C a m b r id g e , m a , B a llin g e r
F ly n n , P a tric ia M .,
m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E co n o m ic R esearch , In c., 1987.
(nber R e p rin t, 894.) $2, p ap er.
G in n e k e n , W o u te r van, “ W age P olicies in In d u s tria liz e d M a rk e t
E co n o m ies fro m 1971 to 1986,” International Labour Re
view, J u l y - A u g u s t 1987, pp. 3 7 9 -4 0 4 .
G ra n t, E. K e n n e th , R o b e rt S w idinsky, Jo h n V a n d e rk a m p , “ C a
n a d ia n U n io n -N o n u n io n W age D iffe re n tia ls,” Industrial
and Labor Relations Review, O c to b e r 1987, pp. 9 3 -1 0 7 .
Incentives, Cooperation, and Risk
Sharing: Economic and Psychological Perspectives on Em
ployment Contracts. T o to w a , nj , R o w m a n & L ittlefield
N a lb a n tia n , H a ig R ., ed.,
P u b lish ers, 1987, 239 pp. $45.
S o rensen, E lain e, “ E ffect o f C o m p a ra b le W o rth P o licies on
E a rn in g s f Industrial Relations, F a ll 1987, pp. 2 2 7 -3 9 .
W h ite, M ichael, Working Hours: Assessing the Potential for Re
duction. G eneva, In te rn a tio n a l L a b o u r O ffice, 1987, 104
pp. D istrib u te d in th e U n ite d S tates by th e W a sh in g to n
b ra n c h o f ilo .
W e lfa r e p r o g r a m s a n d s o c ia l in s u r a n c e
A llen, S teven a n d R o b e rt L. C la rk , Pensions and Firm Perfor
mance. C a m b rid g e , m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u of E c o n o m ic
R e se a rc h , In c., 1987, 66 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2266.)
$2, p aper.
D e ja rd in , Jérô m e, “ T h e In te rn a tio n a l S ocial S ecurity A sso cia
t i o n a t 6 0 ,” International Labour Review, S e p te m b e r - O c to b e r 1987, pp. 5 8 5 -9 5 .
H u rd , M ic h a e l D . The Marginal Value o f Social Security.
C am b rid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u reau o f E c o n o m ic R esearch ,
In c., 1987, 33 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2411.) $2, p ap er.
K o tlik o ff, L a u re n c e J. a n d D a v id A . W ise,
Pension Backloading,
C am b rid g e, MA, N a
tio n a l B u re a u o f E co n o m ic R esearch , In c., 1987, 57 pp.
(W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2463.) $2, p aper.
Pension Wealth,
Age-Wealth Profiles, and the Distribution of Net Worth.
M c D e rm e d , A n n , R o b e rt C la rk , S teven A llen,
P u b lish in g C o., 1988, 223 pp.
H u lte n , C h a rle s R ., Ja m e s W . R o b e rtso n , F ra n k C. W ykoff,
Energy, Obsolescence, and the Productivity Slowdown. C a m
brid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E co n o m ic R esearch , In c.,
1987, 46 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2404.) $2, p ap er.
Jo rg e n so n , D ale, F ra n k G o llo p , B a rb a ra F ra u m e n i, Productivity
and U.S. Economic Growth. C am b rid g e, m a , H a rv a rd U n i
versity P ress, 1987, 567 pp. $32.
W a g e s an d c o m p e n s a tio n
C am b rid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic R esearch ,
In c ., 1987, 58 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2439.) $2, p ap er.
M itch ell, O livia S., Worker Knowledge of Pension Provisions.
C am b rid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u reau o f E c o n o m ic R esearch ,
In c., 1987, 27 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2414.) $2, p aper.
Annual Report of the Railroad Re
tirement Board for Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 1986.
R a ilro a d R e tire m e n t B o ard ,
C hicago, IL, R a ilro a d R e tire m e n t B o ard , 1987, 120 pp.
Permanent Disabil
ity Benefits in Workers’ Compensation.
K a la m a z o o , M l , W .
E. U p jo h n In s titu te fo r E m p lo y m e n t R e se a rc h , 1987, 459
pp., bib lio g rap h y .
B lank, R eb ecca M ., Why Are Wages Cyclical in the 1970s? C a m
brid g e, m a , N a tio n a l B u re a u o f E c o n o m ic R e se a rc h , In c.,
1987, 34 pp. (W o rk in g P a p e r Series, 2396.) $2, p ap er.
An Incentives Approach
to Improving the Unemployment Compensation System.
B urgess, P a u l L. a n d J e rry L. K in g sto n ,
K a la m a z o o , m i , W . E. U p jo h n In s titu te fo r E m p lo y m e n t
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Inter-Industry
Wage Differences and Industry Characteristics. C am b rid g e,
D ic k e n s, W illiam T . a n d L a w re n c e F. K a tz ,
Wage Taxes, and Work Disincentives.
P r o d u c tiv ity an d te c h n o lo g ic a l c h a n g e
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Book Reviews
R y^ner, M a rily n P. a n d G e ra ld S. A d le r, “ C h ild re n a n d M e d ic
aid: T h e E x p erie n ce in F o u r S ta te s,” Health Care Financing
Review, F a ll 1987, pp. 1 -2 0 .
W o r k e r tr a in in g an d d e v e lo p m e n t
L evitan, S ar A . a n d F ra n k G allo , A Second Chance: Training for
Jobs. K a la m a z o o , m i , W . E. U p jo h n In s titu te fo r E m p lo y
m e n t R e se a rc h , 1988, 220 pp.
R e u te rsw a rd , A n d e rs, “ E d u c a tin g a n d T ra in in g T o m o rro w ’s
W o rk fo rc e ,” The oecd Observer, D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 7 -J a n u a ry
1988, pp. 2 2 -2 4 .
Current
Labor Statistics
Schedule of release dates for major
statistical series ....................................................................................................
54
Notes on Current Labor Statistics ............................................................................................................................................................
55
bls
Comparative indicators
1. Labor market indicators .....................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Annual and quarterly percent changes in compensation, prices,and productivity..................................................................................
3. Alternative measures of wage and compensation changes............................................................................................................................
65
66
66
Labor force data
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Employment status of the total population, data seasonally adjusted........................................................................................................
Employment status of the civilian population, data seasonally adjusted ..................................................................................................
Selected employment indicators, data seasonally adjusted..........................................................................................................................
Selected unemployment indicators, data seasonally adjusted.....................................................................................................................
Unemployment rates by sex and age, data seasonally adjusted...................................................................................................................
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, data seasonally adjusted.........................................................................................
Duration of unemployment, data seasonally adjusted..................................................................................................................................
Unemployment rates of civilian workers, by S tate........................................................................................................................................
Employment of workers by State .....................................................................................................................................................................
Employment of workers by industry, data seasonally adjusted..................................................................................................................
Average weekly hours by industry, data seasonally adjusted......................................................................................................................
Average hourly earnings by industry..............................................................................................
Average weekly earnings by industry..................
Hourly Earnings Index by industry................................................................................ .................................................................................
Indexes of diffusion: proportion of industries in which employment increased, seasonally adjusted..................................................
Annual data: Employment status of the noninstitutional population........................................................................................................
Annual data: Employment levels by industry ................................................................................................................................................
Annual data: Average hours and earnings levels by industry......................................................................................................................
67
68
69
70
71
71
71
72
72
73
74
75
76
76
77
77
77
78
Labor compensation and collective bargaining data
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
Employment Cost Index, compensation, by occupation and industry group...........................................................................................
Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group ..................................................................................
Employment Cost Index, private nonfarm workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size.........................................................
Specified compensation and wage adjustments from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments, situations
covering 1,000 workers or more........................................................................................................................................................................
Average specified compensation and wage adjustments, bargaining situations covering 1,000workers or m ore.............................
Average effective wage adjustments, bargaining situations covering 1,000 workers or m ore...............................................................
Specified compensation and wage adjustments, State and local government bargaining situations covering 1,000
workers or m o r e ............ ....................................... .............................................................................................................................................
Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or m o re........................................................................................................................................
79
80
81
82
82
83
83
83
Price data
30. Consumer Price Index: U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service groups ..........................................
31. Consumer Price Index: U.S. city average and local data, all item s............................................................................................................
32. Annual data: Consumer Price Index, all items and major groups..............................................................................................................
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84
87
88
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics
33. Producer Price Indexes by stage of processing ..............................................................................................................................................
34. Producer Price Indexes, by durability of product..........................................................................................................................................
35. Annual data: Producer Price Indexes .by stage of processing .....................................................................................................................
89
90
90
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
export price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification................................................................................................
import price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification..............................................................................................
export price indexes by end-use category................................................................................................................................................
import price indexes by end-use category..............................................................................................................................................
export price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification.................................................................................................................
91
92
93
93
93
41. U.S. import price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification.................................................................................................................
94
U.S.
U.S.
U.S.
U.S.
U.S.
Productivity data
42. Indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, and unit costs, dataseasonally adjusted.......................................................................
43. Annual indexes of multifactor productivity....................................................................................................................................................
44. Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices ..........................................................................................
94
95
96
International comparisons
45. Unemployment rates in nine countries, data seasonally adjusted ..............................................................................................................
46. Annual data: Employment status of civilian working-age population, ten countries.............................................................................
47. Annual indexes of productivity and related measures, twelve countries...................................................................................................
96
97
98
Injury and illness data
48. Annual data: Occupational injury and illness incidence ra tes....................................................................................................................
99
Schedule of release dates for BLS statistical series
Release
date
Period
covered
Release
date
Period
covered
Release
date
Period
covered
MLR table
number
P r o d u c tiv it y a n d c o s ts :
N o n fin a n c ia l c o r p o r a t io n s ..........................
S e p te m b e r 1
2 n d q u a rte r
N o n fa rm b u s in e s s a n d m a n u f a c tu r in g
2- 4?
44
2* 4 2
44
E m p lo y m e n t s itu a tio n .......................................
S e p te m b e r 2
A ugust
O c to b e r 7
S e p te m b e r
N ovem ber 4
O c to b e r
P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x .........................................
S e p te m b e r 9
A ugust
O c to b e r 14
S e p te m b e r
N o v e m b e r 10
O c to b e r
2; 3 3 - 3 5
C o n s u m e r P r ic e In d e x .....................................
S e p te m b e r 21
A ugust
O c to b e r 21
S e p te m b e r
N o ve m b e r 22
O c to b e r
2; 3 0 - 3 2
R e a l e a r n i n g s .........................................................
S e p te m b e r 21
August
O c to b e r 21
S e p te m b e r
N o vem b er 22
O c to b e r
1 4 -1 7
E m p lo y m e n t C o s t I n d e x ...................................
O c to b e r 2 5
M a jo r C o lle c tiv e B a r g a in in g S e ttle m e n ts
O c to b e r 2 6
1 st 9 m o n th s
U .S . Im p o r t a n d E x p o rt P r ic e In d e x e s . . .
O c to b e r 2 7
3 rd q u a rte r
O c c u p a t io n a l in ju r ie s a n d i l ln e s s e s ..........
54
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1; 4 - 2 1
1
N o v e m b e r 15
1987
3* 2 2
24
3- pR
PR
3fi
41
48
NOTES ON CURRENT LABOR STATISTICS
This section of the Review presents the principal statistical series
collected and calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: series on
labor force, employment, unemployment, collective bargaining settle
ments, consumer, producer, and international prices, productivity,
international comparisons, and injury and illness statistics. In the notes
that follow, the data in each group of tables are briefly described, key
definitions are given, notes on the data are set forth, and sources of
additional information are cited.
changes in price. These adjustments are made by dividing current
dollar values by the Consumer Price Index or the appropriate
component of the index, then multiplying by 100. For example, given a
current hourly wage rate of $3 and a current price index number of 150,
where 1977 = 100, the hourly rate expressed in 1977 dollars is $2 ($3/
150 X 100 = $2). The $2 (or any other resulting values) are described
as “real,” “constant,” or “ 1977” dollars.
A dditional Inform ation
General notes
The following notes apply to several tables in this section:
Seasonal adjustment. Certain monthly and quarterly data are
adjusted to eliminate the effect on the data of such factors as climatic
conditions, industry production schedules, opening and closing of
schools, holiday buying periods, and vacation practices, which might
prevent short-term evaluation of the statistical series. Tables containing
data that have been adjusted are identified as “seasonally adjusted.”
(All other data are not seasonally adjusted.) Seasonal effects are
estimated on the basis of past experience. When new seasonal factors
are computed each year, revisions may affect seasonally adjusted data
for several preceding years. (Seasonally adjusted data appear in tables
1 -3 , 4 -1 0 , 13, 14, 17, and 18.) Beginning in January 1980, the BLS
introduced two m ajor modifications in the seasonal adjustm ent m eth
odology for labor force data. First, the data are seasonally adjusted with
a procedure called x-11 arima , which was developed at Statistics
Canada as an extension of the standard x -1 1 method previously used by
bls. A detailed description of the procedure appears in The x-11 a r i m a
Seasonal Adjustment Method by Estela Bee Dagum (Statistics Canada,
Catalogue No. 12-564E, February 1980). The second change is that
seasonal factors are calculated for use during the first 6 months of the
year, rather than for the entire year, and then are calculated at midyear
for the July-December period. However, revisions of historical data
continue to be made only at the end of each calendar year.
Seasonally adjusted labor force data in tables 1 and 4 -1 0 were
revised in the February 1988 issue of the Review, to reflect experience
through 1987.
Annual revisions of the seasonally adjusted payroll data shown in
tables 13, 14, and 18 were made in the July 1988 Review using the x-11
arima seasonal adjustm ent methodology. New seasonal factors for
productivity data in table 42 are usually introduced in the September
issue. Seasonally adjusted indexes and percent changes from m onth to
m onth and from quarter to quarter are published for numerous
Consumer and Producer Price Index series. However, seasonally
adjusted indexes are not published for the U.S. average All Items cpi.
Only seasonally adjusted percent changes are available for this series.
Adjustments for price changes. Some data—such as the Hourly
Earnings Index in table 17—are adjusted to eliminate the effect of
D ata that supplement the tables in this section are published by the
Bureau in a variety of sources. News releases provide the latest
statistical information published by the Bureau; the m ajor recurring
releases are published according to the schedule preceding these general
notes. More information about labor force, employment, and unem
ployment data and the household and establishment surveys underlying
the data are available in Employment and Earnings, a monthly
publication of the Bureau. More data from the household survey are
published in the data books— Revised Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force
Statistics, Bulletin 2306, and Labor Force Statistics Derived From the
Current Population Survey, Bulletin 2307. More data from the establish
ment survey appear in two data books— Employment, Hours, and
Earnings, United States, and Employment, Hours, and Earnings, States
and Areas, and the supplements to these data books. More detailed
information on employee compensation and collective bargaining
settlements is published in the monthly periodical, Current Wage
Developments. More detailed data on consumer and producer prices are
published in the monthly periodicals, The c p i Detailed Report, and
Producer Price Indexes. Detailed data on all of the series in this section
are provided in the Handbook of Labor Statistics, which is published
biennally by the Bureau, bls bulletins are issued covering productivity,
injury and illness, and other data in this section. Finally, the Monthly
Labor Review carries analytical articles on annual and longer term
developments in labor force, employment, and unemployment; em
ployee compensation and collective bargaining; prices; productivity;
international comparisons; and injury and illness data.
Sym bols
p = preliminary. To increase the timeliness of some series,
preliminary figures are issued based on representative
but incomplete returns.
r = revised. Generally, this revision reflects the availability
of later data but may also reflect other adjustments,
n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified,
n.e.s. = not elsewhere specified.
C O M P A R A T IV E IN D IC A T O R S
(Tables 1 - 3 )
Comparative indicators tables provide an overview and comparison
of m ajor bls statistical series. Consequently, although many of the
included series are available monthly, all measures in these comparative
tables are presented quarterly and annually.
Labor market indicators include employment measures from two
m ajor surveys and information on rates of change in compensation
provided by the Employment Cost Index ( eci) program. The labor
force participation rate, the employment-to-population ratio, and
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unemployment rates for m ajor demographic groups based, on the
Current Population (“household”) Survey are presented, while meas
ures of employment and average weekly hours by m ajor industry sector
are given using nonagricultural payroll data. The Employment Cost
Index (compensation), by m ajor sector and by bargaining status, is
chosen from a variety of bls compensation and wage measures because
it provides a comprehensive measure of employer costs for hiring labor,
not just outlays for wages, and it is not affected by employment shifts
among occupations and industries.
55
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Data on changes in compensation, prices, and productivity are
presented in table 2. Measures of rates of change of compensation and
wages from the Employment Cost Index program are provided for all
civilian nonfarm workers (excluding Federal and household workers)
and for all private nonfarm workers. Measures of changes in: consumer
prices for all urban consumers; producer prices by stage of processing;
and the overall export and import price indexes are given. Measures of
productivity (output per hour of all persons) are provided for major
sectors.
Alternative measures of wage and compensation rates of change,
which reflect the overall trend in labor costs, are summarized in table 3.
Differences in concepts and scope, related to the specific purposes of the
Current Labor Statistics
series, contribute to the variation in changes among the individual
measures.
N o tes on the data
Definitions of each series and notes on the data are contained in later
sections of these notes describing each set of data. For detailed
descriptions of each data series, see b l s Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin
2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988), as well as the additional
bulletins, articles, and other publications noted in the separate sections
of the Review’s “Current Labor Statistics Notes.” Users may also wish
to consult Major Programs, Bureau o f Labor Statistics, Report 718
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985).
E M PL O Y M E N T A N D U N E M PLO Y M E N T DATA
(Tables 1; 4 - 2 1 )
H o u s e h o ld s u r v e y d a ta
population ratio is total employment (including the resident Armed
Forces) as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
D escription o f the series
N o tes on the data
EMPLOYMENT data in this section are obtained from the Current
Population Survey, a program of personal interviews conducted
monthly by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The sample consists of about 55,800 households selected to represent
the U.S. population 16 years of age and older. Households are
interviewed on a rotating basis, so that three-fourths of the sample is the
same for any 2 consecutive months.
From time to time, and especially after a decennial census, adjust
ments are made in the Current Population Survey figures to correct for
estimating errors during the preceding years. These adjustments affect
the comparability of historical data. A description of these adjustments
and their effect on the various data series appear in the Explanatory
Notes of Employment and Earnings.
Data in tables 4 -1 0 are seasonally adjusted, based on the seasonal
experience through December 1987.
D efin ition s
Employed persons include (1) all civilians who worked for pay any
time during the week which includes the 12th day of the month or who
worked unpaid for 15 hours or more in a family-operated enterprise and
(2) those who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs because
of illness, vacation, industrial dispute, or similar reasons. Members of
the Armed Forces stationed in the United States are also included in the
employed total. A person working at more than one job is counted only
in the job at which he or she worked the greatest number of hours.
Unemployed persons are those who did not work during the survey
week, but were available for work except for temporary illness and had
looked for jobs within the preceding 4 weeks. Persons who did not look
for work because they were on layoff or waiting to start new jobs within
the next 30 days are also counted among the unemployed. The overall
unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of
the labor force, including the resident Armed Forces. The civilian
employment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of the
civilian labor force.
The labor force consists of all employed or unemployed civilians plus
members of the Armed Forces stationed in the United States. Persons
not in the labor force are those not classified as employed or
unemployed; this group includes persons who are retired, those engaged
in their own housework, those not working while attending school,
those unable to work because of long-term illness, those discouraged
from seeking work because of personal or job-market factors, and those
who are voluntarily idle. The noninstitutional population comprises all
persons 16 years of age and older who are not inmates of penal or
mental institutions, sanitariums, or homes for the aged, infirm, or
needy, and members of the Armed Forces stationed in the United
States. The labor force participation rate is the proportion of the
noninstitutional population that is in the labor force. The employment
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A dditional sources o f inform ation
For detailed explanations of the data, see b l s Handbook o f Methods,
Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988). Historical unadjusted
data from 1948 to 1987 are available in Labor Force Statistics Derived
from the Current Population Survey, Bulletin 2307 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1988). Historical seasonally adjusted data appear in Labor
Force Statistics Derived from the Current Population Survey: A Data
book, Vol. II, Bulletin 2096 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1982), and
Revised Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force Statistics, 1978-87, Bulletin
2306 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988).
A comprehensive discussion of the differences between household
and establishment data on employment appears in Gloria P. Green,
“Comparing employment estimates from household and payroll sur
veys,” Monthly Labor Review, December 1969, pp. 9-2 0 .
E s ta b lis h m e n t s u r v e y d a ta
D escription o f the series
Em ploym ent , hours , a n d earning s data in this section are
compiled from payroll records reported monthly on a voluntary basis to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its cooperating State agencies by
more than 300,000 establishments representing all industries except
agriculture. In most industries, the sampling probabilities are based on
the size of the establishment; most large establishments are therefore in
the sample. (An establishment is not necessarily a firm; it may be a
branch plant, for example, or warehouse.) Self-employed persons and
others not on a regular civilian payroll are outside the scope of the
survey because they are excluded from establishment records. This
largely accounts for the difference in employment figures between the
household and establishment surveys.
D efin ition s
An establishment is an economic unit which produces goods or
services (such as a factory or store) at a single location and is engaged in
one type of economic activity.
Employed persons are all persons who received pay (including
holiday and sick pay) for any part of the payroll period including the
12th of the month. Persons holding more than one job (about 5 percent
of all persons in the labor force) are counted in each establishment
which reports them.
Production workers in manufacturing include working supervisors
and nonsupervisory workers closely associated with production opera
tions. Those workers mentioned in tables 12-17 include production
workers in manufacturing and mining; construction workers in con
struction; and nonsupervisory workers in the following industries:
transportation and public utilities; wholesale and retail trade; finance,
insurance, and real estate; and services. These groups account for about
four-fifths of the total employment on private nonagricultural payrolls.
Earnings are the payments production or nonsupervisory workers
receive during the survey period, including premium pay for overtime
or late-shift work but excluding irregular bonuses and other special
payments. Real earnings are earnings adjusted to reflect the effects of
changes in consumer prices. The deflator for this series is derived from
the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical
Workers (cpi-w ). The Hourly Earnings Index is calculated from
average hourly earnings data adjusted to exclude the effects of two
types of changes that are unrelated to underlying wage-rate develop
ments: fluctuations in overtime premiums in manufacturing (the only
sector for which overtime data are available) and the effects of changes
and seasonal factors in the proportion of workers in high-wage and lowwage industries. Publication of the Hourly Earnings Index series shown
in table 17 will be discontinued with the initial publication of December
1988 data in the February 1989 issue of the Review.
Hours represent the average weekly hours of production or nonsu
pervisory workers for which pay was received, and are different from
standard or scheduled hours. Overtime hours represent the portion of
average weekly hours which was in excess of regular hours and for
which overtime premiums were paid.
The Diffusion Index, introduced in the May 1983 Review, represents
the percent of 185 nonagricultural industries in which employment was
rising over the indicated period. One-half of the industries with
unchanged employment are counted as rising. In line with Bureau
practice, data for the 1-, 3-, and 6-month spans are seasonally adjusted,
while those for the 12-month span are unadjusted. The diffusion index
is useful for measuring the dispersion of economic gains or losses and is
also an economic indicator.
N o tes on the data
Establishment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are
periodically adjusted to comprehensive counts of employment*(called
“benchmarks”). The latest complete adjustment was made with the
release of May 1988 data, published in the July 1988 issue of the
Review. Consequently, data published in the Review prior to that issue
are not necessarily comparable to current data. Unadjusted data have
been revised back to April 1986; seasonally adjusted data have been
revised back to January 1983. These revisions were published in the
Supplement to Employment and Earnings (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1988). Unadjusted data from April 1987 forward, and seasonally
adjusted data from January 1984 forward are subject to revision in
future benchmarks.
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In the establishment survey, estimates for the 2 most recent months
are based on incomplete returns and are published as preliminary in the
tables (13 to 18 in the Review). When all returns have been received, the
estimates are revised and published as final in the third month of their
appearance. Thus, August data are published as preliminary in October
and November and as final in December. For the same reason,
quarterly establishment data (table 1) are preliminary for the first 2
months of publication and final in the third month. Thus, secondquarter data are published as preliminary in August and September and
as final in October.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
Detailed national data from the establishment survey are published
monthly in the BLS periodical, Employment and Earnings. Earlier
comparable unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data are published in
Employment, Hours, and Earnings, United States, 1909-84, Bulletin
1312-12 (Bureau of Labor Statistics 1985) and its annual supplement.
For a detailed discussion of the methodology of the survey, see bls
Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988).
A comprehensive discussion of the differences between household
and establishment data on employment appears in Gloria P. Green,
“Comparing employment estimates from household and payroll sur
veys,” Monthly Labor Review, December 1969, pp. 9-2 0 .
U n e m p lo y m e n t d a ta b y S ta t e
D escription o f the series
Data presented in this section are obtained from two major sources—
the Current Population Survey (cps) and the Local Area Unemploy
ment Statistics ( laus ) program, which is conducted in cooperation
with State employment security agencies.
Monthly estimates of the labor force, employment, and unemploy
ment for States and sub-State areas are a key indicator of local
economic conditions and form the basis for determining the eligibility
of an area for benefits under Federal economic assistance programs
such as the Job Training Partnership Act and the Public Works and
Economic Development Act. Insofar as possible, the concepts and
definitions underlying these data are those used in the national
estimates obtained from the cps .
N o tes on the data
Data refer to State of residence. Monthly data for 11 States—
California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas—are obtained
directly from the cps, because the size of the sample is large enough to
meet bls standards of reliability. Data for the remaining 39 States and
the District of Columbia are derived using standardized procedures
established by bls. Once a year, estimates for the 11 States are revised
to new population controls. For the remaining States and the District of
Columbia, data are benchmarked to annual average cps levels.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
Information on the concepts, definitions, and technical procedures
used to develop labor force data for States and sub-State areas as well as
additional data on sub-States are provided in the monthly Bureau of
Labor Statistics periodical, Employment and Earnings, and the annual
report, Geographic Profde o f Employment and Unemployment (Bureau
of Labor Statistics). See also bls Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2285
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988).
57
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics
C O M P E N S A T IO N A N D W A G E D A T A
(Tables 1 - 3 ; 2 2 - 2 9 )
Com pensation a n d wage data are gathered b.y the Bureau from
business establishments, State and local governments, labor unions,
collective bargaining agreements on file with the Bureau, and secondary
sources.
E m p lo y m e n t C o s t I n d e x
D escription o f the series
The Employment Cost Index (eci) is a quarterly measure of the rate
of change in compensation per hour worked and includes wages,
salaries, and employer costs of employee benefits. It uses a fixed market
basket of labor—similar in concept to the Consumer Price Index’s fixed
market basket of goods and services— to measure change over time in
employer costs of employing labor. The index is not seasonally
adjusted.
Statistical series on total compensation costs, on wages and salaries,
and on benefit costs are available for private nonfarm workers
excluding proprietors, the self-employed, and household workers. The
total compensation costs and wages and salaries series are also available
for State and local government workers and for the civilian nonfarm
economy, which consists of private industry and State and local
government workers combined. Federal workers are excluded.
The Employment Cost Index probability sample consists of about
3,400 private nonfarm establishments providing about 18,000 occupa
tional observations and 700 State and local government establishments
providing 3,500 occupational observations selected to represent total
employment in each sector. On average, each reporting unit provides
wage and compensation information on five well-specified occupations.
Data are collected each quarter for the pay period including the 12th
day of March, June, September, and December.
Beginning with June 1986 data, fixed employment weights from the
1980 Census of Population are used each quarter to calculate the
indexes for civilian, private, and State and local governments. (Prior to
June 1986, the employment weights are from the 1970 Census of
Population.) These fixed weights, also used to derive all of the industry
and occupation series indexes, ensure that changes in these indexes
reflect only changes in compensation, not employment shifts among
industries or occupations with different levels of wages and compensa
tion. For the bargaining status, region, and m etrop olitan /
nonmetropolitan area series, however, employment data by industry
and occupation are not available from the census. Instead, the 1980
employment weights are reallocated within these series each quarter
based on the current sample. Therefore, these indexes are not strictly
comparable to those for the aggregate, industry, and occupation series.
D efin ition s
Total compensation costs include wages, salaries, and the employer’s
costs for employee benefits.
Wages and salaries consist of earnings before payroll deductions,
including production bonuses, incentive earnings, commissions, and
cost-of-living adjustments.
Benefits include the cost to employers for paid leave, supplemental
pay (including nonproduction bonuses), insurance, retirement and
savings plans, and legally required benefits (such as Social Security,
workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance).
Excluded from wages and salaries and employee benefits are such
items as payment-in-kind, free room and board, and tips.
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N o tes on the data
The Employment Cost Index for changes in wages and salaries in the
private nonfarm economy was published beginning in 1975. Changes in
total compensation cost—wages and salaries and benefits combined—
were published beginning in 1980. The series for changes in wages and
salaries and for total compensation in the State and local government
sector and in the civilian nonfarm economy (excluding Federal
employees) were published beginning in 1981. Historical indexes (June
1981 = 100) of the quarterly rates of change are presented in the March
issue of the b l s periodical, Current Wage Developments.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For a more detailed discussion of the Employment Cost Index, see
the Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics,
1988), and the following Monthly Labor Review articles: “Employment
Cost Index: a measure of change in the ‘price of labor’,” July 1975;
“How benefits will be incorporated into the Employment Cost Index,”
January 1978; “Estimation procedures for the Employment Cost
Index,” May 1982; and “Introducing new weights for the Employment
Cost Index,” June 1985.
Data on the E C I are also available in b l s quarterly press releases
issued in the month following the reference months of March, June,
September, and December; and from the Handbook o f Labor Statistics,
Bulletin 2217 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985).
C o lle c t iv e b a r g a in in g s e t tle m e n ts
D escription o f the series
Collective bargaining settlements data provide statistical measures of
negotiated adjustments (increases, decreases, and freezes) in compensa
tion (wage and benefit costs) and wages alone, quarterly for private
industry and semiannually for State and local government. Compensa
tion measures cover all collective bargaining situations involving 5,000
workers or more and wage measures cover all situations involving 1,000
workers or more. These data, covering private nonagricultural indus
tries and State and local governments, are calculated using information
obtained from bargaining agreements on file with the Bureau, parties to
the agreements, and secondary sources, such as newspaper accounts.
The data are not seasonally adjusted.
Settlement data are measured in terms of future specified adjust
ments: those that will occur within 12 months of the contract effective
date—first-year—and all adjustments that will occur over the life of the
contract expressed as an average annual rate. Adjustments are worker
weighted. Both first-year and over-the-life measures exclude wage
changes that may occur under cost-of-living clauses that are triggered
by future movements in the Consumer Price Index.
Effective wage adjustments measure all adjustments occurring in the
reference period, regardless of the settlement date. Included are changes
from settlements reached during the period, changes deferred from
contracts negotiated in earlier periods, and changes under cost-of-living
adjustment clauses. Each wage change is worker weighted. The changes
are prorated over all workers under agreements during the reference
period yielding the average adjustment.
D efin ition s
Wage rate changes are calculated by dividing newly negotiated wages
by the average straight-time hourly wage rate plus shift premium at the
time the agreement is reached. Compensation changes are calculated by
dividing the change in the value of the newly negotiated wage and
benefit package by existing average hourly compensation, which
includes the cost of previously negotiated benefits, legally required
social insurance programs, and average hourly earnings.
Compensation changes are calculated by placing a value on the benefit
portion of the settlements at the time they are reached. The cost estimates
are based on the assumption that conditions existing at the time of
settlement (for example, methods of financing pensions or composition of
labor force) will remain constant. The data, therefore, are measures of
negotiated changes and not of total changes of employer cost.
Contract duration runs from the effective date of the agreement to
the expiration date or first wage reopening date, if applicable. Average
annual percent changes over the contract term take account of the
compounding of successive changes.
N o tes on the data
Comparisons of major collective bargaining settlements for State and
local government with those for private industry should note differences
in occupational mix, bargaining practices, and settlement characteris
tics. Professional and white-collar employees, for example, make up a
much larger proportion of the workers covered by government than by
private industry settlements. Lump-sum payments and cost-of-living
adjustment (cola ) clauses, on the other hand, are rare in government
but common in private industry settlements. Also, State and local
government bargaining frequently excludes items such as pension
benefits and holidays, that are prescribed by law, while these items are
typical bargaining issues in private industry.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For a more detailed discussion on the series, see the b l s Handbook o f
Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988). Comprehen
sive data are published in press releases issued quarterly (in January,
April, July, and October) for private industry, and semiannually (in
February and August) for State and local government. Historical data
and additional detailed tabulations for the prior calendar year appear in
the April issue of the BLS periodical, Current Wage Developments.
W o r k sto p p a g e s
D escription o f the series
Data on work stoppages measure the number and duration of major
strikes or lockouts (involving 1,000 workers or more) occurring during
the month (or year), the number of workers involved, and the amount
of time lost because of stoppage.
Data are largely from newspaper accounts and cover only establish
ments directly involved in a stoppage. They do not measure the indirect
or secondary effect of stoppages on other establishments whose
employees are idle owing to material shortages or lack of service.
D efin ition s
Number of stoppages: The number of strikes and lockouts involving
1,000 workers or more and lasting a full shift or longer.
Workers involved: The number of workers directly involved in the
stoppage.
Number of days idle: The aggregate number of workdays lost by
workers involved in the stoppages.
Days of idleness as a percent of estimated working time: Aggregate
workdays lost as a percent of the aggregate number of standard
workdays in the period multiplied by total employment in the period.
N o tes on the data
This series is not comparable with the one terminated in 1981 that
covered strikes involving six workers or more.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
Data for each calendar year are reported in a bls press release issued
in the first quarter of the following year. Monthly and historical data
appear in the bls periodical, Current Wage Developments. Historical
data appear in the Handbook o f Labor Statistics, Bulletin 2217 (Bureau
of Labor Statistics, 1985).
O th e r c o m p e n s a tio n d a ta
Other bls data on pay and benefits, not included in the Current
Labor Statistics section of the Monthly Labor Review, appear in and
consist of the following:
Industry Wage Surveys provide data for specific occupations selected
to represent an industry’s wage structure and the types of activities
performed by its workers. The Bureau collects information on weekly
work schedules, shift operations and pay differentials, paid holiday and
vacation practices, and information on incidence of health, insurance,
and retirement plans. Reports are issued throughout the year as the
surveys are completed. Summaries of the data and special analyses also
appear in the Monthly Labor Review.
Area Wage Surveys annually provide data for selected office, clerical,
professional, technical, maintenance, toolroom, powerplant, material
movement, and custodial occupations common to a wide variety of
industries in the areas (labor markets) surveyed. Reports are issued
throughout the year as the surveys are completed. Summaries of the
data and special analyses also appear in the Review.
The National Survey o f Professional, Administrative, Technical, and
Clerical Pay provides detailed information annually on salary levels and
distributions for the types of jobs mentioned in the survey’s title in private
employment. Although the definitions of the jobs surveyed reflect the
duties and responsibilities in private industry, they are designed to match
specific pay grades of Federal white-collar employees under the General
Schedule pay system. Accordingly, this survey provides the legally
required information for comparing the pay of salaried employees in the
Federal civil service with pay in private industry. (See Federal Pay
Comparability Act of 1970, 5 u.s.c. 5305.) Data are published in a b l s
news release issued in the summer and in a bulletin each fall; summaries
and analytical articles also appear in the Review.
Employee Benefits Survey provides nationwide information on the
incidence and characteristics of employee benefit plans in medium and
large establishments in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Data are published in an annual bls news release and bulletin, as well
as in special articles appearing in the Review.
P R IC E D A T A
(Tables 2; 3 0 - 4 1 )
Price data are gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from retail and
primary markets in the United States. Price indexes are given in relation to a
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base period (1982 = 100 for many Producer Price Indexes or 1982-84 = 100
for many Consumer Price Indexes, unless otherwise noted).
59
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
C o n su m e r P r ic e I n d e x e s
Current Labor Statistics
P r o d u c e r P r ic e I n d e x e s
D escription o f the series
D escription o f the series
The Consumer Price Index (cpi) is a measure of the average change
in the prices paid by urban consumers for a fixed market basket of
goods and services. The CPI is calculated monthly for two population
groups, one consisting only of urban households whose primary source
of income is derived from the employment of wage earners and clerical
workers, and the other consisting of all urban households. The wage
earner index (cpi- w) is a continuation of the historic index that was
introduced well over a half-century ago for use in wage negotiations. As
new uses were developed for the cpi in recent years, the need for a
broader and more representative index became apparent. The all urban
consumer index (cpi- u ), introduced in 1978, is representative of the
1982-84 buying habits of about 80 percent of the noninstitutional
population of the United States at that time, compared with 32 percent
represented in the cpi-w . In addition to wage earners and clerical
workers, the cpi-u covers professional, managerial, and technical
workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed,
retirees, and others not in the labor force.
The cpi is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuel, drugs,
transportation fares, doctors’ and dentists’ fees, and other goods and
services that people buy for day-to-day living. The quantity and quality
of these items are kept essentially unchanged between major revisions
so that only price changes will be measured. All taxes directly
associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.
Data collected from more than 21,000 retail establishments and
60,000 housing units in 91 urban areas across the country are used to
develop the “U.S. city average.” Separate estimates for 27 major urban
centers are presented in table 31. The areas listed are as indicated in
footnote 1 to the table. The area indexes measure only the average
change in prices for each area since the base period, and do not indicate
differences in the level of prices among cities.
Producer Price Indexes ( ppi) measure average changes in prices
received by domestic producers of commodities in all stages of
processing. The sample used for calculating these indexes currently
contains about 3,100 commodities and about 75,000 quotations per
month selected to represent the movement of prices of all commodities
produced in the manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining,
gas and electricity, and public utilities sectors. The stage of processing
structure of Producer Price Indexes organizes products by class of
buyer and degree of fabrication (that is, finished goods, intermediate
goods, and crude materials). The traditional commodity structure of ppi
organizes products by similarity of end use or material composition.
To the extent possible, prices used in calculating Producer Price
Indexes apply to the first significant commercial transaction in the
United States from the production or central marketing point. Price
data are generally collected monthly, primarily by mail questionnaire.
Most prices are obtained directly from producing companies on a
voluntary and confidential basis. Prices generally are reported for the
T u e s d a y of the week containing the 13th day of the month.
Since January 1987, price changes for the various commodities have
been averaged together with implicit quantity weights representing their
importance in the total net selling value of all commodities as of 1982.
The detailed data are aggregated to obtain indexes for stage-ofprocessing groupings, commodity groupings, durability-of-product
groupings, and a number of special composite groups. All Producer
Price Index data are subject to revision 4 months after original
publication.
N o tes on the data
In January 1983, the Bureau changed the way in which homeownership costs are measured for the cpi-u . A rental equivalence method
replaced the asset-price approach to homeownership costs for that
series. In January 1985, the same change was made in the cpi-w . The
central purpose of the change was to separate shelter costs from the
investment component of homeownership so that the index would
reflect only the cost of shelter services provided by owner-occupied
homes. An updated CPI-U and cpi-w were introduced with release of the
January 1987 data.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For a discussion of the general method for computing the cpi, see b l s
Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988).
The recent change in the measurement of homeownership costs is
discussed in Robert Gillingham and Walter Lane, “Changing the
treatment of shelter costs for homeowners in the cpi,” Monthly Labor
Review, July 1982, pp. 9 -1 4 . An overview of the recently introduced
revised cpi, reflecting 1982-84 expenditure patterns, is contained in
The Consumer Price Index: 1987 Revision, Report 736 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1987).
Additional detailed cpi data and regular analyses of consumer price
changes are provided in the c p i Detailed Report, a monthly publication
of the Bureau. Historical data for the overall cpi and for selected
groupings may be found in the Handbook o f Labor Statistics, Bulletin
2217 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985).
60
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N otes on the data
Beginning with the January 1986 issue, the Review is no longer
presenting tables of Producer Price Indexes for commodity groupings,
special composite groups, or sic industries. However, these data will
continue to be presented in the Bureau’s monthly publication Producer
Price Indexes.
The Bureau has completed the first major stage of its comprehensive
overhaul of the theory, methods, and procedures used to construct the
Producer Price Indexes. Changes include the replacement of judgment
sampling with probability sampling techniques; expansion to systematic
coverage of the net output of virtually all industries in the mining and
manufacturing sectors; a shift from a commodity to an industry
orientation; the exclusion of imports from, and the inclusion of exports
in, the survey universe; and the respecification of commodities priced to
conform to Bureau of the Census definitions. These and other changes
have been phased in gradually since 1978. The result is a system of
indexes that is easier to use in conjunction with data on wages,
productivity, and employment and other series that are organized in
terms of the Standard Industrial Classification and the Census product
class designations.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For a discussion of the methodology for computing Producer Price
Indexes, see b l s Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1988).
Additional detailed data and analyses of price changes are provided
monthly in Producer Price Indexes. Selected historical data may be
found in the Handbook o f Labor Statistics, Bulletin 2217 (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 1985).
I n te r n a tio n a l P r ic e I n d e x e s
D escription o f the series
The bls International Price Program produces quarterly export and
import price indexes for nonmilitary goods traded between the United
States and the rest of the world. The export price index provides a
measure of price change for all products sold by U.S. residents to
foreign buyers. (“Residents” is defined as in the national income
accounts: it includes corporations, businesses, and individuals but does
not require the organizations to be U.S. owned nor the individuals to
have U.S. citizenship.) The import price index provides a measure of
price change for goods purchased from other countries by U.S.
residents. With publication of an all-import index in February 1983 and
an all-export index in February 1984, all U.S. merchandise imports and
exports now are represented in these indexes. The reference period for
the indexes is 1985= 100, unless otherwise indicated.
The product universe for both the import and export indexes includes
raw materials, agricultural products, semifinished manufactures, and
finished manufactures, including both capital and consumer goods.
Price data for these items are collected quarterly by mail questionnaire.
In nearly all cases, the data are collected directly from the exporter or
importer, although in a few cases, prices are obtained from other
sources.
To the extent possible, the data gathered refer to prices at the U.S.
border for exports and at either the foreign border or the U.S. border
for imports. For nearly all products, the prices refer to transactions
completed during the first 2 weeks of the third month of each calendar
quarter—March, June, September, and December. Survey respondents
are asked to indicate all discounts, allowances, and rebates applicable to
the reported prices, so that the price used in the calculation of the
indexes is the actual price for which the product was bought or sold.
In addition to general indexes of prices for U.S. exports and imports,
indexes are also published for detailed product categories of exports and
imports. These categories are defined by the 4- and 5-digit level of detail
of the Standard Industrial Trade Classification System (sitc). The
calculation of indexes by sitc category facilitates the comparison of
U.S. price trends and sector production with similar data for other
countries. Detailed indexes are also computed and published on a
Standard Industrial Classification (sic-based) basis, as well as by enduse class.
N otes on the data
The export and import price indexes are weighted indexes of the
Laspeyres type. Price relatives are assigned equal importance within
each weight category and are then aggregated to the sitc level. The
values assigned to each weight category are based on trade value figures
compiled by the Bureau of the Census. The trade weights currently used
to compute both indexes relate to 1985.
Because a price index depends on the same items being priced from
period to period, it is necessary to recognize when a product’s
specifications or terms of transaction have been modified. For this
reason, the Bureau’s quarterly questionnaire requests detailed descrip
tions of the physical and functional characteristics of the products being
priced, as well as information on the number of units bought or sold,
discounts, credit terms, packaging, class of buyer or seller, and so forth.
When there are changes in either the specifications or terms of
transaction of a product, the dollar value of each change is deleted from
the total price change to obtain the “pure” change. Once this value is
determined, a linking procedure is employed which allows for the
continued repricing of the item.
For the export price indexes, the preferred pricing basis is f.a.s. (free
alongside ship) U.S. port of exportation. When firms report export
prices f.o.b. (free on board), production point information is collected
which enables the Bureau to calculate a shipment cost to the port of
exportation. An attempt is made to collect two prices for imports. The
first is the import price f.o.b. at the foreign port of exportation, which is
consistent with the basis for valuation of imports in the national
accounts. The second is the import price c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and
freight) at the U.S. port of importation, which also includes the other
costs associated with bringing the product to the U.S. border. It does
not, however, include duty charges. For a given product, only one price
basis series is used in the construction of an index.
Beginning in 1988, the Bureau has also been publishing a series of
indexes which represent the price of U.S. exports and imports in foreign
currency terms.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For a discussion of the general method of computing International
Price Indexes, see B L S Handbook o f Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 1988).
Additional detailed data and analyses of international price develop
ments are presented in the Bureau’s quarterly publication U.S. Import
and Export Price Indexes and in occasional Monthly Labor Review
articles prepared by bls analysts. Selected historical data may be found
in the Handbook o f Labor Statistics, Bulletin 2217 (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1985). For further information on the foreign currency
indexes, see “bls publishes average exchange rate and foreign currency
price indexes,” Monthly Labor Review, December 1987, pp. 47-49.
P R O D U C T IV IT Y D A T A
(Tables 2; 4 2 - 4 4 )
U .S . p r o d u c tiv ity a n d r e la te d d a ta
Corresponding indexes of hourly compensation, unit labor costs, unit
nonlabor payments, and prices are also provided.
D escription o f the series
D efin ition s
The productivity measures relate real physical output to real input.
As such, they encompass a family of measures which include single
factor productivity measures, such as output per unit of labor input
(output per hour) or output per unit of capital input, as well as
measures of multifactor productivity (output per unit of combined labor
and capital inputs). The Bureau indexes show the change in output
relative to changes in the various inputs. The measures cover the
business, nonfarm business, manufacturing, and nonfinancial corporate
sectors.
Output per hour of all persons (labor productivity) is the value of
goods and services in constant prices produced per hour of labor input.
Output per unit of capital services (capital productivity) is the value of
goods and services in constant dollars produced per unit of capital
services input.
Multifactor productivity is output per unit of combined labor and
capital inputs. Changes in this measure reflect changes in a number of
factors which affect the production process such as changes in
technology, shifts in the composition of the labor force, changes in
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61
capacity utilization, research and development, skill and efforts of the
work force, management, and so forth. Changes in the output per hour
measures reflect the impact of these factors as well as the substitution of
capital for labor.
Compensation per hour is the wages and salaries of employees plus
employers’ contributions for social insurance and private benefit plans,
and the wages, salaries, and supplementary payments for the selfemployed (except for nonfmancial corporations in which there are no
self-employed)—the sum divided by hours paid for. Real compensation
per hour is compensation per hour deflated by the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers.
Unit labor costs are the labor compensation costs expended in the
production of a unit of output and are derived by dividing compensa
tion by output. Unit nonlabor payments include profits, depreciation,
interest, and indirect taxes per unit of output. They are computed by
subtracting compensation of all persons from current dollar value of
output and dividing by output. Unit nonlabor costs contain all the
components of unit nonlabor payments except unit profits.
Unit profits include corporate profits with inventory valuation and
capital consumption adjustments per unit of output.
Hours of all persons are the total hours paid of payroll workers, selfemployed persons, and unpaid family workers.
Capital services is the flow of services from the capital stock used in
production. It is developed from measures of the net stock of physical
assets—equipment, structures, land, and inventories— weighted by
rental prices for each type of asset.
Labor and capital inputs combined are derived by combining changes
in labor and capital inputs with weights which represent each compo
nent’s share of total output. The indexes for capital services and
combined units of labor and capital are based on changing weights
which are averages of the shares in the current and preceding year (the
Tornquist index-number formula).
N o te s on th e d a ta
Constant-dollar output for the business sector is equal to constantdollar gross national product but excludes the rental value of
owner-occupied dwellings, the rest-of-world sector, the output of
nonprofit institutions, the output of paid employees of private house
holds, general government, and the statistical discrepancy. Output of
the nonfarm business sector is equal to business sector output less
farming. The measures are derived from data supplied by the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Federal
Reserve Board. Quarterly manufacturing output indexes are adjusted
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to annual measures of manufacturing
output (gross product originating) from the Bureau of Economic
Analysis. Compensation and hours data are developed from data of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The productivity and associated cost measures in tables 4 2 -4 4
describe the relationship between output in real terms and the labor
time and capital services involved in its production. They show the
changes from period to period in the amount of goods and services
produced per unit of input. Although these measures relate output to
hours and capital services, they do not measure the contributions of
labor, capital, or any other specific factor of production. Rather, they
reflect the joint effect of many influences, including changes in
technology; capital investment; level of output; utilization of capacity,
energy, and materials; the organization of production; managerial skill;
and the characteristics and efforts of the work force.
A d d itio n a l so u rc e s o f in fo rm a tio n
Descriptions of methodology underlying the measurement of output
per hour and multifactor productivity are found in the b l s Handbook o f
Methods, Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988). Historical
data for selected industries are provided in the Handbook o f Labor
Statistics, Bulletin 2217 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985).
IN T E R N A T IO N A L C O M P A R IS O N S
(T ables 4 5 - 4 7 )
L a b o r fo r c e a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t
D e sc rip tio n o f th e series
Tables 45 and 46 present comparative measures of the labor force,
employment, and unemployment—approximating U.S. concepts— for
the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and six European
countries. The unemployment statistics (and, to a lesser extent,
employment statistics) published by other industrial countries are not,
in most cases, comparable to U.S. unemployment statistics. Therefore,
the Bureau adjusts the figures for selected countries, where necessary,
for all known major definitional differences. Although precise compara
bility may not be achieved, these adjusted figures provide a better basis
for international comparisons than the figures regularly published by
each country.
D e fin itio n s
For the principal U.S. definitions of the labor force, employment, and
unemployment, see the Notes section on EMPLOYMENT DATA:
Household Survey Data.
N o te s on th e d a ta
The adjusted statistics have been adapted to the age at which
compulsory schooling ends in each country, rather than to the U.S.
62
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standard of 16 years of age and over. Therefore, the adjusted statistics
relate to the population age 16 and over in France, Sweden, and from
1973 onward, the United Kingdom; 16 and over in Canada, Australia,
Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, and prior to 1973, the United
Kingdom; and 14 and over in Italy. The institutional population is
included in the denominator of the labor force participation rates and
employment-population ratios for Japan and Germany; it is excluded
for the United States and the other countries.
In the U.S. labor force survey, persons on layoff who are awaiting
recall to their job are classified as unemployed. European and Japanese
layoff practices are quite different in nature from those in the United
States; therefore, strict application of the U.S. definition has not been
made on this point. For further information, see Monthly Labor Review,
December 1981, pp. 8-11.
The figures for one or more recent years for France, Germany, Italy,
the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are calculated using
adjustment factors based on labor force surveys for earlier years and are
considered preliminary. The recent-year measures for these countries
are, therefore, subject to revision whenever data from more current
labor force surveys become available.
There are breaks in the date series for Germany (1983), Italy (1986),
the Netherlands (1983), and Sweden (1986). For both Germany and the
Netherlands, the breaks reflect the replacement of labor force survey
results tabulated by the national statistical offices with those tabulated
by the European Community Statistical Office ( eurostat ). The Dutch
figures for 1983 onward also reflect the replacement of man-year
employment data with data from the Dutch Survey of Employed
Persons. The impact of the changes was to lower the adjusted
unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage point for Germany and by about
2 percentage points for the Netherlands.
For Italy, the break in series reflects more accurate enumeration of
time of last job search. This resulted in a significant increase in the
number of people reported as seeking work in the past 30 days. The
impact was to increase the Italian unemployment rates approximating
U.S. concepts by about 1 percentage point.
Sweden introduced a new questionnaire. Questions regarding current
availability were added and the period of active workseeking was
reduced from 60 days to 4 weeks. These changes resulted in lowering
Sweden’s unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage point.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For further information, see I n te r n a tio n a l C o m p a r is o n s o f U n e m p lo y
Bulletin 1979 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1978), Appendix B,
and unpublished Supplements to Appendix B, available on request. The
statistics are also analyzed periodically in the M o n th ly L a b o r R ev ie w .
The latest article appears in the April 1988 R ev ie w . Additional
historical data, generally beginning with 1959, are published in the
H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta t is tic s and are available in unpublished statistical
supplements to Bulletin 1979.
m e n t,
Manufacturing productivity and labor costs
D escription o f the series
Table 47 presents comparative measures of manufacturing labor
productivity, hourly compensation costs, and unit labor costs for the
United States, Canada, Japan, and nine European countries. These
measures are limited to trend comparisons— that is, intercountry series
of changes over time— rather than level comparisons because reliable
international comparisons of the levels of manufacturing output are
unavailable.
D efin ition s
Output is constant value output (value added), generally taken from
the national accounts of each country. While the national accounting
methods for measuring real output differ considerably among the 12
countries, the use of different procedures does not, in itself, connote
lack of comparability— rather, it reflects differences among countries in
the availability and reliability of underlying data series.
Hours refer to all employed persons including the self-employed in
the United States and Canada; to all wage and salary employees in the
other countries. The U.S. hours measure is hours paid; the hours
measures for the other countries are hours worked.
Compensation (labor cost) includes all payments in cash or kind
made directly to employees plus employer expenditures for legally
required insurance programs and contractual and private benefit plans.
In addition, for some countries, compensation is adjusted for other
significant taxes on payrolls or employment (or reduced to reflect
subsidies), even if they are not for the direct benefit of workers, because
such taxes are regarded as labor costs. However, compensation does not
include all items of labor cost. The costs of recruitment, employee
training, and plant facilities and services— such as cafeterias and
medical clinics—are not covered because data are not available for most
countries. Self-employed workers are included in the U.S. and Canadian
compensation figures by assuming that their hourly compensation is
equal to the average for wage and salary employees.
t*
N otes on the data
For most of the countries, the measures refer to total manufacturing
as defined by the International Standard Industrial Classification.
However, the measures for France (beginning 1959), Italy (beginning
1970), and the United Kingdom (beginning 1971), refer to manufactur
ing and mining less energy-related products and the figures for the
Netherlands exclude petroleum refining from 1969 to 1976. For all
countries, manufacturing includes the activities of government
enterprises.
The figures for one or more recent years are generally based on
current indicators of manufacturing output, employment, hours, and
hourly compensation and are considered preliminary until the national
accounts and other statistics used for the long-term measures become
available.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
For additional information, see the b l s H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s ,
Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988), and periodic M o n th ly
L a b o r R e v ie w articles. Historical data are provided in the H a n d b o o k o f
L a b o r S ta tis tic s , Bulletin 2217 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985). The
statistics are issued twice per year—in a news release (generally in May)
and in a M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w article.
O C C U P A T IO N A L IN J U R Y A N D IL L N E S S D A T A
(Table 48)
D escription o f the series
The Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses is designed
to collect data on injuries and illnesses based on records which
employers in the following industries maintain under the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970: agriculture, forestry, and fishing; oil and
gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; transportation and public
utilities; wholesale and retail trade; finance, insurance, and real estate;
and services. Excluded from the survey are self-employed individuals,
farmers with fewer than 11 employees, employers regulated by other
Federal safety and health laws, and Federal, State, and local govern
ment agencies.
Because the survey is a Federal-State cooperative program and the
data must meet the needs of participating State agencies, an indepen
dent sample is selected for each State. The sample is selected to
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
represent all private industries in the States and territories. The sample
size for the survey is dependent upon (1) the characteristics for which
estimates are needed; (2) the industries for which estimates are desired;
(3) the characteristics of the population being sampled; (4) the target
reliability of the estimates; and (5) the survey design employed.
While there are many characteristics upon which the sample design
could be based, the total recorded case incidence rate is used because it
is one of the most important characteristics and the least variable;
therefore, it requires the smallest sample size.
The survey is based on stratified random sampling with a Neyman
allocation and a ratio estimator. The characteristics used to stratify the
establishments are the Standard Industrial Classification (sic) code and
size of employment.
63
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
D efin ition s
Recordable occupational injuries and illnesses are: (1) occupational
deaths, regardless of the time between injury and death, or the length of
the illness; or (2) nonfatal occupational illnesses; or (3) nonfatal
occupational injuries which involve one or more of the following: loss
of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, transfer to another job,
or medical treatment (other than first aid).
Occupational injury is any injury such as a cut, fracture, sprain,
amputation, and so forth, which results from a work accident or from
exposure involving a single incident in the work environment.
Occupational illness is an abnormal condition or disorder, other than
one resulting from an occupational injury, caused by exposure to
environmental factors associated with employment. It includes acute
and chronic illnesses or disease which may be caused by inhalation,
absorption, ingestion, or direct contact.
Lost workday cases are cases which involve days away from work, or
days of restricted work activity, or both.
Lost workday cases involving restricted work activity are those cases
which result in restricted work activity only.
Lost workdays away from work are the number of workdays
(consecutive or not) on which the employee would have worked but
could not because of occupational injury or illness.
Lost workdays—restricted work activity are the number of workdays
(consecutive or not) on which, because of injury or illness: (1) the
employee was assigned to another job on a temporary basis; or (2) the
employee worked at a permanent job less than full time; or (3) the
employee worked at a permanently assigned job but could not perform
all duties normally connected with it.
The number of days away from work or days of restricted work
activity does not include the day of injury or onset of illness or any days
on which the employee would not have worked even though able to
work.
Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and/or illnesses or
lost workdays per 100 full-time workers.
Current Labor Statistics
those where the employee would have worked but could not and those
in which work activity was restricted. Estimates of the number of cases
and the number of days lost are made for both categories.
Most of the estimates are in the form of incidence rates, defined as
the number of injuries and illnesses, or lost workdays, per 100 full-time
employees. For this purpose, 200,000 employee hours represent 100
employee years (2,000 hours per employee). Only a few of the available
measures are included in the H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s . Full detail is
presented in the annual bulletin, O c c u p a tio n a l I n ju r ie s a n d I lln e s s e s in
th e U n ite d S ta te s , b y I n d u s tr y .
Comparable data for individual States are available from the bls
Office of Safety, Health, and Working Conditions.
Mining and railroad data are furnished to bls by the Mine Safety and
Health Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration,
respectively. Data from these organizations are included in bls and
State publications. Federal employee experience is compiled and
published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Data
on State and local government employees are collected by about half of
the States and territories; these data are not compiled nationally.
A dditional sources o f inform ation
The Supplementary Data System provides detailed information
describing various factors associated with work-related injuries and
illnesses. These data are obtained from information reported by
e m p lo y e r s to State workers’ compensation agencies. The Work Injury
Report program examines selected types of accidents through an
employee survey which focuses on the circumstances surrounding the
injury. These data are not included in the H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s
but are available from the bls Office of Safety, Health, and Working
Conditions.
The definitions of occupational injuries and illnesses and lost
workdays are from R e c o r d k e e p in g R e q u ir e m e n ts u n d e r th e O c c u p a
tio n a l S a f e ty a n d H e a lth A c t o f 1 9 7 0 . For additional data, see
O c c u p a tio n a l I n ju r ie s a n d I lln e s s e s in th e U n ite d S ta te s , b y I n d u s tr y ,
N o tes on the data
Estimates are made for industries and employment-size classes and
for severity classification: fatalities, lost workday cases, and nonfatal
cases without lost workdays. Lost workday cases are separated into
64
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
annual Bureau of Labor Statistics bulletin; bls H a n d b o o k o f M e th o d s,
Bulletin 2285 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1988); H a n d b o o k o f L a b o r
S ta tis tic s , Bulletin 2217 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985), pp. 411-14;
annual reports in the M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w ; and annual U.S.
Department of Labor press releases.
1.
Labor market indicators
1986
Selected indicators
1986
1987
1988
1987
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
I
II
Employment data
Employment status of the civilian noninstitutionalized population
(household survey)'
Labor force participation ra te ........................................................
Employment-population ra tio .........................................................
Unemployment rate .......................................................................
Men ..............................................................................................
16 to 24 years ..........................................................................
25 years and o v e r.....................................................................
Women ........................................................................................
'6 to 24 years ..........................................................................
25 years and o v e r.....................................................................
Unemployment rate, 15 weeks and o ver....................................
65.3
60.7
7.0
6.9
13.7
5.4
7.1
12.8
5.5
1.9
65.6
61.5
6.2
6.2
12.6
4.8
6.2
11.7
4.8
1.7
65.4
60.8
7.0
7.0
13.9
5.4
7.0
12.7
5.4
1.9
65.4
60.9
6.8
6.9
13.4
5.4
6.8
12.5
5.3
1.9
65.5
61.1
6.6
6.6
13.3
5.1
6.6
12.5
5.0
1.8
65.5
61.4
6.3
6.3
12.9
4.9
6.2
11.8
4.7
1.7
65.6
61.7
6.0
5.9
12.2
4.6
6.1
11.4
4.7
1.6
65.7
61.9
5.9
5.8
11.9
4.4
6.0
11.1
4.7
1.5
65.8
62.1
5.7
5.7
11.9
4.4
5.8
11.0
4.4
1.4
65.8
62.2
5.5
5.4
11.1
4.1
5.6
10.8
4.3
1.3
Total ..................................................................................................
Private sector .................................................................................
Goods-producing............................................................................
Manufacturing ..............................................................................
Service-producing ..........................................................................
99,525
82,832
24,558
18,965
74,967
102,310
85,295
24,784
19,065
77,525
99,676
82,987
24,454
18,902
75,222
100,347
83,496
24,443
18,885
75,904
101,024
84,130
24,523
18,895
76,500
101,841
84,869
24,644
18,965
77,196
102,669
85,643
24,847
19,112
77,782
103,683
86,518
25,116
19,290
78,567
104,670
87,406
25,260
19,388
79,410
105,597
88,258
25,497
19,498
80,100
Average hours:
Private sector .................................................................................
Manufacturing ...........................................................................
Overtime...................................................................................
34.8
40.7
3.4
34.8
41.0
3.7
34.7
40.7
3.5
34.7
40.8
3.5
34.8
41.0
3.6
34.7
40.9
3.7
34.7
40.9
3.8
34.8
41.1
3.9
34.7
41.0
3.8
34.8
41.1
3.9
Percent change in the ECI, compensation:
All workers (excluding farm, household, and Federal workers) ......
Private industry workers ...............................................................
Goods-producing? ......................................................................
Service-producing2 ....................................................................
State and local government workers...........................................
3.6
3.2
3.1
3.2
5.2
3.6
3.3
3.1
3.7
4.4
1.1
.7
.6
.8
2.8
.6
.6
.5
.6
.8
.9
1.0
.5
1.3
.8
.7
.7
.7
.7
.3
1.2
1.0
.8
1.0
2.3
.8
.7
1.0
.5
.9
1.4
1.5
1.8
1.3
1.3
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.4
.3
Workers by bargaining status (private industry):
U nion.............................................................................................
Nonunion ......................................................................................
2.1
3.6
2.8
3.6
.5
.8
.3
.7
.5
1.1
.5
.7
.6
1.1
1.1
.6
1.6
1.5
1.0
1.3
Employment, nonagricultural (payroll data), in thousands:’
Employment Cost Index
' Quarterly data seasonally adjusted.
2 Goods-producing industries include mining, construction, and manufacturing. Service-
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
producing industries include all other private sector industries.
65
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
2.
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics:
Comparative Indicators
Annual and quarterly percent changes in compensation, prices, and productivity
1986
1987
III
Compensation data
1988
1987
1986
Selected measures
I
IV
III
II
I
IV
II
2
Employment Cost Index-compensation (wages, salaries,
benefits):
Civilian nonfarm ....................................................................
Private nonfarm ...................................................................
Employment Cost Index-wages and salaries
Civilian nonfarm ....................................................................
Private nonfarm ...................................................................
3.6
3.2
3.6
3.3
1.1
.7
0.6
.6
0.9
1.0
0.7
.7
1.2
1.0
0.8
.7
1.4
1.5
1.1
1.2
3.5
3.1
3.5
3.3
1.1
.7
.6
.5
1.0
1.0
.5
.7
1.3
1.0
.7
.6
1.0
1.0
.9
1.1
Price data'
Consumer Price Index (All urban consumers): All ite m s......
1.1
4.4
.6
.3
1.4
1.2
1.3
.3
1.0
1.3
Producer Price Index:
Finished goods......................................................................
Finished consumer goods...................................................
Capital equipment ...............................................................
Intermediate materials, supplies, components ....................
Crude materials.....................................................................
-2.3
-3.5
2.1
-4.4
-8.9
2.2
2.6
1.3
5.4
8.9
-.7
-.7
-.8
-.2
-.6
1.1
.8
2.1
-.3
.6
.8
.9
.1
1.3
4.2
1.2
1.6
.3
1.9
5.3
.2
.3
-.2
1.2
.6
.1
-.2
1.1
.9
-1.4
.5
.4
.7
1.1
-.3
1.5
1.6
.9
2.6
4.4
Productivity data '
Output per hour of all persons:
Business se cto r...................................................................
Nonfarm business se cto r....................................................
Nonfinancial corporations 4 .................................................
-1.4
-1.5
1.2
.8
.8
1.5
2.2
2.0
1.8
1 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.
? Excludes Federal and private household workers.
3 Annual rates of change are computed by comparing annual averages.
3.
.3
.0
-1.0
-.8
-.9
2.6
2.7
3.2
3.1
.6
.9
-.1
3.9
3.7
4.7
3.5
3.4
4.3
-2.5
-1.4
.4
Quarterly percent changes reflect annual rates of change in quarterly indexes. The data are seasonally adjusted,
4 Output per hour of all employees.
Alternative measures of wage and compensation changes
Four quarters ended-
Quarterly average
1988
1987
Components
I
III
II
IV
I
1988
1987
II
I
II
IV
III
I
II
Average hourly compensation:1
2.5
2.1
3.6
3.4
4.6
4.5
6.2
6.4
3.7
3.5
4.7
4.1
3.8
3.7
3.8
3.7
3.9
3.7
4.2
4.1
4.5
4.4
4.8
4.6
.9
1.0
.5
1.1
.8
.7
.7
.5
.7
.3
1.2
1.0
.6
1.1
2.3
.8
.7
1.1
.6
.9
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.5
1.3
1.1
1.2
1.0
1.3
.3
3.4
3.1
1.6
3.6
5.0
3.3
3.0
1.9
3.4
4.7
3.4
3.3
2.0
3.7
4.2
3.6
3.3
2.8
3.6
4.4
4.1
3.9
3.9
4.0
4.9
4.6
4.5
4.3
4.5
5.0
1.0
1.0
.4
1.2
.8
.4
(4)
.3
.1
.5
.7
.5
.8
.2
1.0
.2
.7
.2
1.3
1.0
.6
1.1
2.3
.9
.2
.6
.1
.7
.6
1.1
.5
.9
.8
.3
.3
.2
1.0
1.0
.4
1.0
.9
.4
.1
.3
.1
.9
1.1
.8
1.2
.3
.8
.3
.5
.1
3.5
3.2
1.7
3.5
5.2
2.0
.3
1.5
.1
3.2
3.0
1.7
3.3
5.0
2.2
.3
1.6
.3
3.4
3.3
1.7
3.8
4.1
2.6
.4
1.7
.4
3.5
3.3
2.6
3.6
4.2
3.1
.7
1.8
.5
3.5
3.3
2.6
3.5
4.4
3.2
.8
1.8
.5
3.9
3.7
2.9
4.0
4.4
3.0
.9
1.6
.5
.8
1.6
2.6
2.9
2.1
2.0
2.4
1.8
2.2
2.3
2.7
2.2
1.2
1.8
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.4
2.2
2.4
2.0
1.1
2.1
4.1
3.9
2.5
2.1
3.4
2.4
1.8
1.8
3.4
2.4
1.2
1.7
1.8
2.1
2.7
2.6
3.0
2.6
3.1
2.5
3.1
2.3
Employment Cost Index-compensation:
Employment Cost Index-wages and salaries:
Negotiated wage adjustments from settlements:3
Negotiated wage and benefit adjustments from settlements:5
' Seasonally adjusted.
? Excludes Federal and household workers.
3 Limited to major collective bargaining units of 1,000 workers or more. The
most recent data are preliminary.
66
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4 Data round to zero.
5 Limited to major collective bargaining units of 5,000 workers or more. The
most recent data are preliminary.
4.
Employment status of the total population, by sex, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1987
1988
Employment status
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
182,293
119,540
65.6
111,303
184,490
121,602
65.9
114,177
184,605
121,610
65.9
114,359
184,738
122,042
66.1
114,786
184,904
121,706
65.8
114,615
185,052
122,128
66.0
114,951
185,225
122,349
66.1
115,259
185,370
122,472
66.1
115,494
185,571
122,924
66.2
115,878
185,705
123,084
66.3
116,145
185,847
122,639
66.0
115,839
185,964
123,055
66.2
116,445
186,088
122,692
65.9
115,909
186,247
123,157
66.1
116,703
186,402
123,357
66.2
116,732
61.1
1,706
109,597
3,163
106,434
8,237
6.9
62,752
61.9
1,737
112,440
3,208
109,232
7,425
6.1
62,888
61.9
1,720
112,639
3,212
109,427
7,251
6.0
62,995
62.1
1,736
113,050
3,143
109,907
7,256
5.9
62,696
62.0
1,743
112,872
3,184
109,688
7,091
5.8
63,198
62.1
1,741
113,210
3,249
109,961
7,177
5.9
62,924
62.2
1,755
113,504
3,172
110,332
7,090
5.8
62,876
62.3
1,750
113,744
3,215
110,529
6,978
5.7
62,898
62.4
1,749
114,129
3,293
110,836
7,046
5.7
62,647
62.5
1,736
114,409
3,228
111,182
6,938
5.6
62,621
62.3
1,736
114,103
3,204
110,899
6,801
5.5
63,208
62.6
1,732
114,713
3,228
111,485
6,610
5.4
62,909
62.3
1,714
114,195
3,035
111,160
6,783
5.5
63,396
62.7
1,685
115,018
3,085
111,933
6,455
5.2
63,0.90
62.6
1,673
115,059
3,046
112,014
6,625
5.4
63,045
87,349
66,973
76.7
62,443
88,476
67,784
76.6
63,684
88,534
67,671
76.4
63,711
88,598
67,937
76.7
63,916
88,683
67,776
76.4
63,949
88,756
67,947
76.6
64,048
88,849
68,019
76.6
64,174
88,924
68,030
76.5
64,245
89,033
68,243
76.6
64,396
89,099
68,343
76.7
64,636
89,168
68,148
76.4
64,332
89,225
68,445
76.7
64,892
89,287
68,318
76.5
64,583
89,367
68,429
76.6
64,934
89,445
68,521
76.6
65,002
71.5
1,551
60,892
4,530
6.8
72.0
1,577
62,107
4,101
6.1
72.0
1,561
62,150
3,960
5.9
72.1
1,575
62,341
4,021
5.9
72.1
1,581
62,368
3,827
5.6
72.2
1,580
62a 68
3,899
5.7
72.2
1,593
62,581
3,845
5.7
72.2
1,589
62,656
3,785
5.6
72.3
1,588
62,808
3,847
5.6
72.5
1,577
63,059
3,707
5.4
72.1
1,573
62,759
3,816
5.6
72.7
1,569
63,323
3,553
5.2
72.3
1,553
63,030
3,736
5.5
72.7
1,523
63,411
3,495
5.1
72.7
1,512
63,490
3,519
5.1
94,944
52,568
55.4
48,861
96,013
53,818
56.1
50,494
96,071
53,939
56.1
50,648
96,140
54,105
56.3
50,870
96,221
53,930
56.0
50,666
96,295
54,181
56.3
50,903
96,376
54,330
56.4
51,085
96,446
54,442
56.4
51,249
96,538
54,681
56.6
51,482
96,606
54,740
56.7
51,509
96,679
54,491
56.4
51,507
96,739
54,610
56.5
51,553
96,801
54,374
56.2
51,327
96,880
54,728
56.5
51,769
96,957
54,836
56.6
51,730
51.5
155
48,706
3,707
7.1
52.6
160
50,334
3,324
6.2
52.7
159
50,489
3,291
6.1
52.9
161
50,709
3,235
6.0
52.7
162
50,504
3,264
6.1
52.9
161
50,742
3,278
6.1
53.0
162
50,923
3,245
6.0
53.1
161
51,088
3,193
5.9
53.3
161
51,321
3,200
5.9
53.3
159
51,350
3,231
5.9
53.3
163
51,344
2,985
5.5
53.3
163
51,390
3,057
5.6
53.0
161
51,166
3,047
5.6
53.4
162
51,607
2,960
5.4
53.4
161
51,569
3,106
5.7
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
TOTAL
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 ........................
Men, 16 years and over
2
.......
Noninstitutional population
Labor force2 ..................................
Participation rate 3 ................
Total employed 2 .......................
Employment-population
ratio 4 ...................................
Resident Armed Forces 1 .......
Civilian employed ....................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment rate 5 ...........
Women, 16 years and over
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.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4 Total employed as a percent of the noninstitutional population.
5 Unemployment as a percent of the labor force (including
Forces).
the resident Armed
67
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
5. Employment status of the civilian population, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, monthly data seasonally
adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Annual average
1987
1988
Employment status
1986
1987
July
180,587
117,834
65.3
109,597
182,753
119,865
65.6
112,440
182,885
119,890
65.6
112,639
183,002
120,306
65.7
113,050
183,161
119,963
65.5
112,872
183,311
120,387
65.7
113,210
183,470
120,594
65.7
113,504
183,620
120,722
65.7
113,744
183,822
121,175
65.9
114,129
183,969
121,348
66.0
114,409
184,111
120,903
65.7
114,103
184,232
121,323
65.9
114,713
184,374
120,978
65.6
114,195
184,562
121,472
65.8
115,018
184,729
121,684
65.9
115,059
60.7
8,237
7.0
62,752
61.5
7,425
6.2
62,888
61.6
7,25,1
6.0
62,995
61.8
7,256
6.0
62,696
61.6
7,091
5.9
63,198
61.8
7,177
6.0
62,924
61.9
7,090
5.9
62,876
61.9
6,978
5.8
62,898
62.1
7,046
5.8
62,647
62.2
6,938
5.7
62,621
62.0
6,801
5.6
63,208
62.3
6,610
5.4
62,909
61.9
6,783
5.6
63,396
62.3
6,455
5.3
63,090
62.3
6,625
5.4
63,045
78,523
61,320
78.1
57,569
79,565
62,095
78.0
58,726
79,625
62,106
78.0
58,783
79,668
62,083
77.9
58,825
79,740
62,085
77.9
58,967
79,807
62,211
78.0
59,037
79,885
62,299
78.0
59,164
80,002
62,248
77.8
59,185
80,120
62,440
77.9
59,287
80,203
62,696
78.2
59,625
80,260
62,497
77.9
59,407
80,326
62,791
78.2
59,883
80,402
62,662
77.9
59,590
80,526
62,667
77.8
59,797
80,608
62,769
77.9
59,954
73.3
2,292
55,277
3,751
6.1
73.8
2,329
56,397
3,369
5.4
73.8
2,333
56,450
3,323
5.4
73.8
2,289
56,536
3,258
5.2
73.9
2,345
56,622
3,118
5.0
74.0
2,343
56,694
3,174
5.1
74.1
2,297
56,867
3,135
5.0
74.0
2,298
56,887
3,063
4.9
74.0
2,323
56,964
3,154
5.1
74.3
2,280
57,344
3,071
4.9
74.0
2,253
57,154
3,089
4.9
74.5
2,255
57,627
2,909
4.6
74.1
2,181
57,409
3,072
4.9
74.3
2,208
57,588
2,870
4.6
74.4
2,247
57,706
2,815
4.5
87,567
48,589
55.5
45,556
88,583
49,783
56.2
47,074
88,632
49,886
56.3
47,206
88,685
49,969
56.3
47,308
88,785
49,922
56.2
47,251
88,843
50,095
56.4
47,480
88,923
50,254
56.5
47,634
89,010
50,361
56.6
47,750
89,110
50,558
56.7
47,977
89,178
50,640
56.8
48,005
89,261
50,542
56.6
48,132
89,307
50,612
56.7
48,170
89,382
50,441
56.4
47,960
89,502
50,642
56.6
48,169
89,588
50,775
56.7
48,199
52.0
614
44,943
3,032
6.2
53.1
622
46,453
2,709
5.4
53.3
620
46,586
2,680
5.4
53.3
609
46,699
2,661
5.3
53.2
600
46,651
2,671
5.4
53.4
636
46,844
2,615
5.2
53.6
636
46,998
2,620
5.2
53.6
643
47,107
2,611
5.2
53.8
646
47,331
2,581
5.1
53.8
654
47,351
2,635
5.2
53.9
656
47,476
2,411
4.8
53.9
692
47,478
2,442
4.8
53.7
587
47,373
2,481
4.9
53.8
616
47,553
2,473
4.9
53.8
542
47,657
2,576
5.1
14,496
7,926
54.7
6,472
14,606
7,988
54.7
6,640
14,628
7,898
54.0
6,650
14,649
8,254
56.3
6,917
14,637
7,956
54.4
6,654
14,661
8,081
55.1
6,693
14,663
8,041
54.8
6,706
14,609
8,113
55.5
6,809
14,592
8,177
56.0
6,865
14,588
8,011
54.9
6,779
14,591
7,865
53.9
6,564
14,598
7,919
54.2
6,660
14,590
7,875
54.0
6,645
14,534
8,163
56.2
7,051
14,533
8,141
56.0
6,907
44.6
258
6,215
1,454
18.3
45.5
258
6,382
1,347
16.9
45.5
259
6,391
1,248
15.8
47.2
245
6,672
1,337
16.2
45.5
239
6,415
1,302
16.4
45.7
270
6,423
1,388
17.2
45.7
239
6,467
1,335
16.6
46.6
274
6,535
1,304
16.1
47.0
323
6,542
1,312
16.0
46.5
293
6,486
1,232
15.4
45.0
295
6,269
1,301
16.5
45.6
280
6,380
1,259
15.9
45.5
267
6,378
1,230
15.6
48.5
260
6,791
1,112
13.6
47.5
257
6,650
1,234
15.2
155,432
101,801
65.5
95,660
156,958
103,290
65.8
97,789
157,058
103,248
65.7
97,917
157,134
103,516
65.9
98,181
157,242
103,357
65.7
98,069
157,342
103,669
65.9
98,317
157,449
103,731
65.9
98,492
157,552
103,907
66.0
98,779
157,676
104,252
66.1
99,044
157,773
104,530
66.3
99,474
157,868
104,171
66.0
99,274
157,943
104,574
66.2
99,751
158,034
104,209
65.9
99,297
158,166
104,691
66.2
99,932
158,279
104,603
66.1
99,725
61.5
6,140
6.0
62.3
5,501
5.3
62.3
5,331
5.2
62.5
5,335
5.2
62.4
5,288
5.1
62.5
5,352
5.2
62.6
5,239
5.1
62.7
5,128
4.9
62.8
5,208
5.0
63.0
5,056
4.8
62.9
4,897
4.7
63.2
4,824
4.6
62.8
4,913
4.7
63.2
4,759
4.5
63.0
4,878
4.7
19,989
12,654
63.3
10,814
20,352
12,993
63.8
11,309
20,373
13,039
64.0
11,381
20,396
13,150
64.5
11,513
20,426
13,028
63.8
11,421
20,453
13,152
64.3
11,556
20,482
13,193
64.4
11,589
20,508
13,215
64.4
11,605
20,539
13,222
64.4
11,608
20,569
13,168
64.0
11,504
20,596
13,098
63.6
11,420
20,622
13,078
63.4
11,482
20,650
13,069
63.3
11,452
20,683
12,989
62.8
11,489
20,715
13,293
64.2
11,774
54.1
1,840
14.5
55.6
1,684
13.0
55.9
1,658
12.7
56.4
1,637
12.4
55.9
1,607
12.3
56.5
1,596
12.1
56.6
1,604
12.2
56.6
1,610
12.2
56.5
1,614
12.2
55.9
1,663
12.6
55.4
1,678
12.8
55.7
1,597
12.2
55.5
1,617
12.4
55.5
1,500
11.5
56.8
1,519
11.4
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
Not in labor force ........................
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Agriculture ...............................
Nonagricultural industries.......
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
Women, 20 years ond over
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Agriculture ...............................
Nonagricultural industries.......
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Agriculture ...............................
Nonagricultural industries.......
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
White
Civilian noninstitutional
population'....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
Black
Civilian noninstitutional
population1....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
See footnotes at end of table.
Digitized for68
FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
5. Continued— Employment status of the civilian population, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, monthly data seasonally
adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1987
Annual average
1988
Employment status
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
12,344
8,076
65.4
7,219
12,867
8,541
66.4
7,790
12,887
8,447
65.5
7,762
12,925
8,549
66.1
7,856
12,965
8,581
66.2
7,877
13,003
8,654
66.6
7,935
13,043
8,763
67.2
7,978
13,082
8,772
67.1
8,058
13,115
8,879
67.7
8,238
13,153
9,017
68.6
8,268
13,192
8,803
66.7
8,079
13,230
8,828
66.7
8,010
13,268
8,859
66.8
8,058
13,306
9,027
67.8
8,219
13,344
8,984
67.3
8,264
58.5
857
10.6
60.5
751
8.8
60.2
685
8.1
60.8
693
8.1
60.8
704
8.2
61.0
719
8.3
61.2
785
9.0
61.6
714
8.1
62.8
642
7.2
62.9
749
8.3
61.2
724
8.2
60.5
818
9.3
60.7
801
9.0
61.8
809
9.0
61.9
720
8.0
Hispanic origin
Civilian noninstitutional
population1....................................
Civilian labor fo rce .......................
Participation rate ..................
Employed ...................................
Employment-population
ratio2 ....................................
Unemployed...............................
Unemployment ra te ..............
' The population figures are not seasonally adjusted.
2 Civilian employment as a percent of the civilian noninstitutional population.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals
6.
because data for the “ other races” groups are not presented and Hispanics are Included
in both the white and black population groups.
Selected employment indicators, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
Annual average
1987
1988
Selected categories
1986
1987
July
Aug.
109,597
60,892
48,706
39,658
112,440
62,107
50,334
40,265
112,639
62,150
50,489
40,262
113,050
62,341
50,709
40,308
112,872
62,368
50,504
40,404
113,210
62,468
50,742
40,556
113,504
62,581
50,923
40,645
113,744
62,656
51,088
40,711
114,129
62,808
51,321
40,404
114,409
63,059
51,350
40,475
114,103
62,759
51,344
40,481
114,713
63,323
51,390
40,459
114,195
63,030
51,166
40,267
115,018
63,411
51,607
40,485
115,059
63,490
51,569
40,535
27,144
5,837
28,107
6,060
28,283
6,033
28,189
6,107
28,069
6,151
28,099
6,178
28,175
6,237
28,249
6,227
28,441
6,168
28,707
6,157
28,805
6,160
28,859
6,055
28,567
5,957
28,713
6,085
28,654
6,145
1,547
1,447
169
1,632
1,423
153
1,625
1,424
153
1,591
1,393
155
1,624
1,415
139
1,705
1,430
140
1,595
1,407
155
1,599
1,450
156
1,666
1,454
138
1,677
1,414
114
1,648
1,423
142
1,678
1,385
155
1,526
1,346
159
1,562
1,359
167
1,539
1,346
148
98,299
16,342
81,957
1,235
80,722
7,881
255
100,771
16,800
83,970
1,208
82,762
8,201
260
100,825
16,876
83,949
1,212
82,737
8,216
266
101,241
16,794
84,447
1,175
83,272
8,214
248
101,282
16,928
84,354
1,100
83,254
8,204
297
101,522
17,033
84,489
1,222
83,267
8,274
242
101,943
17,118
84,825
1,286
83,539
8,222
235
101,997
17,064
84,933
1,200
83,733
8,280
248
102,507
17,197
85,310
1,147
84,163
8,150
237
102,683
16,948
85,735
1,170
84,565
8,312
228
102,279
16,908
85,371
1,175
84,196
8,366
248
102,538
17,015
85,523
1,092
84,431
8,637
281
101,927
16,887
85,040
1,156
83,884
8,917
307
103,000
17,064
85,935
1,150
84,786
8,577
301
103,133
16,959
86,174
1,123
85,051
8,528
255
5,588
2,456
2,800
13,935
5,401
2,385
2,672
14,395
5,428
2,429
2,683
14,437
5,283
2,468
2,526
14,573
5,261
2,213
2,683
14,415
5,353
2,377
2,655
14,488
5,534
2,408
2,696
14,523
5,262
2,284
2,638
14,711
5,367
2,396
2,640
14,571
5,566
2,478
2,598
14,572
5,343
2,520
2,535
14,603
5,194
2,236
2,502
15,016
4,844
2,227
2,315
14,790
5,317
2,364
2,637
14,507
5,382
2,490
2,581
15,070
5,345
2,305
2,719
13,502
5,122
2,201
2,587
13,928
5,154
2,261
2,599
13,953
5,016
2,265
2,463
14,099
4,986
2,034
2,603
13,987
5,067
2,196
2,557
14,011
5,241
2,209
2,597
14,064
5,004
2,111
2,552
14,222
5,145
2,260
2,566
14,096
5,254
2,327
2,457
14,123
5,106
2,325
2,475
14,141
4,924
2,121
2,397
14,592
4,623
2,120
2,236
14,338
5,076
2,199
2,566
14,083
5,185
2,351
2,545
14,669
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
CHARACTERISTIC
Civilian employed, 16 years and
over.............................................
Men ..........................................
Women .....................................
Married men, spouse present ..
Married women, spouse
present....................................
Women who maintain families .
MAJOR INDUSTRY AND CLASS
OF WORKER
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 w orkers.............
PERSONS AT WORK
PART TIME’
All industries:
Part time for economic reasons .
Slack work ...............................
Could only find pai;t-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.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
69
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
7.
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
Selected unemployment indicators, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Unemployment rates)
Annual average
1987
1988
Selected categories
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Total, all civilian workers.........................................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years................................
Men, 20 years and o v e r.....................................
Women, 20 years and over................................
7.0
18.3
6.1
6.2
6.2
16.9
5.4
5.4
6.0
15.8
5.4
5.4
6.0
16.2
5.2
5.3
5.9
16.4
5.0
5.4
6.0
17.2
5.1
5.2
5.9
16.6
5.0
5.2
5.8
16.1
4.9
5.2
5.8
16.0
5.1
5.1
5.7
15.4
4.9
5.2
5.6
16.5
4.9
4.8
5.4
15.9
4.6
4.8
5.6
15.6
4.9
4.9
5.3
13.6
4.6
4.9
5.4
15.2
4.5
5.1
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 o ver.............................
6.0
15.6
16.3
14.9
5.3
5.4
5.3
14.4
15.5
13.4
4.8
4.6
5.2
13.3
13.5
13.1
4.7
4.5
5.2
14.1
15.2
12.9
4.6
4.4
5.1
14.3
15.1
13.4
4.4
4.5
5.2
14.5
15.1
13.8
4.6
4.3
5.1
14.1
14.8
13.3
4.4
4.4
4.9
13.6
14.9
12.3
4.3
4.4
5.0
14.0
14.4
13.6
4.4
4.2
4.8
12.4
12.2
12.7
4.1
4.5
4.7
14.1
15.7
12.4
4.2
3.9
4.6
14.1
14.5
13.7
4.0
3.9
4.7
13.1
13.8
12.4
4.2
4.0
4.5
12.0
12.8
11.1
4.0
4.0
4.7
12.9
14.6
11.1
3.9
4.3
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 o ve r.............................
14.5
39.3
39.3
39.2
12.9
12.4
13.0
34.7
34.4
34.9
11.1
11.6
12.7
32.7
32.4
33.1
11.2
11.4
12.4
30.6
33.7
27.1
10.7
11.3
12.3
30.8
31.5
30.0
10.1
11.7
12.1
33.8
32.5
35.2
9.8
11.0
12.2
33.9
32.2
35.8
10.2
10.8
12.2
33.4
33.5
33.4
10.1
10.9
12.2
35.0
35.1
34.9
10.1
11.1
12.6
38.3
42.0
34.7
11.3
10.4
12.8
36.9
39.0
35.0
11.4
10.9
12.2
31.4
27.6
35.5
10.6
11.3
12.4
34.8
33.3
36.6
10.8
10.6
11.5
28.4
30.4
25.9
10.0
10.7
11.4
31.1
30.4
31.8
9.5
10.4
Hispanic origin, to ta l...........................................
10.6
8.8
8.1
8.1
8.2
8.3
9.0
8.1
7.2
8.3
8.2
9.3
9.0
9.0
8.0
Marrieo 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 lost' ........................................
4.4
5.2
9.8
6.6
9.1
1.9
7.9
3.9
4.3
9.2
5.8
8.4
1.7
7.1
3.8
4.2
9.3
5.7
8.1
1.6
6.9
3.7
4.3
9.0
5.6
8.2
1.6
6.9
3.7
4.2
8.8
5.5
8.4
1.6
6.8
3.7
4.2
8.9
5.6
8.3
1.5
6.8
3.5
4.2
8.5
5.5
8.2
1.5
6.8
3.4
4.3
8.4
5.4
8.0
1.5
6.6
3.6
4.2
8.9
5.4
8.3
1.4
6.6
3.4
4.1
8.3
5.3
7.9
1.4
6.6
3.4
4.0
7.5
5.3
7.7
1.4
6.5
3.0
3.8
8.7
5.1
7.4
1.3
6.2
3.3
3.9
8.4
5.2
7.7
1.3
6.4
3.1
3.7
7.8
4.9
7.8
1.2
6.3
3.0
4.1
8.6
5.0
8.1
1.3
6.4
7.0
13.5
13.1
7.1
6.9
7.4
5.1
7.6
5.5
3.6
12.5
6.2
10.0
11.6
6.0
5.8
6.3
4.5
6.9
4.9
3.5
10.5
6.1
7.9
10.8
6.0
6.0
5.9
4.4
6.8
5.1
3.4
10.9
6.0
8.6
11.3
5.6
5.5
5.8
4.4
7.0
4.7
3.7
10.6
5.9
7.4
11.9
5.6
5.4
5.9
4.1
6.4
4.8
3.4
8.6
5.9
8.3
11.2
5.7
5.2
6.5
4.4
6.5
4.7
3.3
10.6
5.8
7.0
10.6
5.3
4.8
5.9
4.5
6.8
4.8
3.4
11.1
5.7
8.0
10.6
5.1
4.8
5.6
4.6
6.2
4.8
3.2
10.9
5.8
7.7
12.2
5.6
5.5
5.8
3.6
6.1
4.9
3.0
11.5
5.7
7.8
11.0
5.6
5.9
5.3
3.6
6.4
4.5
2.8
10.2
5.6
7.9
10.7
5.2
5.2
5.3
4.2
6.8
4.2
2.8
11.0
5.3
8.4
10.6
5.3
4.8
6.0
3.8
5.9
4.1
3.0
10.6
5.7
10.4
10.5
5.4
4.9
6.0
4.4
6.3
4.6
2.9
13.9
5.4
6.7
10.2
4.8
4.4
5.4
4.1
5.9
4.6
2.8
9.7
5.4
5.3
10.2
5.2
5.0
5.6
3.5
6.2
4.5
3.1
10.8
CHARACTERISTIC
INDUSTRY
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers ....
Mining.................................................................
Construction .......................................................
Manufacturing ....................................................
Durable goods.................................................
Nondurable g oods...........................................
Transportation and public utilities .....................
Wholesale and retail tra d e .................................
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.
Digitized for 70
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
«
8.
Unemployment rates by sex and age, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Civilian workers)
Annual
average
Sex and age
1987
1986
1988
1987
Sept.
Aug.
July
Nov.
Oct.
Jan.
Dec.
Mar.
Feb.
Apr.
June
May
July
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 o ver..................
25 to 54 years ..................
55 years and o v e r............
7.0
13.3
18.3
20.2
17.0
10.7
5.4
5.7
3.9
6.2
12.2
16.9
19.1
15.2
9.7
4.8
5.0
3.3
6.0
11.8
15.8
17.5
13.9
9.7
4.7
5.0
3.1
6.0
11.8
16.2
18.3
14.7
9.4
4.7
4.9
3.2
5.9
11.8
16.4
18.3
15.2
9.4
4.6
4.8
3.3
6.0
11.8
17.2
20.4
14.7
8.8
4.6
4.8
3.1
5.9
11.6
16.6
19.2
14.8
8.9
4.5
4.7
3.4
5.8
11.2
16.1
17.8
14.7
8.5
4.5
4.8
3.2
5.8
11.6
16.0
18.7
14.5
9.1
4.5
4.7
3.5
5.7
11.1
15.4
17.4
13.9
8.7
4.5
4.7
3.3
5.6
11.7
16.5
17.6
15.8
9.1
4.2
4.5
2.9
5.4
11.2
15.9
17.8
14.2
8.7
4.1
4.3
2.9
5.6
11.3
15.6
16.1
15.3
8.9
4.3
4.5
3.5
5.3
10.3
13.6
15.4
12.9
8.4
4.1
4.4
2.9
5.4
10.9
15.2
17.5
13.0
8.5
4.2
4.4
3.1
Men, 16 years and o ve r......
16 to 24 years ..................
16 to 19 years................
16 to 17 years.............
18 to 19 years.............
20 to 24 years................
25 years and o v e r............
25 to 54 years.............
55 years and over.......
6.9
13.7
19.0
20.8
17.7
11.0
5.4
5.6
4.1
6.2
12.6
17.8
20.2
16.0
9.9
4.8
5.0
3.5
6.0
11.9
15.9
17.1
13.7
9.9
4.7
4.9
3.4
6.1
12.5
17.8
20.5
15.9
9.6
4.7
4.9
3.4
5.8
12.1
17.3
19.7
15.9
9.3
4.5
4.7
3.2
5.9
12.1
17.4
20.9
14.8
9.2
4.5
4.8
3.1
5.8
12.0
17.2
20.4
14.8
9.2
4.4
4.6
3.5
5.7
11.7
17.2
19.3
15.3
8.7
4.4
4.6
3.2
5.8
12.2
16.4
19.4
14.9
9.9
4.4
4.5
4.0
5.6
11.3
15.6
16.9
14.7
9.0
4.3
4.5
3.4
5.7
12.1
17.8
18.5
17.3
9.1
4.3
4.5
3.4
5.3
11.2
15.8
17.2
14.7
8.8
4.1
4.2
3.1
5.6
11.6
16.2
16.7
15.8
9.1
4.3
4.4
3.7
5.2
10.5
14.7
17.0
14.2
8.2
4.1
4.2
3.2
5.3
11.3
16.6
17.9
14.7
8.4
3.9
4.1
3.1
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 o v e r.....
7.1
12.8
17.6
19.6
16.3
10.3
5.5
5.9
3.6
6.2
11.7
15.9
18.0
14.3
9.4
4.8
5.1
3.0
6.1
11.7
15.7
18.0
14.1
9.5
4.7
5.0
2.6
6.0
11.0
14.4
16.0
13.4
9.0
4.7
5.0
2.9
6.1
11.5
15.4
16.9
14.4
9.4
4.7
4.9
3.5
6.1
11.5
16.9
19.9
14.6
8.5
4.7
4.9
3.1
6.0
11.2
16.0
17.9
14.7
8.6
4.7
4.9
3.2
5.9
10.7
14.8
16.2
14.1
8.4
4.7
4.9
3.3
5.9
10.9
15.6
17.9
14.1
8.2
4.6
4.9
2.8
5.9
10.8
15.1
18.0
13.1
8.4
4.7
4.9
3.1
5.5
11.3
15.2
16.6
14.2
9.1
4.1
4.4
2.3
5.6
11.3
16.0
18.4
13.7
8.7
4.2
4.5
2.7
5.6
11.0
15.0
15.5
14.7
8.8
4.3
4.5
3.2
5.4
10.0
12.4
13.7
11.6
8.7
4.2
4.6
2.6
5.7
10.5
13.6
17.0
11.2
8.7
4.5
4.7
3.0
9.
Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1987
1986
Job lose rs...........
On layoff...........
Other job losers .
Job leavers .........
Reentrants ..........
New entrants ......
1988
1987
Annual average
Reason for unemployment
Oct.
Sept.
Aug.
July
Nov.
Mar.
Feb.
Jan.
Dec.
Apr.
May
June
4,033
1,090
2,943
1,015
2,160
1,029
3,566
943
2,623
965
1,974
920
3,529
916
2,613
989
1,930
844
3,389
874
2,515
992
1,969
855
3,313
820
2,493
981
1,908
882
3,388
944
2,444
960
1,845
914
3,307
878
2,429
926
1,974
855
3,200
856
2,344
946
1,945
909
3,209
888
2,320
1,082
1,917
885
3,207
884
2,323
961
1,951
864
3,139
899
2,240
1,075
1,756
887
2,916
821
2,095
993
1,784
915
3,236
793
2,443
926
1,789
807
3,059
863
2,196
944
1,723
777
3,087
852
2,235
904
1,901
776
48.9
13.2
35.7
12.3
26.2
12.5
48.0
12.7
35.3
13.0
26.6
12.4
48.4
12.6
35.8
13.6
26.5
11.6
47.0
12.1
34.9
13.8
27.3
11.9
46.8
11.6
35.2
13.8
26.9
12.5
47.7
13.3
34.4
13.5
26.0
12.9
46.8
12.4
34.4
13.1
28.0
12.1
45.7
12.2
33.5
13.5
27.8
13.0
45.2
12.5
32.7
15.3
27.0
12.5
45.9
12.7
33.3
13.8
27.9
12.4
45.8
13.1
32.7
15.7
25.6
12.9
44.1
12.4
31.7
15.0
27.0
13.8
47.9
11.7
36.2
13.7
26.5
11.9
47.0
13.3
33.8
14.5
26.5
11.9
46.3
3.4
.9
1.8
.9
3.0
.8
1.6
.8
2.9
.8
1.6
.7
2.8
.8
1.6
.7
2.8
.8
1.6
.7
2.8
.8
1.5
.8
2.7
.8
1.6
.7
2.7
.8
1.6
.8
2.6
.9
1.6
.7
2.6
.8
1.6
.7
2.6
.9
1.5
.7
2.4
.8
1.5
.8
2.7
.8
1.5
.7
2.5
.8
1.4
.6
2.5
.7
PERCENT OF UNEMPLOYED
Job losers...........................................
On layo ff..........................................
Other job losers...............................
Job leavers.........................................
Reentrants..........................................
New entrants .....................................
12.8
33.5
13.6
28.5
11.6
PERCENT OF
CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
Job losers ............................................
Job leavers ..........................................
Reentrants ...........................................
New entrants .......................................
10.
1.6
.6
Duration of unemployment, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
1988
1987
Annual average
Weeks of unemployment
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Less than 5 weeks ...........................................
5 to 14 weeks ...................................................
15 weeks and o v e r...........................................
15 to 26 weeks ..............................................
27 weeks and o v e r........................................
3,448
2,557
2,232
1,045
1,187
3,246
2,196
1,983
943
1,040
3,186
2,144
1,920
945
975
3,203
2,142
1,896
834
1,062
3,220
1,949
1,904
917
987
3,223
2,093
1,801
844
957
3,218
2,029
1,834
899
935
3,229
1,968
1,791
892
899
3,089
2,263
1,733
839
894
3,084
2,145
1,740
841
899
3,009
2,101
1,722
887
835
3,125
1,956
1,540
725
816
3,075
2,110
1,609
784
825
3,066
1,890
1,512
727
785
2,965
2,078
1,629
838
791
Mean duration in w eeks....................................
Median duration in weeks.................................
15.0
6.9
14.5
6.5
14.2
6.6
14.3
6.4
14.2
5.8
14.1
6.2
14.0
6.1
14.2
6.0
14.4
6.4
14.4
6.4
13.7
6.6
13.4
5.6
13.8
5.9
12.9
6.0
13.6
6.3
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
71
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
11.
September 1988
Current Labor Statistics:
Employment Data
Unemployment rates of civilian workers by State, data not seasonally adjusted
State
June
1987
June
1988
Alabama.......................................................
Alaska ..........................................................
Arizona.........................................................
Arkansas ......................................................
California......................................................
7.5
11.0
6.6
8.0
5.4
6.8
8.7
6.1
7.8
5.4
State
June
1987
June
1988
49
6?
2.6
2.0
4.1
3.6
4.7
3.9
7.3
6.1
New Jersey ................................................
Colorado ......................................................
Connecticut ..................................................
Delaware......................................................
District of Columbia.....................................
Florida ..........................................................
7.6
3.3
3.0
6.3
5.3
6.2
3.0
3.0
5.2
4.8
Georgia ........................................................
Hawaii...........................................................
Idaho ............................................................
Illinois ...........................................................
Indiana .........................................................
5.7
4.3
7.2
7.8
6.2
6.3
3.1
5.6
6.9
4.6
Ohio ............................................................
Iow a..............................................................
Kansas .........................................................
Kentucky......................................................
Louisiana......................................................
Maine............................................................
5.3
4.8
8.7
12.6
4.1
4.0
4.3
7.8
10.5
3.7
Maryland ......................................................
Massachusetts.............................................
Michigan.......................................................
Minnesota.....................................................
Mississippi....................................................
4.2
3.1
8.9
5.2
10.6
6.1
4.4
3.4
7.1
3.4
7.8
5.1
NOTE: Some data in this table may differ from data
published elsewhere because of the continual updating of the
12.
3.9
3.1
South Carolina............................................
South Dakota..............................
Tennessee .................................................
Texas ..........................................
Utah ............................................................
5.7
3.9
6.5
9.6
6.5
4.7
3.5
5.4
8.0
4.7
Vermont......................................................
3.3
43
7.2
10 3
5.8
2.5
5.9
7.7
4.8
Washington ................................................
Wisconsin...................................................
4.0
database,
Employment of workers on nonagricultural payrolls by State, data not seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
State
June 1987
May 1988
Alabama.......................................................
Alaska ..........................................................
Arizona .........................................................
Arkansas ......................................................
California......................................................
1,506.6
219.1
1,370.3
837.7
11,687.3
1,527.2
209.6
1,420.2
860.7
12,050.1
Colorado ......................................................
Connecticut .................................................
Delaware......................................................
District of Columbia.....................................
1,405.4
1,663.3
326.0
658.5
4,841.3
1,394.3
1,670.9
332.0
668.2
5,093.8
Georgia ........................................................
Hawaii...........................................................
Idaho ............................................................
Illinois ...........................................................
Indiana .........................................................
2,779.8
459.6
337.3
4,912.3
2,317.4
2,792.8
467.9
343.2
5,006.9
2,402.8
Iow a..............................................................
Kansas .........................................................
Kentucky......................................................
Louisiana......................................................
1,115.4
1,002.9
1,313.7
1,482.5
511.3
1,149.2
1,023.4
1,358.9
1,498.3
520.6
2,050.7
3,091.2
3,732.3
1,982.0
860.5
2,196.9
279.6
2,039.2
3,124.4
3,766.0
2,026.5
888.0
2,229.9
275.5
Michigan.......................................................
Minnesota....................................................
Mississippi....................................................
Missouri........................................................
June 1988p
p = preliminary
NOTE: Some data in this table may differ from data published elsewhere
72
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
State
1,542.2
216.4 Nevada .......................................................
1,394.5 New Hampshire..........................................
861.9
12,121.0
New Mexico ................................................
1,399.2
1,686.9 North Carolina ............................................
338.3 North Dakota ..............................................
673.4
5,082.3
Oklahoma...................................................
2,800.9 Oregon........................................................
469.0 Pennsylvania...............................................
346.6 Rhode Island...............................................
5,036.0
2,404.3
South Dakota..............................................
1,148.0
1,025.1
1,362.1
1,501.9
534.7
Virginia........................................................
2,043.8
3,154.4
3,778.7 Wisconsin...................................................
2,043.0
884.3 Wyoming.....................................................
2,232.6 Puerto Rico .................................................
278.4,
June 1987
May 1988
June 1988'
661 7
504.5
519.1
676 7
527.7
530.3
530.8
8 124 9
2,872.4
255.4
540.0
542.5
2,941.5
257.4
2,962.1
258.5
1,114.3
1,109.2
4,944.9
455.7
1,103.3
1,134.3
5,038.1
459.6
1,108.2
1,148.3
5,068.6
460.3
532.1
538.6
261.3
262.6
266.0
6 489 8
642.2
649.8
653.2
2,711.8
2,787.5
2,817.1
2,105.5
2,145.2
2,181.1
186.2
788.1
38.7
178.2
788.4
40.3
183.7
821.3
40.1
because of the continual updating of the database.
13.
Employment of workers on nonagricultural payrolls by industry, monthly data seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
1988
1987
Annual average
Industry
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Junep
Julyp
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
TOTAL ......................................
PRIVATE SECTOR .....................
99,525
82,832
102,310
85,295
102,430
85,421
102,672
85,656
102,906
85,851
103,371
86,241
103,678
86,520
104,001
86,794
104,262
87,044
104,729
87,475
105,020
87,700
105,281
87,973
105,489
88,139
106,021
88,661
106,304
88,929
GOODS-PRODUCING ...................
Mining ...........................................
Oil and gas extraction ................
24,558
777
451
24,784
721
405
24,788
722
408
24,851
728
412
24,902
734
417
25,025
740
421
25,123
736
418
25,201
735
417
25,180
728
414
25,271
731
415
25,330
733
419
25,435
737
421
25,466
739
425
25,590
740
425
25,672
740
423
Construction ................................
General building contractors......
4,816
1,291
4,998
1,326
4,997
1,320
5,012
1,326
5,012
1,328
5,060
1,340
5,090
1,348
5,118
1,352
5,083
1,365
5,150
1,377
5,192
1,383
5,238
1,400
5,237
1,394
5,305
1,411
5,319
1,389
Manufacturing..............................
Production workers .....................
18,965
12,877
19,065
12,995
19,069
13,006
19,111
13,038
19,156
13,075
19,225
13,118
19,297
13,175
19,348
13,215
19,369
13,225
19,390
13,249
19,405
13,251
19,460
13,280
19,490
13,302
19,545
13,341
19,613
13,406
Durable goods............................
Production workers .....................
11,230
7,426
11,218
7,453
11,190
7,432
11,246
7,483
11,269
7,499
11,315
7,532
11,355
7,564
11,390
7,590
11,393
7,582
11,404
7,599
11,411
7,598
11,459
7,632
11,477
7,649
11,514
7,677
11,573
7,740
Lumber and wood products ........
Furniture and fixtures...................
Stone, clay, and glass products ...
Primary metal industries ..............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products......................................
Fabricated metal products...........
710
498
585
752
740
518
582
749
740
524
579
751
739
524
580
755
744
526
580
761
744
529
583
766
750
531
585
768
754
533
588
769
754
536
583
768
756
535
584
770
755
534
585
772
758
535
587
773
757
537
585
776
758
537
587
781
755
543
588
790
274
1,423
269
1,407
272
1,404
274
1,405
276
1,412
278
1,421
279
1,429
279
1,433
279
1,435
280
1,438
281
1,439
281
1,444
281
1,448
282
1,456
283
1,463
2,053
2,023
2,020
2,031
2,039
2,049
2,062
2,074
2,085
2,091
2,099
2,111
2,121
2,135
2,159
2,085
2,052
860
696
2,094
2,052
859
700
2,100
2,047
854
704
2,110
2,046
851
704
2,112
2,036
839
704
2,112
2,031
837
705
2,115
2,025
835
705
2,117
2,045
848
706
2,115
2,048
851
709
2,120
2,046
849
712
2,126
2,050
856
713
Machinery, except electrical........
Electrical and electronic
equipment....................................
Transportation equipment............
Motor vehicles and equipment ....
Instruments and related products
Miscellaneous manufacturing
industries....................................
2,116
2,025
872
706
2,084
2,048
865
696
2,075
2,032
842
695
2,081
2,063
874
696
361
370
370
372
374
377
379
379
380
382
382
383
381
382
386
Nondurable goods......................
Production workers.......................
7,734
5,450
7,847
5,543
7,879
5,574
7,865
5,555
7,887
5,576
7,910
5,586
7,942
5,611
7,958
5,625
7,976
5,643
7,986
5,650
7,994
5,653
8,001
5,648
8,013
5,653
8,031
5,664
8,040
5,666
Food and kindred products.........
Tobacco manufactures................
Textile mill products .....................
Apparel and other textile
products......................................
Paper and allied products ...........
1,609
59
703
1,624
54
725
1,629
55
730
1,625
54
728
1,627
53
730
1,630
52
731
1,636
54
733
1,638
54
733
1,647
55
732
1,649
54
732
1,647
54
729
1,648
54
727
1,643
52
728
1,648
53
727
1,645
53
728
1,101
674
1,100
679
1,116
678
1,098
680
1,104
682
1,106
682
1,110
683
1,106
684
1,105
685
1,104
686
1,106
687
1,100
687
1,100
689
1,096
691
1,089
691
Printing and publishing.................
Chemicals and allied products.....
Petroleum and coal products.......
Rubber and misc. plastics
products......................................
Leather and leather products ......
1,459
1,022
169
1,507
1,026
165
1,510
1,025
165
1,514
1,029
165
1,518
1,032
166
1,522
1,036
167
1,528
1,041
167
1,532
1,047
167
1,538
1,047
166
1,544
1,049
165
1,548
1,052
164
1,554
1,056
165
1,559
1,060
166
1,564
1,066
166
1,568
1,071
167
790
149
823
144
824
147
827
145
830
145
839
145
845
145
851
146
854
147
856
147
860
147
864
146
870
146
874
146
884
144
SERVICE-PRODUCING .................
Transportation and public
utilities.........................................
Transportation..............................
Communication and public
utilities.........................................
74,967
77,525
77,642
77,821
78,004
78,346
78,555
78,800
79,082
79,458
79,690
79,846
80,023
80,431
80,632
5,255
3,058
5,385
3,166
5,373
3,151
5,394
3,171
5,427
3,201
5,448
3,214
5,466
3,231
5,481
3,244
5,499
3,261
5,513
3,272
5,530
3,285
5,543
3,298
5,556
3,308
5,578
3,328
5,593
3,342
2,197
2,218
2,222
2,223
2,226
2,234
2,235
2,237
2,238
2,241
2,245
2,245
2,248
2,250
2,251
6,169
3,682
2,487
Wholesale trade ..........................
Durable goods..............................
Nondurable g oods.......................
5,753
3,383
2,370
5,872
3,449
2,423
5,874
3,450
2,424
5,892
3,463
2,429
5,914
3,478
2,436
5,935
3,498
2,437
5,958
3,514
2,444
5,984
3,536
2,448
6,010
3,555
2,455
6,035
3,573
2,462
6,061
3,591
2,470
6,089
3,610
2,479
6,115
3,635
2,480
6,145
3,658
2,487
Retail trad e...................................
General merchandise stores.......
Food stores..................................
Automotive dealers and service
stations.......................................
Eating and drinking places..........
17,930
2,366
2,899
18,509
2,432
2,957
18,543
2,437
2,962
18,569
2,449
2,961
18,605
2,457 .
2,958
18,705
2,489
2,971
18,761
2,495
2,979
18,784
2,494
2,988
18,927
2,526
3,014
19,045
2,561
3,029
19,050
2,543
3,044
19,093
2,546
3,049
19,130
2,541
3,053
19,213
2,546
3,080
19,295
2,549
3,100
1,944
5,916
2,004
6,127
2,007
6,128
2,010
6,143
2,015
6,152
2,026
6,191
2,026
6,216
2,033
6,232
2,038
6,260
2,047
6,291
2,055
6,319
2,064
6,326
2,070
6,336
2,076
6,357
2,092
6,378
Finance, insurance, and real
estate ...........................................
Finance ........................................
Insurance.....................................
Real e state...................................
6,283
3,149
1,939
1,195
6,549
3,275
2,022
1,252
6,570
3,288
2,024
1,258
6,581
3,289
2,029
1,263
6,588
3,292
2,032
1,264
6,604
3,295
2,043
1,266
6,608
3,299
2,042
1,267
6,619
3,301
2,049
1,269
6,633
3,308
2,052
1,273
6,636
3,305
2,053
1,278
6,651
3,306
2,060
1,285
6,650
3,302
2,065
1,283
6,656
3,299
2,067
1,290
6,676
3,305
2,072
1,299
6,678
3,302
2,071
1,305
Services........................................
Business services........................
Health services ............................
23,053
4,799
6,536
24,196
5,172
6,828
24,273
5,179
6,836
24,369
5,212
6,875
24,415
5,233
6,894
24,524
5,282
6,928
24,604
5,287
6,962
24,725
5,306
6,995
24,795
5,321
7,019
24,975
5,385
7,056
25,078
5,405
7,088
25,163
5,420
7,126
25,216
5,443
7,153
25,459
5,477
7,206
25,522
5,492
7,252
Local.............................................
16,693
2,899
3,893
9,901
17,015
2,943
3,963
10,109
17,009
2,941
3,965
10,103
17,016
2,943
3,971
10,102
17,055
2,962
3,973
10,120
17,130
2,966
3,985
10,179
17,158
2,974
3,988
10,196
17,207
2,980
4,001
10,226
17,218
2,973
4,006
10,239
17,254
2,972
4,014
10,268
17,320
2,970
4,031
10,319
17,308
2,963
4,041
10,304
17,350
2,957
4,050
10,343
17,360
2,951
4,030
10,379
17,375
2,947
4,049
10,379
0 = 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
73
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
14. Average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry,
monthly data seasonally adjusted
Annual
average
1987
1988
Industry
1996
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Junep July0
PRIVATE SECTOR ..........................................
34.8
34.8
34.8
34.8
34.6
34.9
34.8
34.6
34.7
34.8
34.6
34.9
34.7
34.7
34.9
MANUFACTURING................................................
Overtime hours...............................................
40.7
3.4
41.0
3.7
41.0
3.8
41.0
3.8
40.6
3.7
41.2
3.9
41.2
3.9
41.0
3.8
41.1
3.9
41.0
3.7
40.9
3.7
41.2
3.9
41.0
3.9
41.1
3.9
41.1
3.9
Durable goods....................................................
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 ..................................
41.3
3.5
40.3
39.8
42.2
41.9
41.7
41.3
41.5
3.8
40.6
40.0
42.3
43.1
43.4
41.5
41.6
3.8
40.6
40.0
42.3
43.2
43.7
41.5
41.5
3.9
40.5
40.0
42.2
43.3
43.7
41.5
41.0
3.7
39.6
39.5
42.0
43.2
44.6
40.9
41.8
4.0
40.4
40.1
42.5
43.6
43.9
41.9
41.8
4.0
40.7
40.2
42.4
43.5
43.8
42.1
41.5
3.9
40.4
39.8
42.5
43.4
44.0
41.7
41.6
4.0
40.2
39.6
42.0
43.4
44.0
41.8
41.5
3.8
40.3
39.5
42.3
43.1
43.8
41.6
41.5
3.8
40.1
39.3
42.3
43.3
43.7
41.6
42.0
4.2
40.6
39.5
42.5
43.5
43.8
42.0
41.8
4.2
40.1
39.5
42.3
43.6
43.9
41.9
41.8
4.1
40.2
39.3
42.4
43.6
44.3
42.0
41.7
4.0
40.4
39.4
42.2
43.4
43.7
41.6
Machinery except electrical ................................
Electrical and electronic equipment....................
Transportation equipment....................................
Motor vehicles and equipment.........................
Instruments and related products ......................
Miscellaneous manufacturing..............................
41.6
41.0
42.3
42.6
41.0
39.6
42.2
40.9
42.0
42.2
41.4
39.4
42.5
40.9
41.8
41.8
41.5
39.5
42.3
40.9
41.8
41.9
41.6
39.7
41.7
40.4
41.4
41.5
41.0
38.9
42.6
41.0
42.4
42.8
41.9
39.5
42.7
41.0
42.3
42.9
41.4
39.2
42.6
40.9
41.5
41.4
41.2
39.2
42.7
41.1
42.0
42.1
41.8
39.1
42.6
40.9
42.0
42.3
41.3
39.3
42.5
40.9
42.1
42.3
41.4
39.2
42.8
41.2
43.0
44.1
41.8
39.4
42.6
41.0
43.0
44.0
41.4
39.2
42.4
41.1
43.0
44.3
41.4
39.4
42.9
40.8
42.7
43.0
41.6
39.5
Nondurable goods
Overtime hours..............................................
Food and kindred products.................................
Textile mill products............................................
Apparel and other textile products......................
Paper and allied products ...................................
39.9
3.3
40.0
41.1
36.7
43.2
40.2
3.6
40.2
41.8
37.0
43.4
40.3
3.7
40.1
42.3
37.2
43.5
40.3
3.7
40.2
42.0
37.2
43.4
40.1
3.6
40.2
41.4
36.4
43.7
40.4
3.8
40.4
41.8
37.3
43.6
40.3
3.7
40.4
41.6
37.1
43.5
40.3
3.7
40.5
41.5
37.1
43.3
40.3
3.8
40.6
41.5
36.8
43.4
40.2
3.6
40.3
41.6
37.0
43.3
40.1
3.6
40.1
41.2
37.0
43.2
40.3
3.6
40.1
41.6
37.4
43.3
40.0
3.6
40.1
40.8
36.8
43.3
40.1
3.6
40.4
40.6
37.0
43.1
40.3
3.8
40.6
41.1
37.2
43.3
Printing and publishing........................................
Chemicals and allied products............................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products.....
Leather and leather products .............................
38.0
41.9
41.3
36.9
38.0
42.3
41.6
38.2
38.1
42.2
41.6
38.4
38.1
42.4
41.6
38.9
38.1
42.5
41.3
37.8
38.1
42.5
41.8
38.8
38.0
42.5
41.8
38.3
38.0
42.5
41.6
38.0
38.1
42.5
41.7
38.0
38.1
42.4
41.6
37.8
38.1
42.5
41.7
37.9
38.2
42.1
42.0
37.3
37.7
42.0
41.7
37.3
38.0
42.4
41.6
36.9
38.0
42.3
41.9
37.4
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES....
39.2
39.2
39.3
39.3
39.1
39.3
39.2
39.1
39.5
39.1
38.8
39.5
39.4
39.3
39.4
WHOLESALE TRADE...........................................
37.7
37.5
38.1
38.2
38.0
38.2
38.2
38.0
38.1
38.2
38.1
38.3
38.0
38.0
38.2
RETAIL TRADE ....................................................
29.2
29.2
29.3
29.4
29.5
29.2
29.2
28.8
29.0
29.1
29.0
29.2
29.0
29.1
29.3
SERVICES ............................................................
32.5
32.5
32.5
32.5
32.5
32.6
32.6
32.5
32.6
32.7
32.4
32.7
32.5
32.5
32.7
p = preliminary
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent
74
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
benchmark adjustment.
15. Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by
industry
Annual
average
1988
1987
Industry
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
PRIVATE SECTOR................................................ $8.76
Seasonally adjusted .........................................
-
$8.98
-
$8.90
8.96
$8.94
9.01
$9.05
9.02
$9.08
9.07
$9.13
9.10
$9.13
9.11
$9.18
9.14
$9.17
9.13
$9.18
9.16
$9.23
9.23
$9.26
9.27
$9.23
9.28
$9.25
9.32
12.46
12.52
12.41
12.40
12.50
12.42
12.54
12.60
12.77
12.71
12.59
12.60
12.54
12.55
12.61
12.88
12.87
12.87
12.94
MINING..................................................................
Juneo Julyp
12.81
12.99
12.82
12.87
10.01
10.07
10.07
10.05
10.07
10.12
10.14
10.16
10.18
10.60
8.43
7.78
10.29
12.11
13.93
10.19
10.60
8.51
7.80
10.35
12.06
13.82
10.12
10.58
8.53
7.74
10.33
12.03
13.89
10.13
10.59
8.45
7.76
10.36
12.07
13.89
10.14
10.65
8.50
7.81
10.41
12.11
13.94
10.22
10.67
8.54
7.87
10.45
12.13
13.96
10.23
10.70
8.59
7.89
10.47
12.16
13.97
10.27
10.70
8.64
7.94
10.55
12.19
14.00
10.19
CONSTRUCTION..................................................
12.48
12.69
12.60
12.68
12.79
12.82
12.83
MANUFACTURING................................................
9.73
9.91
9.87
9.86
9.99
9.95
10.29
8.34
7.46
10.04
11.86
13.73
9.88
10.43
8.40
7.67
10.25
11.94
13.78
10.00
10.38
8.45
7.66
10.30
11.93
13.63
9.93
10.39
8.48
7.74
10.28
11.93
13.74
9.94
10.49
8.46
7.74
10.37
12.19
14.12
10.00
10.48
8.42
7.71
10.27
12.00
13.88
10.06
10.54
8.47
7.71
10.30
12.04
13.89
10.10
Machinery, except electrical ............................... 10.57
Electrical and electronic equipment.................... 9.65
Transportation equipment.................................... 12.81
Motor vehicles and equipment......................... 13.45
Instruments and related products ....................... 9.47
7.55
Miscellaneous manufacturing..............................
10.70
9.88
12.95
13.55
9.71
7.75
10.67
9.86
12.82
13.35
9.71
7.72
10.70
9.88
12.88
13.40
9.74
7.72
10.74
9.94
13.04
13.64
9.76
7.78
10.79
9.92
13.07
13.69
9.78
7.79
10.83
9.98
13.18
13.79
9.83
7.80
10.89
10.03
13.25
13.87
9.84
7,91
10.85
10.02
13.22
13.94
9.93
7.97
10.82
10.02
13.17
13.85
9.92
7.90
10.84
10.04
13.20
13.93
9.88
7.91
10.88
10.09
13.28
14.09
9.89
7.92
10.90
10.12
13.31
14.10
9.87
' 7.94
10.93
10.15
13.38
14.17
9.90
7.93
10.94
10.20
13.30
13.94
10.04
8.00
Nondurable goods ............................................... 8.95
Food and kindred products................................. 8.75
Tobacco manufactures....................................... 12.88
6.93
Textile mill products............................................
5.84
Apparel and other textile products.....................
Paper and allied products................................... 11.18
9.18
8.94
14.03
7.17
5.93
11.43
9.18
8.88
15.17
7.13
5.87
11.49
9.14
8.82
14.55
7.16
5.88
11.41
9.30
8.95
13.34
7.23
5.99
11.66
9.20
8.88
13.18
7.24
5.97
11.46
9.26
8.98
13.75
7.29
5.98
11.49
9.32
9.07
13.69
7.31
6.00
11.53
9.32
9.06
13.79
7.34
6.02
11.54
9.31
9.06
14.01
7 30
6.02
11.50
9.33
9.07
14.42
7.31
6.03
11.52
9.37
9.14
14.98
7.35
6.04
11.60
9.38
9.15
15.24
7.31
6.05
11.64
9.39
9.12
15.78
7.33
6.08
11.63
9.46
9.14
16.14
7.30
6.02
11.74
9.99
Printing and publishing........................................
Chemicals and allied products............................ 11.98
Petroleum and coal products.............................. 14.19
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products..... 8.73
Leather and leather products ............................. 5.92
10.28
12.37
14.59
8.91
6.08
10.24
12.37
14.51
8.96
5.99
10.32
12.33
14.54
8.93
6.04
10.48
12.56
14.74
9.01
6.13
10.41
12.50
14.66
8.93
6.12
10.39
12.55
14.77
8.98
6.15
10.43
12.61
14.73
9.04
6.16
10.38
12.55
14.89
9.00
6.16
10.40
12.55
14.96
9.00
6.19
10.45
12.53
14.98
9.00
6.23
10.40
12.57
15.00
9.04
6.29
10.43
12.59
14.93
9.04
6.27
10.44
12.60
15.04
9.06
6.27
10.47
12.71
15.24
9.10
6.26
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.... 11.70
12.03
12.00
12.06
12.11
12.12
12.21
12.24
12.16
12.23
12.19
12.27
12.28
12.29
12.31
WHOLESALE TRADE...........................................
9.35
9.59
9.56
9.60
9.64
9.65
9.72
9.73
9.78
9.78
9.78
9.88
9.87
9.85
9.94
RETAIL TRADE ....................................................
6.03
6.11
6.07
6.07
6.20
6.16
6.18
6.19
6.24
6.23
6.24
6.26
6.28
6.26
6.28
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE .....
8.36
8.73
8.63
8.74
8.73
8.76
8.89
8.81
8.96
9.02
8.97
9.03
9.09
8.96
9.00
SERVICES .............................................................
8.18
8.48
8.34
8.40
8.54
8.61
8.71
8.73
8.81
8.81
8.80
8.82
8.84
8.78
8.80
Durable goods
Lumber and wood products................................
Furniture and fixtures..........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products.........................
Primary metal industries .....................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel products.........
Fabricated metal products ..................................
- Data not available.
p = preliminary
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
NOTE: See "Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent
benchmark revision.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
16. Average weekly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by industry
Annual average
1987
Industry
1986
PRIVATE SECTOR
Current dollars................................
Seasonally adjusted..................................
Constant (1977) dollars ............................
1987
July
Aug.
Sept.
1988
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Junep
July0
$304.85 $312.50 $311.50 $314.69 $314.04 $316.89 $317.72 $317.72 $315.79 $316.37 $315.79 $320.28 $320.40 $323.05
$324.68
311.81 313.55 312.09 316.54 316.68 315.21 317.16 317.72 316.94 322.13 321.67 322.02 325 27
171.07 169.28 168.47 169.28 168.12 169.19 169.45 169.54 167.97 168.01 167.08 168.57 167.92 168.61
MINING.............................
525.81
530.85
521.22
529.48
528.75
532.82
534.20
543.06
537.62
531.28
527.52
539.28
529.19
534.63
532.14
CONSTRUCTION..............................
466.75
479.68
486.36
489.45
466.84
497.42
475.99
481.66
466.34
462.80
481.34
488.15
491.63
498.07
498.19
MANUFACTURING
Current dollars...........................................
Constant (1977) dollars...............................
396.01
222.23
406.31
220.10
400.72
216.72
403.27
216.93
407.59
218.20
410.94
219.40
414.41
221.02
420.93
224.62
412.87
219.61
409.04
217.23
411.86
217.92
414.92
218.38
414.73
217.36
418 59
218.47
414 33
Durable goods ..............................
Lumber and wood products................................
Furniture and fixtures..........................................
Stone, clay, and glass products.........................
Primary metal industries .....................................
Blast furnaces and basic steel products.........
Fabricated metal products ..................................
424.98
336.10
296.91
423.69
496.93
572.54
408.04
432.85
341.04
306.80
433.58
514.61
598.05
415.00
425.58
341.38
301.04
438.78
510.60
595.63
405.14
429.11
345.98
311.92
437.93
511.80
594.94
410.52
431.14
337.55
309.60
440.73
526.61
631.16
410.00
438.06
341.85
314.57
441.61
520.80
603.78
422.52
442.68
342.19
313.03
436.72
526.15
608.38
428.24
449.44
341.42
319.76
435.27
534.05
618.49
435.11
440.96
336.15
303.42
423.32
524.61
606.70
423.02
436.95
339.49
301.09
426.63
519.70
609.77
418.37
440.54
337.16
302.64
435.12
523.84
606.99
421.82
444.11
345.10
305.37
442.43
526.79
613.36
426.17
444.94
345.87
307.72
447.26
527.66
612.84
426.59
448.33
351 33
310.08
448.12
531.39
621 67
432.37
440 84
347 33
307 28
448 38
524 17
611 80
416.77
Machinery, except electrical ...............................
Electrical and electronic equipment....................
Transportation equipment....................................
Motor vehicles and equipment.........................
Instruments and related products ......................
Miscellaneous manufacturing..............................
439.71
395.65
541.86
572.97
388.27
298.98
451.54
404.09
543.90
571.81
401.99
305.35
446.01
397.36
525.62
546.02
396.17
299.54
448.33
402.12
528.08
545.38
402.26
304.94
447.86
401.58
535.94
560.60
400.16
304.20
458.58
406.72
551.55
583.19
407.83
311.60
465.69
413.17
560.15
591.59
410.89
309.66
475.89
421.26
565.78
593.64
415.25
316.40
464.38
413.83
560.53
592.45
415.07
310.03
459.85
406.81
553.14
587.24
408.70
307.31
462.87
410.64
561.00
598.99
411.01
310.07
463.49
411.67
569.71
621.37
410.44
309.67
462.16
411.88
572.33
624.63
406.64
309.66
464.53
417 17
575.34
627.73
410.85
312.44
461 67
410 04
Nondurable goods ............................................
Food and kindred products.................................
Tobacco manufactures .......................................
Textile mill products ............................................
Apparel and other textile products.....................
Paper and allied products ..................................
357.11
350.00
481.71
284.82
214.33
482.98
369.04
359.39
547.17
299.71
219.41
496.06
367.20
355.20
565.84
296.61
216.60
496.37
369.26
358.09
549.99
302.15
219.32
492.91
374.79
365.16
534.93
301.49
217.44
514.21
372.60
360.53
545.65
304.08
223.88
500.80
375.96
365.49
562.38
306.18
223.65
503.26
381.19
372.78
554.45
307.75
225.60
509.63
374.66
366.93
540.57
303.14
220.33
501.99
370.54
358.78
540.79
301.49
220.93
494.50
373.20
359.17
566.71
299.71
223.11
494.21
373.86
361.03
576.73
301.35
222.27
498.80
374.26
366.92
601.98
297.52
222.64
501.68
377.48
368.45
628.04
299.80
226.78
500.09
378 40
370.17
629 46
294 92
222.14
504.82
Printing and publishing........................................
Chemicals and allied products............................
Petroleum and coal products..............................
Rubber and miscellaneous
plastics products...............................................
Leather and leather products .............................
379.62
501.96
621.52
390.64
523.25
641.96
388.10
518.30
651.50
394.22
519.09
633.94
403.48
536.31
648.56
397.66
528.75
645.04
397.94
535.89
651.36
403.64
542.23
655.49
392.36
533.38
658.14
393.12
530.87
647.77
399.19
532.53
654.63
395.20
529.20
666.00
391.13
528.78
658.41
392.54
534.24
676 80
395 77
533 82
688 85
360.55
218.45
370.66
232.26
367.36
231.81
369.70
235.56
372.11
231.71
374.17
237.46
377.16
236.16
383.30
237.78
376.20
231.62
372.60
227.79
375.30
233.00
377.87
232.73
376.06
235.75
377.80
237.63
375.83
236.00
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC
UTILITIES................................................
458.64
471.58
475.20
478.78
474.71
477.53
479.85
479.81
474.24
475.75
470.53
480.98
481.38
485.46
488.71
WHOLESALE TRADE.........................................
358.11
365.38
365.19
367.68
366.32
369.60
371.30
371.69
370.66
370.66
370.66
377.42
375.06
376.27
380.70
181.37
176.59
177.56
178.46
180.91
181.49
184.04
188.40
586 87
410 64
310.40
RETAIL TRADE ........................................
176.08
178.41
182.10
183.31
182.90
179.26
179.22
FINANCE, INSURANCE, AND REAL
ESTATE ...................................
304.30
316.90
312.41
318.14
314.28
317.11
322.71
317.16
324.35
328.33
321.13
326.89
325.42
321.66
325.80
SERVICES ................................................
265.85
275.60
273.55
276.36
276.70
279.83
283.08
282.85
285.44
287.21
284.24
287.53
286.42
287.11
290.40
Data not available.
0 = preliminary
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark
revision.
17. The Hourly Earnings Index for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls by
industry
Not seasonally adjusted
Industry
July
1987
May
1988
PRIVATE SECTOR (in current dollars) .........................
172.6
M ining'..........................................................................
Construction.................................................................
Manufacturing ...............................................................
Transportation and public utilities ................................
Wholesale trade' ..........................................................
Retail trade ..................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate ...........................
Services........................................................................
PRIVATE SECTOR |in constant (1977) dollars! ..........
July
1988p
178.6
178.2
178.9
181.8
154.0
174.7
174.9
176.5
160.5
185.5
179.1
184.2
157.5
178.5
180.5
182.2
165.8
195.9
189.5
184.5
157.5
178.7
180.4
181.6
165.6
193.7
188.4
185.5
158.2
179.1
180.6
183.1
166.2
194.5
189.2
93.3
93.6
93.0
-
1 This series is not seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component is small
relative to the trend-cycle, irregular components, or both, and consequently cannot
be separated with sufficient precision.
- Data not available.
76
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Seasonally adjusted
June
1988p
July
1987
Mar.
1988
Apr.
1988
May
1988
173.2
177.0
178.0
178.7
178.6
179.5
154.9
174.5
176.2
157.5
177.3
179.4
159.2
179.0
181.9
161.1
180.9
163.8
_
186.9
164.8
165.7
166.8
188.3
157.5
178.4
181.6
_
165.4
_
189.9
158.0
178.8
181.3
-
_
157.8
177.9
180.6
189.3
191.1
93.7
93.5
93.6
93.6
93.2
-
_
_
June
1988p
July
1988p
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most recent benchmark
revision. Publication of the Hourly Earnings Index series will be discontinued with the
initial publication of December 1988 data.
18.
Indexes of diffusion: industries in which employment increased, data seasonally adjusted
(In percent)
Jan.
Time span and year
Feb.
Apr.
Mar.
June
May
Sept.
Aug.
July
Nov.
Oct.
Dec.
Over 1-month span:
1986 .....................................................................
1987 .......................................................................
1988
......................................................
57.0
50.8
61.6
47.3
59.2
61.6
49.5
61.1
62.2
50.8
62.4
63.8
51.9
62.4
58.1
46.8
61.6
69.7
51.9
70.8
63.8
54.1
62.2
51.4
68.1
58.9
68.4
_
53.0
67.3
_
58.9
67.8
_
-
-
Over 3-month span:
1986 .......................................................................
1987 .......................................................................
1988 .......................................................................
50.0
57.6
71.6
47.6
57.0
66.8
45.7
65.1
67.0
46.2
69.2
66.8
46.2
68.1
71.6
46.2
71.9
70.8
48.1
73.8
51.9
76.8
50.5
74.1
55.9
76.5
59.7
78.1
59.2
73.0
-
-
-
-
-
-
Over 6-month span:
1986
...................................................................
1987 .....................................................................
1988 .......................................................................
48.1
64.6
73.5
47.3
64.3
70.3
43.8
63.0
70.5
42.7
70.3
73.8
43.2
72.4
47.0
77.3
46.5
78.4
50.0
79.7
55.9
82.7
53.2
77.8
55.9
77.0
58.4
76.5
_
_
-
-
-
-
-
-
Over 12-month span:
1986
...........................................................
1987
.............................................................
1988
..............................................................
42.2
63.8
78.6
41.6
67.3
43.8
69.5
44.9
73.5
45.7
76.8
48.6
76.8
46.8
78.9
48.6
78.9
51.6
79.7
53.8
78.4
56.5
77.8
57.8
81.9
_
_
_
_
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Data not available.
NOTE: Figures are the percent of industries with employment rising. (Half of
the unchanged components are counted as rising.) Data are centered within the
19.
.
spans. 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.
Annual data: Employment status of the noninstitutional population
(Numbers in thousands)
Employment status
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
Noninstitutional population....................................
166,460
169,349
171,775
173,939
175,891
178,080
179,912
182,293
184,490
Labor force:
Total (number)...................................................
Percent of population.......................................
106,559
64.0
108,544
64.1
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
Employed:
Total (number)........................ i ...................
Percent of population ..................................
Resident Armed Forces............................
Civilian
100,421
60.3
1,597
100,907
59.6
1,604
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
9 8 ,8 2 4
9 9 ,3 0 3
1 0 0 ,3 9 7
9 9 ,5 2 6
1 0 0 ,8 3 4
1 0 5 ,0 0 5
1 0 7 ,1 5 0
1 0 9 ,5 9 7
1 1 2 ,4 4 0
Nonagricultural industries....................
3,347
95,477
3,364
95,938
3,368
97,030
3,401
96,125
3,383
97,450
3,321
101,685
3,179
103,971
3,163
106,434
3,208
109,232
Unemployed:
Total (number)............................................
Percent of labor fo rce ................................
6,137
5.8
7,637
7.0
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
Not in labor force (number) ................................
59,900
60,806
61,460
62,067
62,665
62,839
62,744
62,752
62,888
20.
Annual data: Employment levels by industry
(Numbers in thousands)
*
Industry
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
Total employment....................................................................
Private sector.........................................................................
Goods-producing .................................................................
Mining .............................................................................
Construction ..................................................................
Manufacturing.................................................................
89,823
73,876
26,461
958
4,463
21,040
90,406
74,166
25,658
1,027
4,346
20,285
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
102,310
85,295
24,784
721
4,998
19,065
Service-producing.............................................................. „ 63,363
5,136
Transportation and public utilities...................................
5,204
Wholesale trade ..............................................................
Retail trade ..................................................................... 14,989
4,975
Finance, insurance, and real estate ...............................
Services........................................................................... 17,112
64,748
5,146
5,275
15,035
5,160
17,890
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
77,525
5,385
5,872
18,509
6,549
24,196
15,947
2,773
3,541
9,633
16,241
2,866
3,610
9,765
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
17,015
2,943
3,963
10,109
Government...................................................................
Federal......................................................................
State ..........................................................................
Local .........................................................................
NOTE:
See “ Notes on the data” for a description of the most
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
\
recent benchmark revision.
77
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Employment Data
21. Annual data: Average hours and earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on nonagricultural
payrolls, by industry
Industry
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
Private sector
Average weekly hours...........................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars).....................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars) ....................................
35.7
6.16
219.91
35.3
6.66
235.10
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
Mining
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars)................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
43.0
8.49
365.07
43.3
9.17
397.06
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
12.52
530.85
Construction
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
37.0
9.27
342.99
37.0
9.94
367.78
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
12.69
479.68
Manufacturing
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
40.2
6.70
269.34
39.7
7.27
288.62
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
Transportation and public utilities
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
39.9
8.16
325.58
39.6
8.87
351.25
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
38.4
78
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wholesale trade
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
38.8
38.5
38.5
38.3
38.5
38.5
6 .3 9
6 .9 6
7 .5 6
8 .0 9
8 .5 5
8 .8 9
9 .1 6
9 .3 5
9 .5 9
247.93
267.96
291.06
309.85
329.18
342.27
351.74
358.11
365.38
Retail trade
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars)................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
30.6
4.53
138.62
30.2
4.88
147.38
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
6.11
178.41
Finance, insurance, and real estate
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
36.2
5.27
190.77
36.2
5.79
209.60
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
Services
Average weekly hours .....................................................
Average hourly earnings (in dollars) ................................
Average weekly earnings (in dollars)...............................
32.7
5.36
175.27
32.6
5.85
190.71
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
8.48
275.60
38.3
38.1
22. Employment Cost Index, compensation,1 by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
Series
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Percent change
1988
1987
1986
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
June 1988
133.0
133.8
135.0
135.9
137.5
138.6
140.6
142.1
1.1
4.6
134.2
126.8
133.7
136.0
127.8
135.4
136.9
128.4
136.6
138.5
129.1
138.0
139.3
130.1
138.5
141.2
131.3
139.9
142.2
132.5
140.8
144.2
134.7
142.9
145.7
136.2
144.3
1.0
1.1
1.0
4.6
4.7
4.2
128.1
128.7
133.7
139.4
138.0
132.8
128.8
129.3
135.6
142.4
140.6
134.6
129.5
130.1
136.5
143.6
141.6
135.4
130.2
130.7
138.1
145.2
144.1
136.9
131.1
131.5
138.9
145.8
144.7
137.8
132.2
132.7
140.8
149.2
146.4
139.6
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
1.1
1.0
1.0
.7
1.4
1.4
.6
1.1
4.7
5.0
4.5
5.5
5.1
5.7
4.5
4.4
Private industry workers....................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers.........................................................
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 occupation........
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors...........
Transportation and material moving occupations..........
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers ....
Service occupations.........................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing................................................................
Construction .....................................................................
Manufacturing...................................................................
Durables ..........................................................................
Nondurables....................................................................
Service-producing ..............................................................
Transportation and public utilities....................................
Transportation.................................................................
Public utilities..................................................................
Wholesale and retail tra d e ...............................................
Wholesale trade ..............................................................
Retail trade .....................................................................
Finance, insurance, and real estate.................................
Service ..............................................................................
Health services..............................................................
Hospitals ........................................................................
129.9
130.8
131.6
132.9
133.8
135.1
136.0
138.1
139.8
1.2
4.5
139.3
~
”
141.2
-
143.0
“
1.3
1.2
1.1
2.3
4.4
5.0
3.9
3.4
“
134.1
“
~
"
138.6
“
135.6
”
1.0
1.1
1.0
1.2
1.7
.7
1.1
133.2
"
134.1
”
138.4
“
”
“
"
"
“
-
135.6
“
136.8
137.1
“
138.1
.1.1
4.8
1.0
5.0
~
142.1
”
.9
1.4
1.0
4.3
“
“
-
“
“
“
Civilian workers ' ...................................................................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers ...........................................................
Blue-collar workers..............................................................
Service occupations............................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Goods-producing..................................................................
Manufacturing .................................................................■■■■■
Service-producing .................................................................
Services..............................................................................
Health services................................................................
Hospitals..........................................................................
Public administration 3 .......................................................
Nonmanufacturing.................................................................
131.5
132.5
-
133.5
-
134.3
-
136.1
"
-
137.0
“
-
138.5
“
“
126.3
131.1
127.2
132.3
127.8
-,
*
133.5
128.4
“
134.7
129.5
“
135.2
130.6
' “
127.8
128.7
131.6
"
128.6
129.3
132.7
-
129.2
130.1
133.5
“
129.9
“
130.7
“
135.3
-
130.8
“
131.5
“
136.3
“
“
131.9
“
~
-
Nonmanufacturing ............................................................
130.6
131.7
132.4
134.1
135.1
136.4
137.1
138.9
State and local government workers ...............................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers.........................................................
Blue-collar workers...........................................................
Workers, by industry division:
Services ............................................................................
Hospitals and other services4 .......................................
Health services............................................................
139.7
143.6
144.7
145.9
146.3
149.7
151.1
140.5
136.3
145.0
138.5
146.0
139.5
147.2
140.8
147.5.
141.3
151.2
143.3
140.8
137.9
141.7
143.2
138.0
145.5
139.4
147.6
149.4
140.6
146.6
141.1
148.4
150.3
141.6
147.3
142.5
148.9
150.5
144.1
147.6
143.3
149.1
150.7
144.7
151.8
145.1
154.1
156.5
146.4
Elementary and secondary........................................
Public administration3 ......................................................
-
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.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
135.9
132.7
“
137.7
”
131.8
"
“
“
136.7
140.2
“
“
“
“
~
~
-
140.1
4.7
4.3
5.2
4.7
3.6
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.5
.9
1.7
1.5
4.0
4.0
140.8
1.4
4.2
153.1
153.6
.3
5.0
152.7
144.3
154.8
145.9
155.2
145.9
.3
.0
5.2
3.3
153.1
146.3
155.2
150.3
“
156.8
158.9
150.3
155.6
150.4
“
157.3
159.4
151.2
.3
.1
5.4
5.0
.3
.3
.6
5.5
5.8
4.5
"
155.5
157.8
148.1
3.1
5.5
5.3
5.9
3 Consist of legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities.
4 Includes, for example, library, social, and health services.
- Data not available.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Compensation & Industrial Relations
23. Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, by occupation and industry group
(June 1981 = 100)
1986
1987
1988
Percent change
Series
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
3
months
ended
12
months
ended
June 1988
Civilian workers ' ............................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers .........................
Blue-collar workers...........................
Service occupations..............................
Workers, by industry division
Goods-producing..................................................................
Manufacturing .....................................................................
Service-producing .................................................................
Services ................................
Health services.........................
Hospitals.......................................
Public administration 3 .....................
Nonmanufacturing ...................................
Private industry workers..........................
Workers, by occupational group:
White-collar workers................................
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..............................
Construction ..............................
Manufacturing................................................................
Durables......................................................................
Nondurables................................................................
Service-producing............................................................
Transportation and public utilities...............................
Transportation....................................
Public utilities.......................................
Wholesale and retail trade...................
Wholesale trade ..................................
Retail trade...............................
Finance, insurance, and real estate...........................
Services.......................
Health services ..........................................................
Hospitals............................................
Nonmanufacturing.............................
State and local government workers...........
Workers, by occupational group
White-collar workers...........................................
Blue-collar workers................................................
Workers, by industry division
Services .....................................................
Hospitals and other services 3 ....................................
Health services .................................................
Schools..................................................
. Elementary and secondary ......................................
Public administration 2 ...................................................
129.3
130.7
131.5
132.8
133.5
135.2
136.1
137.4
138.7
09
3Q
132.4
124.1
130.0
134.1
125.0
131.7
135.0
125.6
132.8
136.6
126.2
,134.2
137.3
127.1
134.7
139.4
128.3
136.0
140.2
129.4
136.6
141.5
130.4
138.0
143 0
131.6
139.3
9
.9
3.4
125.6
126.5
131.5
137.0
126.3
127.2
133.4
139.9
127.0
127.9
134.2
141.1
127.8
128.7
135.8
142.7
128.5
129.5
136.5
143.4
129.8
130.8
138.5
146.8
131.0
132.2
139.2
148.2
132.2
133.3
140.5
149.5
133.4
134 4
141.9
150.4
_
134.6
130.4
_
137.5
132.2
9
8
1.0
.6
1.6
40
49
4.9
138.1
133.0
140.5
134.5
141.0
135.2
142.6
137.1
143.8
137.8
145.5
139.0
146 4
140.5
6
1.1
3.9
127.9
128.8
129.5
130.8
131.7
133.0
133.8
135.1
136 6
131.1
134.0
132.0
135.4
132.7
136.4
134.6
138.4
135.4
139.1
137.0
141.2
137.6
142.6
139.0
144.0
140.8
145 8
13
132.1
124.3
132.4
125.2
133.5
124.9
135.6
126.7
136.4
'27.1
138.6
127.0
139.2
126.1
139.9
127.5
141.3
130.8
1.0
26
36
130.8
131.7
132.7
134.3
135.5
137.1
138.1
140.2
141.2
.7
4.2
123.7
124.5
125.1
125.6
126.6
127.7
128.9
129.9
131.1
9
125.7
123.6
118.9
126.7
124.1
119.8
127.4
124.9
120.1
127.9
125.5
120.5
128.8
126.7
121.5
130.2
127.5
122.3
131.1
129.2
122.9
132.1
129.9
123.7
133.4
131.2
125.4
1.0
10
14
36
36
3?
120.3
128.0
120.9
128.9
121.4
130.1
121.9
131.4
122.6
131.9
123.7
132.6
125.0
133.2
126.7
134.5
127.5
135.8
.6
1.0
40
3.0
125.4
119.8
126.5
125.8
127.9
129.9
126.6
126.1
120.5
127.2
126.4
128.5
130.9
127.3
_
_
126.5
131.8
124.4
129.0
138.2
126.8
120.8
127.9
127.2
129.3
131.6
127.5
_
_
127.5
121.7
128.7
127.7
130.5
133.4
128.1
_
128.3
122.7
129.5
128.7
131.0
134.3
129.3
129.6
123.8
130.8
129.7
132.8
135.7
130.0
130.8
124.7
132.2
131.1
134.1
136.2
130.2
132.0
125.9
133.3
132.1
135.6
137.5
131.3
133.2
127.6
134.4
133.1
136.7
139.3
132.5
.9
1.4
.8
.8
.8
1.3
9
38
40
3.8
34
44
37
?5
126.9
133.1
124.5
130.0
139.5
127.9
134.8
125.2
133.5
141.8
-
129.9
137.2
127.1
131.5
142.8
_
130.6
137.8
127.8
131.8
145.9
_
130.7
138.5
127.7
131.6
147.1
_
131.9
139.0
129.2
132.9
148.6
134.6
141.7
131.7
134.9
149.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.5
.8
1.9
1.6
36
3.3
3.6
2.6
49
52
5.8
3.8
-
_
125.8
131.2
123.7
128.0
136.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
128.7
129.7
130.4
131.9
132.8
134.2
134.8
136.0
137.8
1.3
136.0
140.4
141.4
142.5
142.8
146.1
147.4
148.7
149.1
3
44
137.0
131.9
141.8
134.5
142.8
135.1
143.9
136.3
144.1
136.9
147.7
139.0
149.3
139.6
150.5
141.1
150.8
141.1
.2
.0
46
31
137.1
133.3
142.1
135.8
143.3
137.3
143.9
138.6
144.2
139.4
148.2
141.2
149.5
142.2
150.7
144.5
151.1
144.7
.3
.1
4.8
38
150.3
152.0
142.6
151.8
153.4
143.8
152.6
154.0
145.5
153.0
154.3
146.4
.3
.2
.6
51
53
3.8
-
138.2
139.4
134.6
-
144.1
145.7
137.5
' 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.
80
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-
3 ft
_
145.1
146.4
138.1
_
145.5
146.5
140.5
_
145.6
146.6
141.0
_
3 Includes, for example, library, social and health services,
- Data not available.
24. Employment Cost Index, private nonfarm workers, by bargaining status, region, and area size
(June 1981=100)
Percent change
Series
June
Sept.
3
months
ended
Mar.
Sept.
12
months
ended
June 1988
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 ta tu s 1
Union ....................................................
Goods-producing...............................
Service-producing..............................
Manufacturing ....................................
Nonmanufacturing.............................
128.7
126.7
131.9
126.9
130.4
129.4
127.3
132.8
127.5
131.2
129.8
127.5
133.4
127.9
131.5
130.5
128.0
134.4
128.0
132.6
131.2
128.7
135.2
128.7
133.5
132.0
129.5
135.9
129.5
134.3
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
4.3
5.1
3.1
5.8
3.0
Nonunion................
Goods-producing ..
Service-producing .
Manufacturing ......
Nonmanufacturing
130.2
128.2
131.4
129.7
130.4
131.2
129.1
132.5
130.4
131.6
132.1
130.0
133.4
131.4
132.5
133.6
130.8
135.3
132.2
134.3
134.6
131.8
136.4
133.2
135.3
136.1
133.1
137.9
134.6
136.8
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
4.5
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.6
133.3
129.6
126.2
131.6
134.2
130.7
127.3
132.1
135.2
131.4
128.1
132.8
137.4
132.1
129.1
134.1
138.6
133.2
130.2
134.2
140.3
134.2
131.2
135.8
141.9
135.4
131.7
136.3
143.7
137.1
134.4
138.3
145.9
139.3
135.5
139.5
5.3
4.6
4.1
3.9
130.5
126.4
131.4
127.2
132.2
127.9
133.5
129.0
134.4
130.2
135.8
131.3
136.7
132.0
138.9
133.6
140.5
135.5
4.5
4.1
Union ..........................................
Goods-producing .....................
Service-producing....................
Manufacturing ..........................
Nonmanufacturing....................
126.1
124.1
129.3
124.6
127.4
126.9
124.5
130.5
125.0
128.5
127.2
124.8
130.9
125.5
128.7
127.7
125.0
131.7
125.6
129.5
128.3
125.8
132.2
126.2
130.1
129.1
126.5
132.9
127.0
130.8
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
2.9
3.1
2.4
3.3
2.5
Nonunion................
Goods-producing ..
Service-producing .
Manufacturing ......
Nonmanufacturing
128.5
126.1
129.9
127.7
128.9
129.4
127.0
130.8
128.5
129.8
130.3
127.8
131.7
129.5
130.6
131.8
128.8
133.6
130.6
132.4
132.8
129.6
134.6
131.5
133.4
134.3
131.1
136.2
133.0
134.9
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
4.0
4.2
4.0
4.0
4.0
131.3
127.8
124.4
128.9
132.3
128.8
125.3
129.3
133.1
129.4
126.2
130.1
135.4
130.1
127.4
131.2
136.6
131.1
128.5
131.1
138.3
132.1
129.6
133.1
139.7
133.0
129.9
133.5
140.9
134.0
131.3
134.9
142.9
136.1
132.1
136.0
4.6
3.8
128.5
124.5
129.4
125.0
130.2
125.6
131.6
126.6
132.4
127.8
133.7
129
134.6
129.8
135.8
130.9
137.3
133.0
3.7
4.1
W o r k e r s , b y re g io n
'
Northeast.....................................
South ...........................................
Midwest (formerly North Central)
W est............................................
W o r k e r s , b y a re a s ize
Metropolitan areas....
Other areas................
W A G ES
A N D
S A LA R IE S
W o r k e r s , b y b a rg a in in g s ta tu s ’
W o r k e r s , b y re g io n
Northeast.....................................
South ...........................................
Midwest (formerly North Central)
W est............................................
W o rk e rs , b y a re a s iz e 1
Metropolitan areas.....
Other areas................
' The Indexes are calculated differently from those for the occupation and
industry groups. For a detailed description of the index calculation, see the
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Review Technical
Employment Cost Index,” May 1982.
Monthly
Note,
“ Estimation
2.8
3.7
procedures for the
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
Current Labor Statistics: Compensation & Industrial Relations
25. Specified compensation and wage adjustments from contract settlements, and effective wage adjustments, private
industry collective bargaining situations covering 1,000 workers or more (in percent)
Annual average
Quarterly average
Measure
1986
1986
1987
1988
1987
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
P
IP
S p e c ifie d a d ju s tm e n ts :
Total compensation 1 adjustments,2 settlements
covering 5,000 workers or more:
First year of contract...........................................
Annual rate over life of contract.........................
1.1
1.6
3.0
2.6
0.7
1.2
2.7
2.4
1.1
2.1
4.1
3.9
2.5
2.1
3.4
2.4
1.8
1.8
3.4
2.4
Wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000
workers or more:
First year of contract ...........................................
Annual rate over life of contract.........................
1.2
1.8
2.2
2.1
.8
1.5
2.0
2.1
.8
1.6
2.6
2.9
2.1
2.0
2.4
1.8
2.2
2.3
2.7
2.2
2.3
.5
3.1
.7
.5
.1
.5
.2
.4
(4)
1.0
.2
.9
.2
.8
.3
.4
.1
.8
.3
1.7
.2
1.8
.5
.5
(4)
.2
.1
.3
.1
.7
.2
.6
.1
.3
.2
.3
.1
.5
.1
E ffe c tiv e
a d ju s tm e n ts :
Total effective wage adjustment3 .......................
From settlements reached in period ...................
Deferred from settlements reached in earlier
periods.................................................................
From cost-of-living-adjustments clauses.............
' 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
compensation or wages.
3 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
4 Between -0.05 and 0.05 percent.
p = preliminary.
26. 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 endingMeasure
1E86
III
1987
IV
I
II
1988
in
IV
P
IP
Specified total compensation adjustments, settlements covering 5,000
workers or more, all industries:
First year of contract....................................................................
Annual rate over life of contract......................................................
0.9
1.4
1.1
1.6
1.2
1.7
1.8
2.1
2.7
2.6
3.0
2.6
3.1
2.5
3.1
2.3
1.2
2.2
.8
1.7
2.0
1.6
1.2
1.9
.9
1.8
1.7
1.8
1.2
2.0
.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.5
1.8
1.3
2.0
1.7
2.1
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.2
1.7
2.5
2.2
2.3
2.1
2.1
1.5
2.5
2.4
2.2
2.5
2.2
1.4
2.7
2.4
2.4
2.5
2.0
1.5
2.6
-1.0
1.1
-2.0
.3
1.1
-.1
-1.2
1.3
-2.8
.2
.9
-.2
-1.5
1.3
-3.5
(2)
.8
-.6
-.8
1.3
-2.7
.3
.8
-.2
1.1
2.1
-.1
1.0
1.0
1.2
2.1
2.4
1.3
1.3
1.0
2.1
2.4
2.4
2.4
1.5
1.0
2.7
2.5
2.5
2.6
1.6
1.3
2.6
2.1
2.7
1.9
2.3
2.5
2.2
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.3
2.1
2.4
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.4
2.2
2.5
2.3
2.1
2.3
2.6
2.2
2.7
2.4
2.1
2.6
2.8
2.4
2.9
2.3
1.9
2.4
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.3
1.6
2.5
2.7
2.4
2.7
2.3
2.2
2.4
2.3
1.8
2.6
2.3
1.4
2.4
2.6
1.6
2.6
2.2
1.4
2.3
2.5
1.6
2.5
2.4
1.6
2.4
2.5
1.4
2.6
2.7
3.7
2.7
2.9
3.8
2.9
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 ....................... ....................... .
1 Data do not meet publication standards.
2 Between -0.05 and 0.05 percent.
82
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
p
= preliminary.
3.0
2.9
0
(1)
(1)
(’ )
3.2
(’)
0
2.9
(')
O
3.1
(1)
(1)
2.5
O
(1)
3.1
(’)
(1)
2.7
(')
0
27. 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 ending-
F o r a ll w o r k e r s :1
1988
1987
1986
Effective wage adjustment
IV
P
IP
IV
I
II
III
2.3
.5
1.7
.2
2.0
.3
1.5
.1
2.2
.3
1.6
.3
2.6
.4
1.7
.4
3.1
.7
1.8
.5
3.2
.8
1.8
.5
3.0
2.8
1.6
3.9
1.0
2.4
1.1
3.7
.6
2.8
.9
3.5
1.8
3.2
1.8
3.3
2.3
3.6
2.9
3.3
2.6
3.8
2.9
3.3
2.7
3.7
F o r w o r k e r s r e c e iv in g c h a n g e s :
■ j • norinri
1.6
.5
3.2
2.3
—
1 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts.
p - preliminary.
28. 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)________________________
First 6 months
Annual average
Measure
1986
1987
1988
6.2
6.0
4.9
4.8
6.3
5.5
5.7
5.7
4.9
5.1
5.4
5.1
5.5
2.4
3.0
(4)
4.9
2.7
2.2
(4)
.9
.4
.5
Specified adjustments:
Total compensation 1 adjustments,2 settlements covering 5,000 workers or more:
Wage adjustments, settlements covering 1,000 workers or more:
Effective adjustments:
(4)
—
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
compensation or wages.
3 Because of rounding, total may not equal sum of parts,
4 Less than 0,05 Percent-
29. Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more
1986
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
time2 ......................................
1988p
1987
Annual totals
Measure
1987
3
10
4
12
10.3
7.8
24.6
20.0
36.4
69
72
46
51
6
14
3
11
7
15
1
12
6
11
0
5
3
6
5
8
1
6
0
6
3
8
533.0
174.4
14.1
18.4
45.9
1.3
11.8
.0
7.2
17.5
6.7
.0
899.5
377.7
31.1
36.0
71.9
53.7
22.2
8.9
10.8
21.1
24.2
14.9
18.2
11,861.0
4,455.6
457.8
361.4
1,143.1
353.3
222.9
159.4
36.6
337.0
203.6
207.9
271.4
264.5
605.0
.05
.02
.02
.02
.05
.02
.01
.01
.01
.01
.01
.01
.01
.01
.02
1 Agricultural and government employees are included in the total employed and total
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
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
JulyP
June
May
Apr.
Mar.
Feb.
Jan.
Dec.
Nov.
Oct.
Sept.
Aug.
July
in “ ‘Total economy’ measure of strike idleness,” Monthly Labor Review, October 1968,
pp. 54-56.
p = preliminary
83
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Price Data
30. 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)
1988
1987
Annual
Series
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
115.0
344.4
115.3
345.3
115.4
345.8
115.4
345.7
115.7
346.7
116.0
347.4
116.5
349.0
117.1
350.8
117.5
352.0
118.0
353.5
118.5
354.9
113.8
113.8
112.1
115.3
111.9
105.7
117.4
110.4
111.3
108.3
105.9
114.8
117.5
114.7
114.2
114.1
112.4
115.4
112.7
106.4
117.4
110.3
111.6
107.8
105.8
114.6
118.0
114.9
114.3
114.3
112.4
115.6
112.0
106.9
117.8
110.6
111.6
107.4
106.7
114.7
118.3
115.2
114.3
114.2
112.1
116.2
111.2
106.9
117.4
110.2
111.4
108.0
105.0
115.1
118.6
115.4
114.8
114.7
112.8
116.8
110.3
106.7
123.4
110.0
111.0
107.7
104.8
115.0
118.9
115.4
115.7
115.7
114.1
118.1
111.0
107.4
126.4
111.3
112.2
108.5
106.9
115.9
119.3
115.8
115.8
115.7
113.9
118.7
110.6
107.3
124.7
111.8
112.2
109.5
107.7
116.1
119.7
116.8
116.0
115.9
113.9
118.9
111.2
107.2
123.0
112.0
112.6
110.3
107.7
116.3
120.2
117.4
116.7
116.6
114.6
119.8
111.5
107.1
126.0
112.1
112.3
110.3
107.8
116.6
120.7
118.0
117.1
117.0
115.1
120.3
112.1
107.4
127.1
112.3
112.5
111.2
107.5
117.0
121.0
118.2
117.6
117.6
115.8
120.8
114.6
107.2
126.1
112.4
113.3
111.5
107.1
117.1
121.5
118.7
118.8
118.8
117.3
122.1
116.5
107.6
129.0
113.1
114.0
112.6
107.2
118.3
122.1
119.2
114.7
121.3
129.3
123.0
132.8
124.4
124.4
124.5
113.2
116.8
108.4
105.0
100.4
77.1
107.6
120.5
107.2
103.6
111.7
110.8
115.4
122.2
130.1
123.8
133.3
125.4
125.4
125.1
112.9
116.5
108.2
105.9
101.4
77.8
108.7
121.1
107.3
103.8
111.5
110.9
115.6
122.5
129.8
124.4
130.5
126.0
126.0
125.5
112.7
116.3
107.8
105.5
101.0
77.6
108.2
120.8
107.5
103.9
111.8
111.0
115.5
123.2
129.4
124.8
127.7
127.1
127.2
125.8
112.8
116.4
108.1
103.2
96.9
78.5
103.3
121.2
107.4
103.6
112.3
111.2
115.5
123.4
129.2
124.8
126.7
127.4
127.5
125.9
113.5
116.9
108.9
102.4
95.5
80.3
101.4
121.3
107.4
103.6
112.4
111.2
115.6
123.7
129.1
125.6
124.1
128.0
128.0
126.2
113.3
116.6
109.1
102.0
95.1
80.5
100.9
120.9
107.3
103.3
112.5
111.4
116.2
124.6
130.8
126.0
129.4
128.5
128.6
126.9
113.7
117.4
108.7
102.4
95.6
80.8
101.5
121.3
107.5
103.5
113.1
111.5
116.6
125.0
131.3
126.3
130.4
129.0
129.0
127.1
114.3
117.9
109.5
102.8
96.0
80.9
101.9
121.8
107.7
103.7
113.2
111.6
117.0
125.6
132.9
126.4
136.6
129.2
129.2
127.8
113.3
116.4
109.2
102.7
95.8
80.5
101.7
121.7
108.3
104.7
112.9
111.7
117.3
125.8
132.9
126.6
136.0
129.4
129.5
128.2
115.3
119.4
109.7
102.8
95.7
80.2
101.6
122.3
109.1
104.9
113.8
114.7
117.7
126.2
133.1
126.9
135.7
129.9
130.0
128.2
114.3
117.8
109.8
103.5
96.5
80.0
102.6
122.6
109.3
104.9
114.1
114.8
118.6
126.6
133.7
127.3
137.0
130.4
130.4
128.9
114.7
118.1
110.1
105.9
100.8
79.1
107.8
122.3
109.6
105.3
114.7
114.8
119.1
127.4
134.7
127.8
139.2
131.0
131.1
129.7
114.5
117.9
110.1
106.0
100.8
76.9
108.1
122.4
109.8
105.5
115.2
115.0
110.6
108.9
109.1
110.4
112.1
105.1
108.0
119.6
107.3
105.3
107.8
104.2
107.7
103.4
108.2
120.0
109.4
107.6
108.3
108.4
109.0
104.2
109.3
119.8
113.3
111.8
110.6
115.3
112.1
105.7
110.3
119.9
115.4
114.0
112.0
118.3
116.2
107.3
110.7
120.8
115.4
114.0
112.5
117.7
116.7
108.0
110.7
121.1
112.7
111.0
110.7
112.6
114.5
107.2
111.3
121.4
110.4
108.6
109.0
108.2
113.6
106.1
112.9
121.6
110.2
108.3
109.1
107.8
111.4
105.8
113.1
122.0
114.3
112.7
111.6
115.3
114.0
107.3
113.6
122.2
117.0
115.5
112.9
119.6
117.1
109.4
114.6
122.6
116.3
114.8
113.6
117.3
117.7
109.7
114.9
122.8
114.6
112.9
112.5
114.1
116.5
109.2
114.6
123.1
112.7
110.8
111.9
109.8
116.2
108.2
116.5
123.4
Motor fuel .................................................................................
Gasoline.................................................................................
Maintenance and repair............................................................
Other private transportation.....................................................
Other private transportation commodities.............................
Other private transportation services....................................
Public transportation..................................................................
102.3
101.2
110.6
110.6
108.8
77.1
77.0
110.3
115.1
96.3
118.8
117.0
105.4
104.2
114.4
114.6
113.1
80.2
80.1
114.8
120.8
96.9
125.6
121.1
106.0
104.9
114.4
114.7
115.4
82.2
82.1
114.5
120.8
96.3
125.7
120.2
106.5
105.4
114.0
114.4
115.5
84.3
84.3
115.1
120.7
96.8
125.5
121.5
106.6
105.4
113.8
114.1
116.0
84.0
84.0
115.7
121.1
97.6
125.8
122.1
107.1
106.0
115.0
115.2
116.2
83.2
83.1
116.1
122.8
98.0
127.8
121.2
107.8
106.8
116.3
116.6
116.5
83.2
83.1
116.5
123.8
97.6
129.2
122.0
107.6
106.5
116.4
116.6
116.3
82.0
81.8
116.9
123.8
97.5
129.2
122.1
107.1
106.0
116.1
116.2
116.0
79.7
79.5
117.2
124.7
98.2
130.1
121.8
106.8
105.7
116.0
116.2
116.0
78.3
78.1
117.7
125.0
98.1
130.6
120.8
106.5
105.4
115.7
116.0
116.1
77.5
77.3
118.5
124.9
98.3
130.3
121.4
107.2
106.0
115.6
115.9
116.6
79.4
79.2
118.8
125.0
98.2
130.5
122.4
108.1
107.0
115.9
116.3
117.0
81.4
81.3
119.3
126.3
98.9
132.0
122.4
108.5
107.4
116.1
116.5
117.6
81.4
81.3
119.7
127.2
98.8
133.1
123.2
108.9
107.8
116.1
116.5
117.9
82.3
82.3
120.0
127.5
98.2
133.7
123.7
Hospital and related services.................................................
122.0
122.8
121.9
120.8
123.1
130.1
131.0
130.0
128.8
131.6
130.7
131.6
130.4
129.5
132.0
131.2
132.2
131.0
130.0
133.0
131.7
132.7
131.5
130.7
133.3
132.3
133.5
132.0
131.2
134.2
132.8
134.2
132.5
131.5
135.4
133.1
134.9
132.7
131.8
135.9
134.4
135.4
134.1
133.2
137.6
135.5
136.1
135.3
134.5
139.0
136.3
137.0
136.1
135.4
140.0
136.9
138.1
136.6
136.0
140.7
137.5
139.0
137.2
136.4
141.8
138.2
139.4
137.9
137.5
142.1
139.3
140.5
139.0
138.4
144.3
Entertainment commodities .......................................................
Entertainment services...............................................................
111.6
107.9
116.8
115.3
110.5
122.0
115.4
110.7
122.0
115.6
110.6
122.5
116.1
110.7
123.5
116.9
111.2
124.5
117.3
112.2
124.3
117.4
112.6
124.3
118.1
112.9
125.4
118.3
112.9
125.7
119.0
113.4
126.5
119.6
114.2
127.0
119.7
114.5
126.9
120.1
114.8
127.3
120.5
115.3
127.7
121.4
124.7
111.9
111.3
112.5
128.6
128.1
128.7
128.5
133.6
115.1
113.9
116.2
138.5
138.1
138.7
128.0
135.0
115.3
114.3
116.2
136.9
136.5
137.2
128.5
135.3
115.6
114.3
116.8
137.7
136.7
137.9
131.1
135.9
116.0
114.7
117.2
142.1
141.3
142.3
131.6
136.3
116.2
114.9
117.4
142.8
142.3
143.1
131.8
136.5
116.3
115.0
117.5
143.1
142.3
143.4
132.1
137.0
116.5
115.0
117.9
143.4
1424
143.6
133.4
140.8
117.3
116.1
118.4
143.9
144.6
144.0
134.2
142.2
117.8
116.4
119.1
144.7
146.3
144.8
134.6
142.8
118.1
116.8
119.2
145.0
146.2
145.1
134.8
142.9
118.5
117.4
119.5
145.2
146.3
145.3
135.1
143.2
118.7
117.2
120.1
145.5
146.4
145.6
135.5
143.6
119.0
117.5
120.4
146.0
146.5
146.2
136.5
147.5
119.2
117.8
120.6
146.3
146.5
146.5
July
Aug.
113.6
340.4
113.8
340.8
114.4
342.7
109.1
109.0
107.3
110.9
104.5
103.3
109.4
109.4
109.0
106.5
110.4
109.2
112.5
111.1
113.5
113.5
111.9
114.8
110.5
105.9
119.1
110.5
111.0
108.1
107.5
113.8
117.0
114.1
113.7
113.7
112.1
115.2
111.4
105.3
119.6
110.0
111.1
108.4
105.9
114.1
117.2
114.4
110.9
115.8
121.9
118.3
118.6
119.4
119.4
119.2
107.9
111.2
103.7
104.1
99.2
77.6
105.7
117.9
105.2
102.2
108.2
108.5
114.2
121.3
128.1
123.1
127.4
124.8
124.8
124.0
111.8
114.8
107.8
103.0
97.3
77.9
103.8
120.1
107.1
103.6
111.5
110.6
105.9
104.2
106.2
104.0
111.8
101.9
101.7
115.1
1986
1987
All ite m s............................................................................................
All items (1967-100) ......................................................................
109.6
328.4
Food and beverages .....................................................................
Food.............................................................................................
Food at hom e ...........................................................................
Cereals and bakery products.................................................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs................................................
Dairy products........................................................................
Fruits and vegetables.............................................................
Other foods at hom e..............................................................
Sugar and sweets................................................................
Fats and o ils ........................................................................
Nonalcoholic beverages......................................................
Other prepared foods..........................................................
Food away from home .............................................................
Alcoholic beverages....................................................................
Housing ..........................................................................................
Shelter .........................................................................................
Renters'costs (12/82 = 100)..................................................
C O N S U M ER
P R IC E
IN D E X
F O R
A L L
U R B A N
Fuel oil, coal, and bottled g a s ...............................................
Gas (piped) and electricity ....................................................
Other utilities and public services ............................................
Household furnishings and operations.......................................
Housefurnishings ......................................................................
Housekeeping supplies.............................................................
Housekeeping services.............................................................
Apparel and upkeep ......................................................................
Apparel commodities..................................................................
Men’s and boys’ apparel..........................................................
Women's and girls’ apparel .....................................................
Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel..................................................
Other apparel commodities......................................................
Apparel services..........................................................................
Transportation ...............................................................................
Private transportation..................................................................
New cars................................................................................
Other goods and services ............................................................
Personal and educational services.........................................
84
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
June
July
C O N S U M ER S :
Other renters’ costs ...............................................................
Homeowners’ costs (12/82 = 100)...........................................
Owners’ equivalent rent (12/82 = 100) ..................................
Household insurance (12/82 = 100)......................................
Maintenance and repairs..........................................................
Maintenance and repair services ..........................................
Maintenance and repair commodities....................................
Fuel and other utilities.................................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
Sept.
30. 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)
____________________________
Series
1988
1987
Annual
average
June
July
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
115.0
108.9
114.2
105.5
103.5
111.8
101.6
108.3
115.3
109.3
114.3
106.1
104.2
114.0
101.5
108.8
115.4
109.5
114.3
106.5
104.3
114.0
101.8
109.6
115.4
109.3
114.8
105.7
103.1
111.0
101.5
109.5
115.7
109.2
115.7
105.1
102.1
108.6
101.2
109.4
116.0
109.1
115.8
105.0
101.9
108.3
101.0
109.4
116.5
109.8
116.0
105.9
103.4
112.7
101.0
109.5
117.1
110.7
116.7
106.9
105.0
115.5
102.0
109.7
117.5
111.1
117.1
107.2
105.4
114.8
103.0
109.9
118.0
111.1
117.6
107.1
104.9
112.9
103.2
110.2
118.5
111.5
118.8
107.0
104.7
110.8
104.0
110.3
121.2
126.9
115.8
122.0
131.0
125.6
121.7
127.2
115.5
122.5
131.5
127.9
121.9
128.0
113.5
123.4
132.0
128.7
122.0
128.1
112.6
124.5
132.5
128.8
122.2
128.5
112.3
124.6
132.7
129.0
122.9
129.4
112.7
125.1
134.1
129.6
123.4
129.8
113.1
125.2
135.3
130.2
123.8
130.4
113.0
125.4
136.1
130.7
124.1
130.6
113.7
125.8
136.6
131.0
124.6
131.0
114.3
126.7
137.2
131.1
125.5
131.5
116.6
127.6
137.9
131.6
126.1
132.3
116.9
128.1
139.0
131.9
113.8
111.8
115.3
112.7
104.1
101.3
101.1
107.3
123.7
119.4
91.1
117.1
118.0
111.2
81.8
122.0
114.5
112.3
115.9
113.3
104.9
102.6
102.0
108.1
124.2
120.1
92.7
117.6
118.6
111.8
83.8
122.7
115.1
113.0
116.5
113.9
105.7
104.0
102.2
109.0
124.9
120.6
92.3
118.3
119.4
112.9
83.5
123.2
115.5
113.2
116.6
114.2
106.3
104.6
102.1
109.4
124.6
120.8
89.8
118.9
120.1
113.7
82.9
123.9
115.7
113.3
116.8
114.4
106.7
104.8
102.4
109.5
124.6
120.8
89.0
119.2
120.5
114.1
83.1
124.2
115.5
113.2
116.6
114.3
106.0
103.7
102.1
109.1
124.6
121.0
88.3
119.2
120.4
113.5
82.0
124.4
115.7
113.3
116.9
114.6
105.5
102.8
101.9
109.1
125.3
121.7
87.4
119.7
120.8
113.2
80.0
125.2
116.0
113.5
117.1
114.8
105.4
102.7
101.9
109.0
125.8
122.1
87.0
120.0
121.1
113.3
78.8
125.7
116.6
114.0
117.7
115.3
106.3
104.1
101.9
109.8
126.0
122.4
86.5
120.6
121.9
114.6
78.0
126.1
117.2
114.7
118.4
115.9
107.3
105.6
102.9
111.0
126.5
122.8
87.3
121.2
122.4
115.5
79.7
126.5
117.6
115.2
118.8
116.3
107.6
106.0
103.8
111.4
127.1
123.2
88.7
121.5
122.7
115.5
81.4
126.9
118.1
115.7
119.3
116.8
107.4
105.5
104.0
111.4
128.4
124.1
91.0
121.8
123.0
115.4
81.4
127.4
118.4
116.1
119.8
117.2
107.4
105.4
104.8
111.9
128.9
124.7
91.4
122.3
123.3
115.2
81.9
128.0
88.0
29.4
87.8
29.3
87.3
29.2
86.9
29.0
86.7
29.0
86.5
28.9
86.6
28.9
86.4
28.8
86.2
28.8
85.8
28.7
85.4
28.5
85.1
28.4
84.7
28.3
84.4
28.2
108.6
323.4
112.5
335.0
112.7
335.6
113.3
337.4
113.8
339.1
114.1
340.0
114.3
340.4
114.2
340.2
114.5
341.0
114.7
341.6
115.1
343.0
115.7
344.7
116.2
346.1
116.7
347.6
117.2
349.1
Food and beverages .............................................................
Food....................................................................................
Food at hom e ..................................................................
Cereals and bakery products........................................
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.......................................
Dairy products................................................................
Fruits and vegetables....................................................
Other foods at home.....................................................
Sugar and sweets.......................................................
Fats and o ils ................................................................
Nonalcoholic beverages..............................................
Other prepared foods.................................................
Food away from home ....................................................
Alcoholic beverages............................................................
108.9
108.8
107.1
110.9
104.4
103.2
109.4
109.1
109.0
106.4
110.0
109.0
112.5
111.1
113.3
113.3
111.7
114.8
110.4
105.7
118.8
110.4
110.9
107.9
107.5
113.6
116.9
113.9
113.5
113.5
111.9
115.2
111.3
105.1
119.6
109.9
111.0
108.2
105.9
113.9
117.0
114.2
113.6
113.6
111.9
115.3
111.8
105.5
117.3
110.3
111.3
108.1
106.0
114.6
117.4
114.4
114.0
114.0
112.2
115.4
112.7
106.2
117.1
110.2
111.5
107.6
106.0
114.4
117.9
114.6
114.1
114.1
112.2
115.7
112.0
106.7
117.5
110.5
111.6
107.3
106.9
114.5
118.2
114.9
114.1
114.0
111.9
116.2
111.2
106.7
117.4
110.1
111.2
107.9
105.2
114.9
118.5
115.2
114.5
114.5
112.5
116.9
110.1
106.4
123.0
109.8
110.9
107.6
104.9
114.8
118.8
115.1
115.4
115.4
113.7
118.1
110.8
107.1
125.7
111.3
112.1
108.4
107.2
115.7
119.1
115.6
115.5
115.4
113.5
118.8
110.5
107.0
124.0
111.7
112.1
109.5
107.9
115.8
119.6
116.6
115.7
115.6
113.5
118.9
111.1
106.9
122.2
111.9
112.4
110.3
108.0
116.0
120.0
117.3
116.3
116.2
114.2
119.9
111.4
106.9
125.2
112.0
112.2
110.2
107.9
116.4
120.6
117.9
116.8
116.7
114.7
120.4
112.0
107.2
126.4
112.2
112.4
111.0
107.7
116.8
120.9
118.0
117.4
117.3
115.5
120.8
114.5
107.0
125.5
112.3
113.1
111.4
107.3
116.9
121.4
118.4
118.5
118.5
116.9
122.1
116.3
107.3
128.4
113.0
113.9
112.5
107.4
118.1
122.0
118.9
Housing .................................................................................
Shelter ................................................................................
Renters’ costs (12/84=100)..........................................
Rent, residential............................................................
Other renters’ costs .....................................................
Homeowners’ costs (12/84 = 100)..................................
Owners' equivalerft rent (12/84 = 1 00)........................
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 g a s .....................................
Gas (piped) and electricity...........................................
Other utilities and public services...................................
Household furnishings and operations..............................
Housefurnishings.............................................................
Housekeeping supplies...................................................
Housekeeping services...................................................
109.7
113.5
109.5
118.2
119.1
108.8
108.8
109.4
107.7
110.5
103.1
103.9
99.2
77.8
105.7
117.7
105.C
108.5
109.1
112.8
118.8
114.6
122.9
128.2
113.8
113.7
114.1
111.3
114.7
106.C
102.7
97.1
77.6
103.6
120.1
106.'
103.1
111.6
110.S
113.2
118.8
115.3
122.8
133.8
113)
113.4
114.6
112.6
116.9
106.3
104.7
100.2
76.9
107.4
120.4
106.8
103.1
112.1
111.1
114.0
119.6
116.0
123.6
134.2
114.3
114.3
115.1
112.4
116.6
106.2
105.6
101.3
77.5
108.6
121.0
106.9
103.3
111.9
111.2
114.1
120.0
116.2
124.2
132.2
114.8
114.8
115.5
112.1
116.4
105.8
105.2
100.8
77.3
108.1
120.7
107.1
103.4
112.2
114.0
120.7
116.0
124.5
129.3
115.9
115.9
115.8
112.2
116.0
106.3
102.8
96.5
78.2
103.C
121.1
107.C
103.1
1127
111.4
113.9
120.9
115.9
124.6
128.1
116.2
116.2
115.9
112.7
116.5
106.9
102.0
95.1
80.1
101.1
121.2
107.C
103.1
112.8
111.4
114.1
121.2
115.9
125.3
124.5
116.6
116.6
116.1
112.5
115.9
107.1
101.7
94.8
80.2
100.7
120.9
106.9
102.9
112.9
111 .€
114.6
121.9
116.9
125.7
129.2
117.1
117.1
116.7
113.0
117.1
106.9
102.0
95.2
80.4
101.2
121.2
107.1
103.C
113.8
111.7
115.0
122.4
117.3
126.1
130.0
117.6
117.6
116.7
113.6
117.6
107.5
102.5
95.6
80.6
101.6
121.8
107.2
103.1
113.8
111.8
115.4
122.9
118.4
126.2
136.9
117.8
117.8
117.2
112.8
116.6
107.1
102.3
95.4
80.2
101.4
121.7
107.8
104.1
113./
111.8
115.6
123.0
118.4
126.3
136.1
118.0
118.0
117.3
114.7
119.8
107.5
102.5
95.4
79.9
101.4
122.C
108.7
104.2
114.:
115.6
116.0
123.4
118.6
126.6
136.2
118.4
118.5
117.3
113.7
117.6
107.9
103.0
96.1
79.7
102.2
122.5
108.6
104.2
114.5
115."
116.9
123.9
119.3
126.9
138.8
118.8
118.8
118.0
113.9
117.9
107.9
105.5
100.5
78.9
107.5
122.2
109.1
104.6
115.1
115.7
117.4
124.5
120.0
127.5
140.8
119.4
119.5
118.6
113.8
117.6
108.0
105.6
100.5
76.7
107.8
122.4
109.4
104.9
115.5
115.9
105.6
no.'
109.1
112.6
115.2
115.2
112.(
no.:
110.C
113.8
116.:
115.'
114.1
112.4
July
Aug.
113.6
107.7
113.5
104.0
101.1
108.9
99.5
108.2
113.8
107.6
113.7
103.8
100.6
105.3
100.5
108.4
114.4
108.2
113.8
104.6
102.0
107.6
101.5
108.3
115.4
120.2
112.8
116.3
121.9
119.4
120.2
125.9
113.1
121.9
130.0
125.7
120.5
126.0
115.1
121.7
130.4
125.1
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 fo o d .................................................
Nondurables less food .................................................
Nondurables less food and apparel ............................
Nondurables..................................................................
Services less rent o f shelter (1 2/8 2=1 0 0 )................
Services less medical c a re ..........................................
Energy...........................................................................
All items less energy ...................................................
All items less food and energy ...................................
Commodities less food and energy.............................
Energy commodities ....................................................
Services less energy....................................................
109.8
108.0
111.2
108.8
101.7
98.5
96.9
103.5
118.7
114.6
88.2
112.6
113.5
108.6
77.2
116.5
113.6
111.6
115.1
112.6
104.3
101.8
100.3
107.5
123.1
119.1
88.6
117.2
118.2
111.8
80.2
122.0
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar:
1982-84=$1.00............ ...............................................
1967 = $1.00.................................................................
91.3
30.5
All items ................................................................................
All items (1967=100) ..............................................................
1986
1987
All ite m s..............................................................................
Commodities.....................................................................
Food and beverages .....................................................
Commodities less food and beverages........................
Nondurables less food and beverages ......................
Apparel commodities................................................
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ....
Durables......................................................................
109.6
104.4
109.1
101.4
97.8
104.2
95.9
106.6
Services............................................................................
Rent of shelter (1 2/8 2=1 0 0 ).......................................
Household services less rent o f shelter (12/82 = 100)
Transportation services................................................
Medical care services...................................................
Other services ..............................................................
C O N S U M ER
A N D
P R IC E
IN D E X
F O R
U R B A N
W A G E
Sept.
EA R N E R S
C LE R IC A L W O R K ER S :
Apparel and upkeep .............................................................
101.s
107.1
m.c
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
85
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Price Data
30. 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)
Series
Annual
average
1987
1986
1987
July
Aug.
Apparel commodities..................................................................
Men s and boys' apparel..........................................................
Women’s and girls’ apparel .....................................................
Infants’ and toddlers’ apparel...................................................
Footwear................................................................................
Other apparel commodities......................................................
Apparel services..........................................................................
104.2
105.9
103.8
113.5
102.1
101.6
115.0
108.8
108.5
110.3
114.0
105.5
107.4
119.2
105.3
106.9
104.4
109.7
103.9
107.3
119.5
107.4
107.7
108.2
110.6
104.7
108.2
119.3
Transportation ...............................................................................
Private transportation .................................................................
New vehicles.............................................................................
New cars................................................................................
Used c a rs .................................................................................
Motor fuel .................................................................................
Gasoline.................................................................................
Maintenance and repair............................................................
Other private transportation.....................................................
Other private transportation commodities.............................
Other private transportation services....................................
Public transportation...................................................................
101.7
100.9
110.4
110.4
108.8
77.1
76.9
110.6
113.8
96.3
117.1
116.8
105.1
104.1
114.0
114.3
113.1
80.3
80.2
115.1
119.0
96.7
123.4
120.4
105.8
104.9
113.9
114.4
115.4
82.3
82.2
114.9
118.9
96.3
123.4
119.7
Medical c a re ..................................................................................
Medical care commodities..........................................................
Medical care services.................................................................
Professional services................................................................
Hospital and related services...................................................
122.0
122.2
122.0
120.9
122.6
130.2
130.2
130.3
129.0
131.1
Entertainment................................................................................
Entertainment commodities ........................................................
Entertainment services................................................................
111.0
107.8
116.5
Other goods and services .............................................................
Tobacco products .......................................................................
Personal care..............................................................................
Toilet goods and personal care appliances.............................
Personal care services .............................................................
Personal and educational expenses...........................................
School books and supplies......................................................
Personal and educational services..........................................
Sept.
1988
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
111.5
109.8
115.2
113.9
106.0
109.8
119.4
113.9
111.5
118.2
118.6
107.9
110.4
120.3
113.9
112.0
117.6
118.7
108.6
110.5
120.7
111.1
110.4
112.6
116.4
108.0
110.6
120.9
108.6
108.6
108.2
115.2
106.8
112.2
121.1
108.3
108.7
107.9
113.3
106.4
112.0
121.5
112.4
111.1
114.9
116.0
107.7
112.8
121.6
114.9
112.2
118.8
119.1
109.6
113.9
122.0
114.3
113.0
116.7
119.7
109.9
114.0
122.2
112.6
112.1
113.5
118.8
109.6
113.5
122.4
110.6
111.5
109.5
118.6
108.7
115.2
122.7
106.3
105.5
113.5
114.0
115.5
84.5
84.4
115.4
118.7
96.7
123.1
120.8
106.4
105.5
113.3
113.8
115.9
84.1
84.1
116.0
119.1
97.3
123.4
121.4
106.9
106.1
114.5
114.9
116.1
83.3
83.2
116.3
121.0
97.7
125.8
120.7
107.6
106.7
115.9
116.2
116.4
83.3
83.2
116.7
122.0
97.2
127.1
121.2
107.3
106.4
116.1
116.3
116.2
82.0
81.9
117.0
122.0
97.4
127.1
121.3
106.8
105.9
115.8
115.9
115.9
79.7
79.5
117.4
122.9
98.1
128.0
121.2
106.4
105.6
115.7
116.0
116.0
78.3
78.1
117.8
123.2
98.0
128.5
120.4
106.2
105.3
115.3
115.7
116.1
77.5
77.3
118.6
123.1
98.1
128.2
120.8
106.8
105.9
115.3
115.7
116.6
79.4
79.2
118.9
123.0
97.9
128.3
121.7
107.8
107.0
115.6
116.0
116.9
81.4
81.3
119.4
124.3
98.6
129.7
121.8
108.2
107.3
115.8
116.2
117.5
81.4
81.3
119.8
125.2
98.5
130.8
122.3
108.6
107.7
115.8
116.2
117.8
82.3
82.3
120.1
125.4
97.9
131.3
123.0
130.8
130.9
130.8
129.6
131.4
131.4
131.3
131.4
130.2
132.4
132.0
131.9
132.0
130.9
132.8
132.6
132.6
132.6
131.4
133.7
133.0
133.4
133.0
131.7
134.9
133.4
134.1
133.2
132.0
135.4
134.6
134.7
134.6
133.4
136.9
135.8
135.4
135.8
134.7
138.4
136.5
136.1
136.6
135.5
139.3
137.1
137.2
137.1
136.1
140.1
137.8
138.0
137.7
136.6
141.2
138.5
138.3
138.5
137.7
141.5
139.6
139.4
139.6
138.5
143.8
114.8
110.6
121.8
115.0
110.9
121.8
115.1
110.8
122.2
115.6
110.9
123.2
116.3
111.3
124.3
116.7
112.2
124.1
116.9
112.6
124.0
117.4
112.8
124.9
117.6
112.9
125.2
118.2
113.5
126.0
118.9
114.2
126.5
119.0
114.6
126.3
119.4
114.9
126.8
119.8
115.4
127.2
120.9
124.8
111.9
111.2
112.6
128.5
127.8
128.6
127.8
133.7
115.0
113.9
116.1
138.2
137.9
138.4
127.5
135.1
115.1
114.1
116.2
136.7
136.4
137.0
128.0
135.4
115.4
114.3
116.7
137.4
136.6
137.7
130.3
136.0
115.8
114.6
117.1
141.8
140.7
142.1
130.8
136.5
116.1
115.0
117.3
142.4
141.8
142.7
131.0
136.7
116.2
115.0
117.4
142.8
141.8
143.1
131.3
137.2
116.4
115.1
117.8
143.0
141.9
143.3
132.7
141.0
117.1
116.0
118.3
143.4
143.9
143.6
133.6
142.3
117.5
116.2
118.9
144.3
145.3
144.5
134.0
143.0
117.7
116.5
119.0
144.6
145.2
144.8
134.2
143.1
118.1
117.0
119.3
144.7
145.4
144.9
134.5
143.4
118.5
117.1
119.9
145.2
145.4
145.4
135.0
143.8
118.8
117.4
120.2
145.8
145.6
146.0
136.3
147.9
119.1
117.8
120.4
146.0
145.6
146.3
All ite m s............................................................................................
Commodities...............................................................................
Food and beverages...................................................................
Commodities less food and beverages......................................
Nondurables less food and beverages ....................................
Apparel commodities..............................................................
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ..................
Durables....................................................................................
108.6
103.9
108.9
100.8
97.3
104.2
95.3
104.9
112.5
107.3
113.3
103.6
100.8
108.8
99.2
106.6
112.7
107.3
113.5
103.5
100.4
105.3
100.3
106.9
113.3
107.9
113.6
104.3
101.8
107.4
101.4
106.8
113.8
108.5
114.0
105.1
103.1
111.5
101.5
106.9
114.1
108.9
114.1
105.7
103.8
113.9
101.3
107.4
114.3
109.1
114.1
106.0
104.0
113.9
101.6
108.0
114.2
108.9
114.5
105.4
102.8
111.1
101.2
108.0
114.5
108.8
115.4
104.7
101.7
108.6
100.8
107.9
114.7
108.7
115.5
104.5
101.4
108.3
100.5
107.9
115.1
109.3
115.7
105.3
102.7
112.4
100.4
108.0
115.7
110.1
116.3
106.3
104.3
114.9
101.6
108.1
116.2
110.5
116.8
106.7
104.8
114.3
102.6
108.4
116.7
110.7
117.4
106.5
104.3
112.6
102.8
108.7
117.2
111.1
118.5
106.6
104.3
110.6
103.7
108.8
Services..........................................................................................
Rent of shelter (12/84 —100).....................................................
Household services less rent of shelter (12/84 = 100)..............
Transportation services...............................................................
Medical care services..................................................................
Other services .............................................................................
114.7
109.0
103.9
115.4
122.0
118.7
119.4
114.0
104.0
120.8
130.3
124.7
119.7
114.0
105.9
120.6
130.8
124.1
120.4
114.9
106.6
120.7
131.4
124.6
120.9
115.2
106.3
121.2
132.0
126.9
121.1
115.9
104.2
122.5
132.6
127.7
121.2
116.1
103.4
123.5
133.0
127.8
121.3
116.4
103.1
123.6
133.2
127.9
122.0
117.1
103.5
124.1
134.6
128.5
122.5
117.5
103.9
124.4
135.8
129.0
122.8
118.0
103.8
124.5
136.6
129.5
123.1
118.2
104.4
124.8
137.1
129.8
123.6
118.5
104.9
125.8
137.7
130.0
124.5
119.0
107.2
126.6
138.5
130.5
125.1
119.6
107.4
127.1
139.6
130.8
Special indexes:
All items less food ......................................................................
All items less sh elte r..................................................................
All items less homeowners’ costs (12/84=100).......................
All Items less medical care.........................................................
Commodities less fo o d ................................................................
Nondurables less food ................................................................
Nondurables less food and apparel ...........................................
Nondurables.................................................................................
Services less rent of shelter (12/84 = 1 00)................................
Services less medical c a re .........................................................
Energy..........................................................................................
All Items less energy ..................................................................
All Items less food and energy ...................................................
Commodities less food and energy............................................
Energy commodities ...................................................................
Services less energy...................................................................
108.5
107.4
102.8
107.8
101.2
98.0
96.4
103.3
107.1
113.9
87.4
111.5
112.3
107.6
77.2
115.8
112.2
111.0
106.4
111.5
103.9
101.4
100.0
107.2
110.8
118.2
88.0
116.0
116.8
110.8
80.3
121.2
112.4
111.2
106.6
111.7
103.8
101.1
101.0
107.2
111.5
118.5
90.5
115.9
116.6
110.3
82.0
121.1
113.1
111.8
107.1
112.3
104.6
102.4
101.9
107.9
112.0
119.2
92.2
116.4
117.2
110.8
84.1
121.8
113.7
112.4
107.7
112.9
105.4
103.6
102.0
108.8
112.5
119.7
91.8
117.1
117.9
111.8
83.8
122.4
114.0
112.6
107.8
113.1
105.9
104.2
101.9
109.2
112.2
119.9
89.3
117.7
118.7
112.7
83.0
123.1
114.3
112.7
108.0
113.3
106.3
104.4
102.2
109.2
112.2
119.9
88.6
118.0
119.1
113.1
83.2
123.4
114.1
112.5
107.8
113.2
105.6
103.3
101.8
108.8
112.2
120.1
87.8
118.0
119.0
112.6
82.1
123.7
114.2
112.7
108.0
113.4
105.0
102.4
101.5
108.8
112.8
120.7
86.8
118.5
119.3
112.3
80.0
124.3
114.4
112.8
108.1
113.6
104.9
102.2
101.4
108.7
113.2
121.1
86.3
118.7
119.6
112.4
78.7
124.8
115.0
113.2
108.6
114.0
105.7
103.4
101.4
109.4
113.4
121.4
85.8
119.3
120.3
113.5
77.9
125.2
115.5
113.9
109.2
114.6
106.6
104.9
102.5
110.5
113.9
121.7
86.7
119.9
120.8
114.3
79.7
125.6
116.0
114.4
109.7
115.0
107.0
105.4
103.4
111.0
114.4
122.2
88.1
120.2
121.1
114.4
81.5
126.0
116.5
115.0
110.2
115.6
106.9
105.0
103.6
111.1
115.7
123.1
90.3
120.5
121.4
114.3
81.4
126.5
116.8
115.4
110.7
116.0
107.0
105.1
104.5
111.6
116.1
123.6
90.7
121.0
121.7
114.2
82.1
127.1
Purchasing power of the consumer dollar:
1982-84-$1.00...........................................................................
1967 -$ 1.00 ................................................................................
92.0
30.9
89.0
29.9
88.7
29.8
88.2
29.6
87.8
29.5
87.6
29.4
87.4
29.4
87.5
29.4
87.3
29.3
87.2
29.3
86.8
29.2
86.4
29.0
86.1
28.9
85.7
28.8
85.3
28.6
Digitized for86
FRASER
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
31.
I
C o n s u m e r P r ic e I n d e x : U .S . c i t y a v e r a g e a n d a v a ila b le lo c a l a r e a d a t a : a ll i t e m s
(1982-84 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
Urban Wage Earners
All Urban Consumers
I
Area1
1
U.S. city average...................
[
1
1
Region and area size3
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 - Nonmetropolitan (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 - Nonmetropolitan (less
than 50,000) ........................
West urban.............................
Size A - More than
1,250,000 .............................
Size B - 330,000 to
1,250,000 .............................
Size C - 50,000 to
330,000 ................................
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
|
I
I
1
I
|
I
I
I
I
1
I
I
I
I
I
I
Size classes:
A ...........................................
B ...........................................
C ..........................................
D ..........................................
Selected local areas
Chicago, ILNorthwestern IN ....................
Los Angeles-Long
Beach, Anaheim, C A ...........
New York, NYNortheastern N J ....................
Philadelphia, PA-NJ................
San FranciscoOakland, C A ..........................
Pricing Other
sehe- index
base
dule2
1987
1988
July
Aug.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
July
Aug.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
113.8
114.4
116.5
117.1
117.5
118.0
118.5
112.7
113.3
115.1
115.7
116.2
116.7
117.2
M
116.0
116.9
119.6
120.4
120.7
121.4
121.8
115.2
116.0
118.4
119.2
119.5
120.2
120.6
M
116.9
117.9
120.4
121.3
121.6
122.0
122.6
115.4
116.3
118.5
119.3
119.5
120.0
120.6
M
113.5
114.0
117.5
118.2
118.9
119.9
120.0
112.5
113.0
116.4
117.0
117.7
118.7
118.8
M
M
115.0
112.3
115.9
113.1
117.2
114.3
118.2
114.9
118.7
115.5
119.8
116.0
120.0
116.6
117.3
110.4
118.2
111.2
119.8
112.3
120.7
113.0
121.2
113.6
122.2
114.1
122.4
114.7
M
113.2
114.0
115.1
115.7
116.0
117.0
117.7
110.7
111.5
112.5
113.1
113.5
114.4
115.1
M
111.5
112.6
114.2
115.0
115.7
115.6
115.8
109.0
110.1
111.8
112.6
113.4
113.3
113.5
M
111.9
112.8
114.6
115.2
116.1
116.1
116.6
110.8
111.6
113.4
114.0
114.9
114.9
115.5
M
M
110.2
112.6
110.5
112.9
111.1
114.8
111.8
115.4
112.2
115.6
112.8
116.1
113.5
116.6
110.0
112.1
110.2
112.4
110.6
114.2
111.3
114.7
111.9
114.9
112.4
115.5
113.2
116.1
M
113.5
114.0
115.5
116.0
116.7
117.2
117.7
112.8
113.2
114.7
115.1
115.7
116.4
116.9
M
112.7
113.2
115.8
116.3
116.2
116.7
117.1
111.1
111.4
113.6
114.1
114.0
114.7
115.2
M
112.1
112.3
114.0
114.5
114.6
114.9
115.6
112.5
112.7
114.3
114.9
115.0
115.3
116.1
M
M
110.8
114.3
110.9
114.8
112.7
117.5
113.6
117.9
113.7
118.5
114.5
118.7
115.0
119.2
111.6
113.2
111.7
113.7
113.4
116.2
114.2
116.6
114.4
117.2
115.3
117.4
115.8
117.8
M
115.4
116.0
118.9
119.2
120.1
120.2
120.5
113.0
113.6
116.2
116.6
117.4
117.5
117.8
M
-
M
113.1
113.3
115.9
-
-
-
-
113.4
113.6
116.0
-
-
-
-
M
113.8
114.2
116.2
116.8
116.5
117.2
117.9
113.2
113.6
115.6
116.2
115.9
116.6
117.3
105.6
114.3
115.4
113.7
106.1
114.9
116.1
114.3
106.6
115.3
116.4
114.6
107.1
115.8
116.8
115.3
107.6
116.1
117.4
115.7
M
M
M
M
12/86
103.2
112.7
112.9
111.3
103.8
113.2
113.4
111.4
105.7
115.8
115.1
113.5
106.3
116.4
115.3
114.1
106.7
116.7
116.1
114.3
107.2
117.2
116.5
115.0
107.6
117.5
117.1
115.4
103.3
111.5
113.2
111.6
103.9
112.0
113.7
111.8
M
-
115.9
116.7
116.9
117.1
117.0
118.9
119.8
112.4
113.2
113.2
113.3
113.3
115.2
116.2
M
-
116.5
117.3
120.6
121.1
122.0
122.0
122.1
113.8
114.6
117.5
118.0
118.9
118.9
119.0
M
M
-
-
117.9
117.4
118.9
118.4
121.5
119.6
122.6
120.0
122.7
120.9
123.1
121.9
123.6
123.2
116.5
117.3
117.4
118.4
119.7
119.5
120.6
119.8
120.7
120.8
121.2
121.8
121.7
123.1
M
-
115.8
116.1
119.1
118.7
119.7
120.1
120.9
114.7
114.9
117.9
117.8
118.7
119.0
119.7
117.7
122.1
115.1
115.1
114.2
119.2
_
117.8
123.1
116.6
116.2
114.1
120.1
_
119.9
123.8
117.6
116.8
116.0
120.7
114.7
116.4
108.1
111.3
112.5
115.3
-
117.3
121.8
110.2
114.3
113.8
118.5
-
117.4
123.1
111.7
115.1
113.7
119.3
*
119.7
123.7
112.6
116.0
115.7
119.9
-
115.6
115.4
109.4
114.3
-
114.8
111.9
108.1
110.1
-
115.4
112.7
109.4
110.0
Baltimore, MD ........................
Boston, MA ............................
Cleveland, O H ........................
Miami, F L ................................
St. Louis, MO-IL......................
Washington, DC-MD-VA ........
1
1
1
1
1
1
Dallas-Ft. Worth, T X ...............
Detroit, M l...............................
Houston, TX .............................................
Pittsburgh, PA .........................................
2
2
2
2
_
-
115.0
116.3
112.8
112.0
112.7
116.2
_
_
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
_
-
113.5
112.2
107.3
112.0
_
-
-
115.4
114.4
108.2
114.5
1 Area is the Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA), exclusive of farms and military. Area definitions are those established by the Office of Management and Budget in 1983, except for Boston-Lawrence-Salem, MA-NH Area (excludes Monroe County); and Milwaukee, Wl Area (ineludes only the Milwaukee MSA). Definitions do not include revisions made
since 1983.
2 Foods, fuels, and several other items priced every month in all areas;
most other qoods and services priced as indicated:.
M - Every month.
1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November.
2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1987
1988
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
“
“
-
113.3
109.6
107.1
107.7
-
~
“
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 index, it
has a smaller sample size and is, therefore, subject to substantially more
sampling and other measurement error than the national index. As a result,
local area indexes show greater volatility than the national 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.
r
•
87
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Price Data
32. Annual data: Consumer Price Index, U.S. city average, all items and major groups
(1982-84 = 100)
Series
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers:
All items:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Food and beverages:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Housing:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Apparel and upkeep:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Transportation:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Medical care:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Entertainment:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Other goods and services:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and
Clerical Workers:
All items:
Index...............................................................................
Percent change..............................................................
88
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
72.6
11.3
82.4
13.5
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
79.9
10.7
86.7
8.5
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
70.1
12.3
81.1
15.7
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
84.9
4.3
90.9
7.1
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
70.5
14.3
83.1
17.9
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
67.5
9.2
74.9
11.0
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
76.7
6.7
83.6
9.0
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
68.9
7.2
75.2
9.1
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
73.1
11.4
82.9
13.4
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
33.
Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
(1982 = 100)
1987
Annual average
1988
Grouping
Finished goods ..........................................
Finished consumer goods ........................
Finished consumer foods.......................
Finished consumer goods excluding
foods .....................................................
Nondurable goods less food ...............
Durable goods .....................................
Capital equipment.....................................
Intermediate materials, supplies, and
com ponents...............................................
Materials and components for
manufacturing ..........................................
Materials for food manufacturing...........
Materials for nondurable manufacturing .
Materials for durable manufacturing......
Components for manufacturing..............
Materials and components for
construction..............................................
Processed fuels and lubricants.................
Containers..................................................
Supplies.....................................................
Crude materials for further processing ...
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs .......................
Crude nonfood materials.........................
Special groupings
Finished goods, excluding fo o d s.................
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.........................................................
1986
1987
Aug.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
103.2
101.4
107.3
105.4
103.6
109.5
105.9
104.3
109.5
Sept.
105.7
104.2
110.5
106.2
104.4
109.7
106.3
104.5
109.8
105.8
104.0
108.9
106.3
104.5
110.5
106.1
104.1
109.4
106.3
104.4
110.1
106.9
105.1
110.2
107.5
105.7
111.3
107.9
106.1
112.5
108.5
107.0
113.7
98.5
93.3
108.9
109.7
100.7
94.9
111.5
111.7
101.8
96.6
110.9
111.7
101.1
96.1
110.0
111.2
101.9
95.8
113.4
112.5
101.9
95.9
113.0
112.5
101.6
95.9
112.2
112.4
101.5
95.5
112.6
112.9
101.5
95.5
112.8
113.2
101.5
95.6
112.6
113.2
102.5
96.9
112.8
113.6
102.9
97.4
112.9
113.9
103.0
97.3
113.3
114.2
103.7
98.1
113.7
114.2
99.1
101.5
102.5
102.7
103.1
103.4
103.6
104.2
104.3
104.7
105.5
106.2
107.4
108.2
102.2
98.4
98.1
101.2
107.5
105.3
100.8
102.2
106.2
108.8
105.8
101.5
102.9
107.1
108.8
106.3
102.8
103.4
108.1
109.0
107.2
101.9
104.5
110.2
109.3
107.5
100.6
104.9
111.1
109.5
108.1
99.9
105.5
112.9
109.8
109.5
101.9
107.5
114.5
110.5
109.9
102.0
108.5
113.9
110.8
110.5
101.6
109.6
114.7
111.1
111.5
102.8
110.9
116.6
111.4
112.2
104.2
111.6
117.5
111.7
113.0
107.0
112.2
118.4
112.3
113.9
109.9
113.7
119.4
112.4
108.1
72.7
110.3
105.6
109.8
73.3
114.5
107.7
110.2
77.3
114.4
107.8
110.7
75.9
115.4
108.2
111.2
74.6
116.1
108.8
111.9
74.4
116.5
109.5
112.4
72.9
116.1
109.9
113.6
70.7
116.6
110.5
113.8
70.2
116.9
110.6
114.4
69.6
117.4
111.1
115.0
70.5
118.2
111.7
115.2
71.5
119.3
112.3
115.9
73.3
119.9
114.0
116.7
73.4
120.3
115.2
87.7
93.2
81.6
93.7
96.2
87.9
96.5
97.1
91.8
95.7
96.6
90.8
95.3
96.1
90.5
94.7
95.3
90.1
94.4
95.9
89.2
93.7
97.2
87.3
94.7
99.7
87.4
94.1
99.8
86.4
95.7
101.2
88.0
97.1
104.5
88.2
98.2
108.4
87.5
97.0
109.9
84.8
101.9
63.0
109.7
109.7
110.6
104.0
61.8
112.3
112.5
113.3
104.7
64.9
112.3
112.6
113.4
104.2
63.4
112.4
112.8
113.1
105.1
62.4
113.1
113.4
114.5
105.1
62.5
113.2
113.4
114.5
104.9
61.4
112.9
113.1
114.5
104.9
59.2
113.9
114.3
115.2
105.0
58.5
113.8
114.0
115.5
105.1
58.2
114.1
114.4
115.7
105.8
60.9
114.3
114.5
115.9
106.2
61.5
114.9
115.2
116.2
106.4
60.8
115.5
115.9
116.5
106.8
60.7
116.3
117.0
117.2
111.1
114.2
114.3
114.1
115.6
115.6
115.7
116.5
116.8
117.1
117.2
117.5
117.9
118.9
113.1
116.3
116.9
117.3
117.4
117.6
118.4
119.5
119.9
120.4
120.5
120.9
121.3
122.8
Intermediate materials less foods and
fe e d s...........................................................
Intermediate foods and feeds.....................
Intermediate energy goods .........................
Intermediate goods less energy ..................
Intermediate materials less foods and
energy.........................................................
99.3
96.2
72.6
104.5
101.7
99.2
73.0
107.3
102.7
99.6
77.0
107.7
102.8
101.0
75.6
108.3
103.2
100.6
74.4
109.1
103.6
101.4
74.1
109.5
103.7
102.0
72.7
110.1
104.2
102.9
70.5
111.2
104.4
101.9
70.0
111.4
104.8
102.0
69.3
112.1
105.7
103.5
70.2
112.8
106.3
104.9
71.2
113.5
107.1
112.0
73.0
114.5
107.7
116.8
73.1
115.5
104.9
107.8
108.2
108.7
109.6
110.1
110.6
111.8
112.2
112.9
113.7
114.3
114.9
115.7
Crude energy materials................................
Crude materials less energy .......................
Crude nonfood materials less energy.........
71.8
95.4
103.1
75.0
100.9
115.7
78.9
102.3
118.7
76.7
103.0
122.9
75.4
103.6
126.4
74.7
103.1
127.1
73.6
103.7
127.3
70.8
105.1
129.2
70.4
107.6
131.6
68.7
108.1
133.4
70.5
109.2
133.6
71.4
110.9
131.1
70.7
113.8
131.0
66.9
115.4
132.8
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
34.
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Price Data
Producer Price indexes, by durability of product
(1982 = 100)
1987
Annual average
1988
G r o u p in g
1986
1987
Aug.
Total durable goods.....................................
Total nondurable goods...............................
107.5
94.8
109.9
97.5
110.0
99.0
Total manufactures......................................
Durable......................................................
Nohdurable................................................
101.7
107.5
96.0
104.4
109.6
99.2
Total raw or slightly processed goods .......
Durable......................................................
Nondurable ................................................
92.3
107.8
91.5
94.2
122.6
92.9
35.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
110.2
98.8
111.4
98.5
111.7
98.6
112.0
98.3
112.8
98.5
113.0
98.6
113.3
98.8
113.8
99.8
114.0
100.8
114.5
101.9
114.8
102.5
105.1
109.7
100.5
105.1
109.7
100.4
105.8
110.9
100.7
106.0
111.1
100.9
106.0
111.4
100.6
106.6
112.2
101.1
106.8
112.4
101.3
107.1
112.6
101.7
107.8
113.1
102.6
108.5
113.4
103.7
109.1
113.9
104.4
109.8
114.1
105.4
96.2
125.7
94.7
95.9
130.9
94.3
94.9
137.3
92.9
94.7
138.0
92.6
94.5
138.3
92.4
94.0
139.9
91.9
94.1
144.6
91.8
93.8
146.2
91.4
94.9
146.6
92.5
95.6
142.9
93.4
97.7
144.0
95.5
97.4
149.2
94.9
Annua! data: Producer Price Indexes, by stage of processing
(1982 = 100)
In d e x
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
103.7
103.3
105.2
104.7
103.8
107.5
103.2
101.4
109.7
105.4
103.6
111.7
F in is h e d g o o d s :
Total ....................................................................
Consumer goods.............................................
Capital equipment ...........................................
77.6
77.5
77.5
88.0
88.6
85.8
96.1
96.6
94.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
101.6
101.3
102.8
78.4
90.3
98.6
100.0
100.6
103.1
102.7
99.1
101.5
80.9
84.2
61.6
79.4
80.2
91.7
91.3
85.0
89.1
89.9
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
105.3
109.8
73.3
114.5
107.7
85.9
100.0
69.6
57.3
95.3
104.6
84.6
69.4
103.0
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
93.7
96.2
87.9
84.1
In te r m e d ia te m a te r ia ls , s u p p lie s , a n d
c o m p o n e n ts :
Total ....................................................................
Materials and components for
manufacturing.................................................
Materials and components for construction ....
Processed fuels and lubricants ......................
Containers.......................................................
Supplies...........................................................
C r u d e m a te r ia ls fo r fu r th e r p r o c e s s in g :
Total ....................................................................
Foodstuffs and feedstuffs ...............................
Nonfood materials except fuel ........................
Fuel ..................................................................
Digitized for9 FRASER
0
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
36.
U.S. export price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification
(June 1977=100, unless otherwise indicated)
1974
SITC
C a te g o ry
(9/83 = 100)...............................................................
1985
Dec.
1986
Mar.
June
1987
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
1988
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
99.7
99.4
99.1
97.9
99.0
99.9
102.2
102.8
104.9
106.5
109.4
Fo o d
(3/83 = 100)........................................................................................
Meat (3 /8 3 -1 0 0 )......................................................................................
Fish (3/83-100) .......................................................................................
Grain and grain preparations (3/80-100) ...............................................
Vegetables and fruit (3/83 —100) .............................................................
Feedstuffs for animals (3 /8 3 -1 0 0 )..........................................................
Misc. food products (3 /8 3 -1 0 0 )..............................................................
0
01
03
04
05
08
09
100.7
103.6
100.6
98.8
98.2
114.0
99.5
97.2
102.5
100.2
91.7
98.6
120.0
98.0
97.1
105.2
108.6
89.0
108.6
114.8
97.0
86.0
111.3
111.9
66.3
114.6
123.9
98.7
90.1
114.5
115.9
72.5
117.5
119.7
99.9
87.3
115.0
117.1
68.3
115.3
117.0
100.1
89.9
121.2
125.8
71.0
112.4
123.8
100.6
86.7
118.8
131.1
67.8
101.1
123.1
100.3
94.6
116.8
138.5
77.4
100.5
145.2
100.3
95.2
122.8
140.9
79.8
97.5
134.6
102.3
103.4
131.8
144.7
87.2
104.4
158.1
102.7
Beverages a n d t o b a c c o (6 /8 3 -1 0 0 ).......................................................
Beverages (9 /8 3 = 1 0 0 ).............................................................................
Tobacco and tobacco products (6/83 —1 00)...........................................
1
11
12
99.4
99.5
96.6
96.3
97.4
97.1
97.3
97.0
102.6
102.6
102.6
102.6
105.0
105.0
105.5
105.5
107.0
107.0
109.6
109.8
110.6
110.7
m a t e r i a l s (6/83 —100).....................................................................
Raw hides and skins (6/80-100) ............................................................
Oilseeds and oleaginous fruit (9/77 —100)...............................................
Crude rubber (including synthetic and reclaimed) (9/83 —100)...............
W ood..........................................................................................................
Pulp and waste paper (6/83—100) ..........................................................
Textile fibers...............................................................................................
Crude fertilizers and minerals...................................................................
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap ..........................................................
2
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
98.1
110.0
94.7
99.7
101.9
96.7
96.4
99.2
94.8
101.4
108.7
99.1
99.7
101.5
104.2
100.2
100.0
100.3
102.2
117.1
98.1
99.9
101.2
116.4
98.0
98.4
98.0
99.6
108.3
97.5
99.6
102.9
129.0
73.0
98.0
100.4
102.4
115.9
95.2
98.9
107.9
129.4
90.9
96.8
96.8
105.7
131.9
90.4
99.9
111.2
144.2
97.8
94.4
98.8
114.5
149.6
101.6
101.0
116.2
149.9
112.4
94.0
107.0
118.7
147.7
95.1
102.8
141.7
153.0
116.5
91.6
117.4
125.2
157.1
109.6
105.3
146.0
160.4
111.6
91.6
125.9
130.0
171.4
115.6
104.5
150.2
171.2
107.5
92.8
131.8
139.7
164.2
143.0
106.1
149.5
178.8
109.8
94.9
146.0
M i n e r a l f u e l s ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3
97.0
83.6
76.8
77.4
77.8
81.3
82.8
84.6
82.5
79.3
82.1
A n i m a l a n d v e g e t a b l e s o i l s , f a t s , a n d w a x e s ..................................................................................................
Fixed vegetable oils and fats (6 /8 3 -1 0 0 )...............................................
4
42
82.5
80.3
74.3
71.3
67.7
70.6
62.1
60.2
71.8
64.6
73.9
67.3
78.8
71.9
78.5
71.2
81.6
75.4
92.7
85.7
97.3
93.7
(3 /8 3 -1 0 0 )...............................................................................
Organic chemicals (12/83-100) ..............................................................
Fertilizers, manufactured (3/83 = 100)......................................................
5
51
56
99.6
99.2
100.5
99.8
98.5
98.9
98.0
93.1
93.0
95.7
91.6
85.1
95.2
92.4
77.4
99.6
101.9
85.6
106.7
118.4
91.6
107.7
116.1
100.9
112.9
123.5
106.5
117.9
135.1
110.6
121.8
145.1
109.8
(9/81—100).................................
Leather and furskins (9/79—100).............................................................
Rubber manufactures ................................................................................
Paper and paperboard products (6/78 —100)..........................................
Iron and steel (3/82—100) .......................................................................
Nonferrous metals (9/81 -1 00 ) ................................................................
Metal manufactures, n.e.s. (3/82 —100) ...................................................
6
61
62
64
67
68
69
99.8
98.0
99.7
97.9
100.9
98.9
100.2
101.3
97.3
100.7
100.5
100.3
104.2
100.4
102.5
103.8
100.1
104.7
100.2
103.1
100.8
103.8
104.2
100.5
109.1
102.3
105.3
100.8
104.2
107.8
100.9
110.8
101.9
102.6
100.8
106.4
123.6
102.0
114.7
102.9
106.6
101.5
107.9
126.9
102.5
117.0
102.9
113.0
101.3
110.3
128.7
103.9
120.1
100.7
123.0
102.3
111.2
118.0
104.1
122.4
102.9
124.4
103.4
114.4
125.7
105.2
126.2
106.1
134.0
104.5
117.8
125.1
108.8
129.0
110.8
143.7
108.0
(1 2 /7 8 -1 0 0 )....................................................
Power generating machinery and equipment (12/78 = 100) ....................
Machinery specialized for particular industries (9/78=100) ....................
Metalworking machinery (6/78-100) ......................................................
General industrial machines and parts n.e.s. 9/78 = 100).......................
Office machines and automatic data processing equipment...................
Telecommunications, sound recording and reproducing equipment.......
Electrical machinery and equipment.........................................................
Road vehicles and parts (3 /8 0 -1 0 0 )......................................................
Other transport equipment, excl. military and commercial aviation.......
7
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
100.2
101.3
100.4
101.3
100.4
99.1
100.1
98.9
100.9
101.1
100.7
102.3
100.6
101.9
100.9
99.9
99.2
99.5
101.0
102.1
100.8
102.4
100.3
102.0
101.6
99.0
98.9
99.2
101.7
103.1
101.0
102.5
100.4
103.0
102.5
98.8
99.7
99.7
101.9
102.8
101.6
103.7
100.6
104.2
103.3
98.2
101.3
100.3
103.3
103.5
101.7
104.6
100.0
105.8
104.2
96.0
101.9
101.7
103.1.
104.5
101.8
103.7
100.1
106.7
104.5
96.1
101.4
102.1
103.5
105.5
102.1
104.8
100.5
107.8
104.6
95.7
101.4
102.5
103.8
105.8
102.4
105.2
100.9
108.2
105.4
95.5
101.9
101.8
104.6
106.6
103.2
107.0
102.1
109.3
106.7
95.8
102.8
103.1
104.5
107.4
103.9
108.5
103.6
111.3
108.0
95.5
104.6
102.8
104.7
109.6
O t h e r m a n u f a c t u r e d a r t i c l e s ..................................................................................................................................................................
8
84
87
100.3
100.6
102.3
102.0
103.5
103.1
103.4
103.0
103.8
103.5
104.6
104.4
105.2
105.5
105.4
106.3
105.6
107.1
106.9
110.0
108.0
111.1
88
100.1
101.9
102.6
102.4
102.1
102.7
102.5
99.0
97.9
97.6
99.8
Miscellaneous manufactured articles, n.e.s...............................................
89
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
..............................................................
971
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
A L L
C O M M O D IT IE S
C ru d e
C h e m ic a ls
In te r m e d ia te m a n u fa c tu r e d p r o d u c t s
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 ilita r y
a n d c o m m e r c ia l a ir c r a ft
Apparel (9 /8 3 -1 0 0 )..................................................................................
Professional, scientific, and controlling instruments and apparatus........
Photographic apparatus and supplies, optical goods, watches and
clocks (1 2 /7 7 -1 0 0 ).................................................................................
G o ld , n o n -m o n e ta ry ( 6 / 8 3 - 1 0 0 )
- Data not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
91
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Price Data
37. U.S. import price indexes by Standard International Trade Classification
(June 1977 = 100, unless otherwise indicated)
C a te g o ry
1974
SITC
1987
1986
1988
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
101.1
102.3
106.5
110.0
110.9
112.5
113.8
116.9
107.3
96.0
108.7
110.5
112.0
104.3
111.3
114.1
109.1
109.2
113.8
119.1
105.2
105.0
119.3
121.8
108.3
108.0
122.3
126.0
109.1
114.4
121.7
130.4
112.5
113.4
125.1
131.0
114.1
111.5
125.6
132.5
113.9
107.1
125.0
129.1
04
05
06
07
112.5
100.0
104.6
117.2
117.8
106.0
106.2
121.5
118.8
104.3
106.5
104.9
122.3
101.9
107.4
89.9
126.2
110.1
109.6
87.0
124.8
110.0
109.0
85.1
130.7
116.2
107.0
90.6
135.8
115.4
109.6
94.3
139.9
120.3
110.0
93.4
1
11
105.2
106.1
103.9
107.5
106.8
109.5
107.8
112.1
112.8
114.2
112.2
114.8
113.5
116.2
116.0
118.7
116.2
119.9
Crude rubber (inc. synthetic & reclaimed) (3/84 = 100)...........................
Wood (9/81-100) ....................................................................................
Pulp and waste paper (12/81 -1 00 ) ........................................................
Crude fertilizers and crude minerals (12/83 = 100) ..................................
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap (3/84 = 100).....................................
Crude vegetable and animal materials, n.e.s.............................................
2
23
24
25
27
28
29
106.4
99.5
104.3
100.3
99.0
121.6
111.3
109.5
97.7
107.6
108.0
98.4
124.8
112.4
109.1
98.4
104.8
116.9
98.6
118.3
111.9
115.1
98.4
113.5
127.0
98.2
122.8
113.0
116.2
103.7
110.2
132.0
99.6
124.5
109.0
120.3
110.7
117.4
133.4
99.2
128.7
107.6
122.1
120.1
108.8
141.0
99.9
137.9
118.3
129.2
121.7
112.4
151.0
100.4
151.2
135.8
137.8
151.1
111.4
160.5
101.0
167.6
149.0
p r o d u c t s (6/82 —100)..................................................
Petroleum and petroleum products (6/82 —100) ......................................
3
33
51.5
49.0
52.2
50.0
55.9
55.0
67.4
67.4
74.1
74.4
74.3
75.2
67.2
67.8
60.6
60.4
64.7
65.0
(9/83 —1 00)..........................................................................
Vegetable oils (9/83—100).......................................................................
4
42
66.7
-
61.2
-
83.4
-
82.9
-
87.9
96.4
100.0
102.1
105.7
106.4
111.1
111.2
116.1
(9/82-100) ...............................................................................
Medicinal and pharmaceutical products (3/84 = 100) ..............................
Manufactured fertilizers (3/84 - 100)........................................................
Chemical materials and products, n.e.s. (9/84 = 100)..............................
5
54
56
59
99.7
111.2
93.0
110.1
99.8
115.9
89.8
111.3
99.0
113.6
89.9
112.7
102.6
120.1
92.9
115.1
104.8
123.4
94.6
117.7
105.6
124.3
109.3
120.6
110.1
126.3
133.6
124.8
114.2
135.3
133.7
138.7
116.3
140.3
136.3
148.6
p r o d u c t s (12/77 = 100) ..............................
Leather and furskins ..................................................................................
Rubber manufactures, n.e.s........................................................................
Cork and wood manufactures ..................................................................
Paper and paperboard products ...............................................................
Textiles.......................................................................................................
Nonmetallic mineral manufactures, n.e.s...................................................
Iron and steel (9/78—100) .......................................................................
Nonferrous metals (12/81 —100) ..............................................................
Metal manufactures, n.e.s..........................................................................
6
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
103.6
106.3
101.2
111.0
100.8
105.4
110.5
98.9
98.9
107.9
105.8
108.8
102.0
112.7
101.0
107.4
116.6
100.0
103.3
107.7
106.7
107.2
101.8
117.4
104.9
107.9
117.9
100.9
101.5
108.3
108.6
110.9
104.3
118.0
104.8
110.4
120.5
102.7
102.5
112.1
112.5
116.6
104.6
124.3
104.9
111.8
126.7
106.6
112.4
112.7
116.3
117.8
103.2
128.3
110.3
114.6
130.4
109.4
120.9
114.6
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
131.6
137.0
107.7
137.8
118.3
120.6
142.5
127.2
154.6
127.9
M a c h i n e r y a n d t r a n s p o r t e q u i p m e n t ( 6 / 8 1 — 1 0 0 ) ..............................................................................
7
72
73
74
110.4
116.9
113.0
116.2
113.0
122.7
117.7
119.9
114.4
123.0
120.9
120.9
117.5
130.4
126.4
127.9
119.9
136.1
128.1
130.8
119.9
134.3
130.2
130.1
123.1
142.1
135.5
137.0
125.4
146.8
139.9
140.4
127.3
149.5
142.5
143.5
A L L
C O M M O D IT IE S
(9 /7 7 -1 0 0 )........................................................................................
M e a t...........................................................................................................
Dairy products and eggs (6/81 =100) ....................................................
Fish.............................................................................................................
Bakery goods, pasta products, grain and grain preparations
(9/77-100) ..............................................................................................
Fruits and vegetables ................................................................................
Sugar, sugar preparations, and honey (3/82—100).................................
Coffee, tea, cocoa.....................................................................................
Fo o d
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 te ria ls
Sept.
98.7
0
01
02
03
(9 /8 2 -1 0 0 )...............................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................
F u e ls a n d re la te d
F a t s a n d o ils
C h e m ic a ls
In te r m e d ia te m a n u fa c tu r e d
Machinery specialized for particular industries (9/78 —100) ....................
Metalworking machinery (3/80—100) ......................................................
General industrial machinery and parts, n.e.s. (6/81—100) ....................
Office machines and automatic data processing equipment
(3 /8 0 -1 0 0 ).............................................................................................
Telecommunications, sound recording and reproducing apparatus
(3 /8 0 -1 0 0 ).............................................................................................
Electrical machinery and equipment (12/81—1 00)..................................
Road vehicles and parts (6/81—100)......................................................
June
-
75
109.1
109.9
108.9
110.0
114.0
114.8
118.3
118.1
119.6
76
77
78
106.4
106.4
110.8
109.2
108.8
112.9
108.9
109.8
116.1
110.5
112.4
118.6
110.3
115.8
120.5
110.2
115.1
120.6
112.1
118.2
122.6
112.8
122.2
125.5
114.0
123.8
127.7
8
81
82
84
85
106.8
108.6
108.0
100.7
108.0
109.7
111.1
110.7
101.7
110.7
110.3
110.8
112.3
102.6
112.3
114.5
111.6
114.8
106.4
114.8
117.8
117.0
119.8
109.2
119.8
118.5
116.2
119.0
111.9
119.0
121.8
121.0
124.3
112.3
124.3
124.2
123.4
125.4
115.6
125.4
125.8
127.0
130.2
114.8
130.2
(3/80 —100).................................................
Plumbing, heating, and lighting fixtures (6/80—100) ...............................
Furniture and parts (6/80—100) ...............................................................
Clothing (9/77-100) .................................................................................
Footwear....................................................................................................
Professional, scientific, and controlling instruments and
apparatus (1 2 /7 9 -1 0 0 )...........................................................................
Photographic apparatus and supplies, optical goods, watches, and
clocks (3/80—1 00)...................................................................................
Mise, manufactured articles, n.e.s. (6/82 = 100)......................................
87
117.9
122.6
122.5
131.3
135.9
132.7
138.7
140.0
142.2
88
89
113.8
118.0
119.0
123.7
126.0
122.1
127.3
129.2
129.3
G o l d , n o n - m o n e t a r y ( 6 / 8 2 — 1 0 0 ) ..................................................................................................................................................
971
M is e , m a n u fa c tu r e d a r tic le s
- Data not available.
92
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
“
-
"
“
”
“
“
“
“
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
38.
U.S. export price indexes by end-use category
(September 1983 = 100 unless otherwise indicated)
C a te g o ry
Foods, feeds, and beverages .......................................................
Raw materials.................................................................................
Capital goods (12/82—100)..........................................................
Automotive vehicles, parts and engines (12/82 = 100) ................
Consumer goods............................................................................
Durables ......................................................................................
Nondurables.................................................................................
39.
Percentage
of 1980
trade
value
16.294
30.696
30.186
7.483
7.467
3.965
3.501
1986
June
96.2
96.0
100.6
101.9
103.3
102.8
103.7
Sept.
87.2
95.1
100.7
102.3
103.6
102.9
103.8
1987
Dec.
90.2
96.3
101.1
103.5
105.2
104.9
104.3
Mar.
June
87.4
100.8
101.4
103.4
105.9
105.5
105.4
1988
Sept.
91.5
106.1
101.6
103.6
106.3
106.6
104.3
88.0
109.1
101.8
104.0
106.9
107.3
104.6
Mar.
Dec
96.6
111.8
102.1
104.5
108.0
107.9
106.3
June
98.5
114.2
103.3
104.3
110.1
110.4
107.4
110.2
118.3
104.1
104.7
110.6
110.3
108.8
U.S. import price indexes by end-use category
(December 1982 = 100)
C a te g o ry
Foods, feeds, and beverages .......................................................
Petroleum and petroleum products, excl. natural g a s ..................
Raw materials, excluding petroleum .............................................
Raw materials, nondurable .........................................................
Raw materials, durable................................................................
Capital goods.................................................................................
Automotive vehicles, parts and engines.......................................
Consumer goods............................................................................
Durable ........................................................................................
Nondurable..................................................................................
Percentage
of 1980
trade
value
7.477
31.108
19.205
9.391
9.814
13.164
11.750
14.250
5.507
8.743
June
Sept.
1988
1987
1986
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Mar.
Dec.
106.1
49.1
109.8
50.0
108.4
54.7
105.2
67.2
107.8
74.1
109.0
74.7
112.1
67.6
113.7
60.3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
'
June
113.6
64.8
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
110.7
110.4
107.1
113.5
112.7
110.1
114.2
114.6
110.5
118.7
116.5
114.2
122.2
118.4
116.9
121.9
118.4
118.2
126.6
120.6
121.4
128.6
123.7
124.2
130.8
125.9
126.4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
“
“
“
”
”
“
~
“
- Data not available.
40.
U.S. export price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification 1
1988
1987
1986
In d u s try g ro u p
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Dec.
Mar.
June
Manufacturing:
Lumber and wood products, except furniture
(6 /8 3 -1 0 0 ).....................................................................
Scientific instruments; optical goods; clocks
(6 /7 7 -1 0 0 ).....................................................................
97.2
97.4
100.2
102.0
107.4
107.1
116.3
120.8
124.8
103.4
103.7
97.9
98.0
61.8
102.6
100.1
99.5
104.7
104.8
104.0
102.3
95.8
65.1
109.3
100.1
99.9
104.8
108.8
104.1
104.9
95.8
67.6
106.9
100.1
100.8
106.0
112.8
108.0
109.3
100.5
73.5
110.6
99.6
101.9
106.2
116.2
108.6
112.3
107.6
80.5
117.2
99.4
102.1
106.7
138.9
108.7
115.5
108.7
81.4
122.3
99.4
102.5
106.9
142.5
111.2
119.3
113.8
78.8
126.6
99.7
102.2
107.8
146.1
112.5
124.6
118.4
73.0
126.9
100.6
102.9
108.0
145.3
112.9
129.5
122.5
78.3
134.8
101.3
103.4
109.0
104.5
104.7
105.3
105.8
106.8
106.6
107.1
109.2
110.6
1 SIC - based classification.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
93
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
41.
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Price and Productivity Data
U.S. import price indexes by Standard Industrial Classification 1
1988
1987
1986
In d u s try g ro u p
Sept.
June
Manufacturing:
Food and kindred products (6/77 —100) .................................
Textile mill products (9/82—100).............................................
Apparel and related products (6/77—100)............. ................
Lumber and wood products, except furniture
(6/77-100) ............................................................................
Furniture and fixtures (6 /8 0 - 100)...........................................
Paper and allied products (6/77 = 100)....................................
Chemicals and allied products (9/82 = 100) ............................
Rubber and miscellaneous plastic products
(1 2 /8 0 -1 0 0 )..........................................................................
Leather and leather products ...................................................
Primary metal products (6/81 =100) .......................................
Fabricated metal products (12/84 = 1 00).................................
Machinery, except electrical (3 /8 0 -1 0 0 )................................
Electrical machinery (9 /8 4 -1 0 0 ).............................................
Transportation equipment (6/81—1 00 )....................................
Scientific instruments; optical goods; clocks
(1 2 /7 9 -1 0 0 )..........................................................................
Miscellaneous manufactured commodities
(9 /8 2 -1 0 0 )............................................................................
Dec.
Mar.
June
Sept.
Mar.
Dec.
June
97.3
106.8
101.2
99.7
109.2
102.4
103.0
110.6
103.0
103.8
114.1
107.0
106.3
116.1
109.4
108.4
119.4
112.3
110.6
124.3
113.4
114.0
127.4
116.6
114.4
128.9
116.0
106.3
109.4
97.3
103.3
109.0
111.4
98.6
104.3
109.0
111.6
103.3
102.6
114.8
116.1
105.1
105.7
115.0
117.0
105.9
106.2
120.3
118.3
110.9
107.2
115.4
118.9
113.6
112.2
119.5
122.2
119.1
116.8
120.0
124.0
121.2
121.2
105.3
103.2
97.1
110.5
114.9
104.3
112.8
106.6
105.3
102.3
111.1
118.2
106.9
114.7
107.9
106.4
101.3
111.7
118.9
107.0
117.3
110.6
109.3
102.7
116.7
123.4
109.4
119.9
113.6
113.3
110.4
117.5
127.4
110.7
122.1
112.3
113.3
115.2
119.8
127.8
110.2
122.5
115.7
118.4
120.0
123.2
133.9
112.5
124.6
117.2
120.8
122.6
127.3
135.9
114.7
127.3
119.2
125.1
135.0
133.9
138.2
116.1
129.5
117.8
122.6
122.4
128.8
132.5
128.8
134.0
135.8
136.9
104.7
110.7
112.2
115.1
118.1
121.4
123.8
127.7
133.2
1 SIC - based classification.
94
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
42.
Indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, and unit costs, quarterly data seasonally adjusted
(1977 = 100)
Quarterly Indexes
Item
IV
I
II
1988
1987
1986
1985
III
IV
I
II
III
IV
I
II
B u s in e s s :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit labor c o s ts .....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
N o n fa rm
108.5
178.8
99.4
164.8
161.6
163.7
110.5
180.4
100.0
163.3
164.5
163.7
110.4
182.0
101.2
164.9
165.2
165.0
110.0
184.0
101.7
167.3
166.6
167.0
109.8
186.2
102.2
169.6
163.7
167.5
109.9
187.3
101.5
170.5
165.6
168.7
110.6
189.0
101.2
170.8
168.7
170.1
111.7
191.1
101.4
171.1
171.5
171.2
111.8
194.0
102.0
173.5
168.9
171.9
112.8
195.8
102.1
173.5
170.0
172.3
112.2
198.0
102.0
176.5
169.2
173.9
106.5
177.9
99.0
167.1
162.7
165.5
108.6
179.8
99.6
165.5
166.1
165.7
108.4
181.2
100.7
167.1
166.6
167.0
108.0
183.1
101.2
169.5
168.1
169.0
107.8
185.4
101.8
172.1
164.9
169.5
107.8
186.4
101.0
172.9
167.2
170.9
108.6
187.9
100.6
173.0
169.8
171.9
109.6
190.0
100.8
173.3
173.0
173.2
109.9
192.9
101.4
175.6
170.9
174.0
110.8
194.6
101.5
175.7
171.6
174.2
110.3
196.6
101.3
178.2
171.4
175.8
108.0
175.3
97.5
165.8
162.3
176.3
132.4
160.9
161.8
109.5
177.1
98.1
165.5
161.7
176.7
133.7
161.7
161.7
109.3
178.5
99.2
166.7
163.3
176.9
132.7
161.4
162.6
109.6
180.2
99.6
168.4
164.3
180.3
133.6
164.0
164.2
110.3
182.2
100.1
168.8
165.1
179.6
129.7
162.1
164.1
110.1
182.9
99.1
169.9
166.2
180.8
128.5
162.5
164.9
110.9
184.3
98.7
170.3
166.1
182.6
129.8
164.1
165.4
112.2
186.1
98.7
170.2
165.9
183.0
136.4
166.6
166.1
112.2
188.5
99.1
172.0
168.1
183.6
128.3
164.2
166.7
113.3
189.9
99.0
171.5
167.5
183.4
132.5
165.6
166.9
-
125.3
179.4
99.8
143.2
126.6
181.1
100.3
143.0
127.2
182.0
101.2
143.2
128.0
183.6
101.5
143.4
128.8
185.3
101.7
143.8
130.0
185.9
100.8
143.1
131.7
186.3
99.7
141.4
132.8
187.2
99.3
141.0
133.2
188.2
99.0
141.3
134.3
190.7
99.4
142.1
135.4
192.1
99.0
141.9
b u s in e s s :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit labor c o s ts .....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
N o n fin a n c ia l c o r p o r a tio n s :
Output per hour of all employees........................
Compensation per h our........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Total unit co sts......................................................
Unit labor costs ..................................................
Unit nonlabor co sts ............................................
Unit profits.............................................................
Unit nonlabor payments .......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
-
”
M a n u fa c tu rin g :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per h our........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit labor c o s ts ....................................................
- Data not available.
43.
Annual indexes of multifactor productivity and related measures, selected years
(1977 = 100)
Item
1960
1970
1973
1976
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
P r iv a te b u s in e s s
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services.....................
Multifactor productivity.......................................
O utput....................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital in p u t........
Capital per hour of all persons.............................
P riv a te n o n fa rm
67.3
102.1
78.1
55.3
88.4
101.9
92.9
80.2
95.9
105.3
99.1
93.0
98.4
97.2
98.0
94.5
100.8
102.0
101.2
105.8
99.2
94.2
97.4
106.6
100.6
92.4
97.7
108.9
100.3
86.7
95.3
105.4
103.1
88.4
97.7
109.9
105.7
92.8
101.0
119.2
107.6
92.8
102.2
124.0
109.7
92.8
103.4
128.1
82.2
54.2
70.8
65.9
90.8
78.7
86.3
86.7
96.9
88.3
93.8
91.1
96.1
97.2
96.5
101.2
105.0
103.8
104.5
98.8
107.5
113.1
109.4
105.3
108.2
117.8
111.5
108.8
105.2
121.7
110.7
115.7
106.7
124.4
112.6
116.6
112.8
128.5
118.1
113.9
115.2
133.6
121.3
116.0
116.8
138.0
123.8
118.2
70.7
103.6
80.9
54.4
89.2
102.8
93.7
79.9
96.4
106.0
99.6
92.9
98.5
97.3
98.1
94.4
100.8
101.9
101.2
106.0
98.7
93.4
96.9
106.6
99.6
91.1
96.7
108.4
99.1
85.1
94.1
104.8
102.5
87.3
97.0
110.1
104.7
91.3
99.9
119.3
105.9
90.8
100.5
123.7
107.6
90.5
101.4
127.6
77.0
52.5
67.3
68.2
89.6
77.8
85.3
86.8
96.3
87.6
93.3
91.0
95.8
97.0
96.2
101.3
105.1
104.0
104.7
98.9
108.0
114.1
110.0
105.6
108.8
119.0
112.2
109.4
105.7
123.2
111.4
116.5
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
141.0
125.8
119.0
62.2
102.5
71.9
52.5
80.8
98.6
85.2
78.6
93.4
111.4
97.9
96.3
97.1
96.2
96.8
93.1
101.5
102.1
101.7
106.0
101.4
91.2
98.7
103.2
103.6
89.2
99.8
104.8
105.9
81.8
99.2
98.4
112.0
86.9
105.1
104.7
118.1
95.7
112.2
117.5
124.2
97.8
117.0
122.5
128.8
99.3
120.6
125.9
84.4
51.2
73.0
60.7
97.3
79.7
92.2
82.0
103.1
86.4
98.4
83.8
95.9
96.7
96.1
100.9
104.4
103.7
104.2
99.4
101.7
113.1
104.5
111.2
101.1
117.5
105.0
116.2
92.9
120.3
99.2
129.4
93.5
120.6
99.7
129.0
99.5
122.8
104.7
123.5
98.7
125.3
104.8
127.0
97.8
126.8
104.4
129.7
b u s in e s s
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services.....................
Multifactor productivity.......................................
O utput....................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital in p u t........
Capital per hour of all persons.............................
M a n u fa c tu rin g
Productivity:
Output per hour of all persons..........................
Output per unit of capital services.....................
Multifactor productivity.......................................
O utput...................................................................
Inputs:
Hours of all persons...........................................
Capital services ..................................................
Combined units of labor and capital inputs......
Capital per hour of all persons.............................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
44.
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Productivity & International Comparison Data
Annual indexes of productivity, hourly compensation, unit costs, and prices, selected years
(1977=100)
1960
Item
1976
1973
1970
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
B u s in e s s :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per h our........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit labor costs ....................................................
Unit nonlabor payments .......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
N o n fa rm
67.6
33.6
68.9
49.7
46.4
48.5
88.4
57.8
90.3
65.4
59.4
63.2
95.9
70.9
96.8
73.9
72.5
73.4
98.3
92.8
98.8
94.3
93.3
94.0
100.8
108.5
100.9
107.6
106.7
107.3
99.3
131.5
96.7
132.5
118.7
127.6
100.7
143.7
95.8
142.7
134.6
139.8
100.3
154.9
97.3
154.5
136.6
148.1
103.0
161.4
98.2
156.7
146.4
153.0
105.5
167.9
97.9
159.1
156.5
158.2
107.7
175.5
98.8
162.9
160.9
162.2
110.1
183.1
101.2
166.3
165.0
165.8
111.0
190.4
101.5
171.5
168.7
170.5
71.0
35.3
72.3
49.7
46.3
48.5
89.3
58.2
90.9
65.2
60.0
63.4
96.4
71.2
97.2
73.9
69.3
72.3
98.5
92.8
98.9
94.3
93.0
93.8
100.8
108.6
100.9
107.7
105.6
107.0
98.8
131.3
96.6
132.9
118.5
127.8
99.8
143.6
95.8
144.0
133.5
140.3
99.2
154.8
97.2
156.0
136.5
149.2
102.5
161.5
98.3
157.6
148.3
154.3
104.6
167.8
97.9
160.4
156.3
159.0
106.1
174.9
98.5
164.9
161.9
163.8
108.2
182.3
100.8
168.6
166.4
167.8
109.0
189.4
101.0
173.8
170.2
172.5
73.4
36.9
75.5
49.4
50.2
47.0
59.8
51.5
50.7
91.1
59.2
92.5
64.8
65.0
64.2
52.3
60.1
63.3
97.5
71.6
97.7
72.7
73.4
70.7
65.6
68.9
71.9
98.4
92.9
98.9
94.8
94.3
96.2
89.4
93.8
94.2
100.6
108.4
100.8
107.3
107.8
105.7
102.0
104.4
106.6
99.1
131.1
96.4
133.4
132.3
136.7
85.2
118.6
127.6
99.6
143.3
95.5
147.7
143.8
159.1
98.1
137.8
141.7
100.4
154.3
96.9
159.5
153.8
176.4
78.5
142.1
149.8
103.5
159.9
97.3
159.5
154.5
174.3
110.9
152.1
153.7
106.0
165.8
96.7
160.8
156.5
173.6
136.5
160.6
157.9
107.7
172.5
97.1
164.1
160.2
175.8
133.0
160.8
160.4
109.7
179.5
99.2
167.3
163.6
178.4
132.4
162.3
163.2
111.3
185.5
98.9
170.6
166.6
182.5
130.8
164.4
165.8
62.2
36.5
74.8
58.7
60.0
59.1
80.8
57.4
89.6
71.0
64.1
69.0
93.4
68.8
93.9
73.7
70.7
72.8
97.1
92.1
98.1
94.9
93.5
94.5
101.5
108.2
100.6
106.6
101.9
105.2
101.4
132.4
97.4
130.6
97.8
121.0
103.6
145.2
96.8
140.1
111.8
131.8
105.9
157.5
98.9
148.7
114.0
138.6
112.0
162.4
98.8
145.0
128.5
140.2
118.1
168.0
98.0
142.2
138.6
141.2
123.6
176.4
99.3
142.7
130.4
139.1
127.7
183.0
101.2
143.3
136.3
141.3
132.0
186.9
99.7
141.7
139.2
141.0
b u s in e s s :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit nonlabor payments .......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
N o n fin a n c ia l c o r p o r a tio n s :
Output per hour of all employees........................
Compensation per h our........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit labor costs ..................................................
Unit nonlabor co sts ............................................
Unit profits.............................................................
Unit nonlabor payments.......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
M a n u fa c tu rin g :
Output per hour of all persons.............................
Compensation per hour........................................
Real compensation per h o u r................................
Unit nonlabor payments .......................................
Implicit price deflator ............................................
96
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
45. Unemployment rates, approximating U.S. concepts, in nine countries, quarterly data
seasonally adjusted
Annual average
1988
1987
1986
Country
1986
T o ta l la b o r fo rc e
1987
IV
II
I
III
I
IV
II
b a s is
United States.....................................
Canada ..............................................
Australia ............................................
Japan .................................................
6.9
9.5
8.0
2.8
6.1
8.8
8.1
2.9
6.8
9.4
8.3
2.8
6.5
9.6
8.2
3.0
6.2
9.0
8.1
3.1
5.9
8.8
8.0
2.8
5.8
8.2
7.9
2.7
5.6
7.8
7.5
2.7
10.4
6.8
7.4
2.6
11.5
10.6
6.8
7.7
1.9
10.2
10.5
6.7
7.7
2.6
11.1
10.7
6.7
7.4
2.0
10.9
10.7
6.8
7.6
1.9
10.5
10.6
6.8
7.9
1.9
10.0
10.4
6.8
7.9
1.7
9.4
10.4
6.8
7.9
1.7
9.0
United States.....................................
Canada ..............................................
Australia ............................................
Japan .................................................
7.0
9.6
8.1
2.8
6.2
8.9
8.1
2.9
6.8
9.4
8.4
2.8
6.6
9.6
8.3
3.0
6.3
9.1
8.2
3.1
6.0
8.8
8.0
2.8
5.9
8.2
8.0
2.7
5.7
7.9
7.6
2.7
France ...............................................
Germany............................................
Italy1, 2 ...............................................
Sweden3 ............................................
United Kingdom.................................
10.6
7.0
7.5
2.6
11.2
10.9
6.9
7.9
1.9
10.3
10.8
6.8
7.8
2.6
11.2
10.9
6.8
7.6
2.0
11.0
10.9
6.9
7.8
1.9
10.6
10.8
7.0
8.1
1.9
10.0
10.6
7.0
8.0
1.7
9.5
10.6
6.9
8.0
1.7
9.0
France ...............................................
Germany............................................
Italy 2 ..............................................
Sweden3 ............................................
United Kingdom.................................
C iv ilia n
5.4
7.6
-
-
6.9
-
1.6
8.6
la b o r fo r c e b a s is
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.
3 Break in series beginning in 1987. The 1986 rate based
5.5
7.7
-
-
7.0
-
1.6
8.6
on the new series was 2.2 percent.
- 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.
46. Annual data: Employment status of the civilian working-age population, approximating U.S. concepts,
10 countries
(Numbers in thousands)
Employment status and country
1978
1979
1980
102,251
10,895
6,443
54,610
22,460
26,000
20,570
5,010
4,203
26,260
104,962
11,231
6,519
55,210
22,660
26,250
20,850
5,100
4,262
26,350
106,940
11,573
6,693
55,740
22,800
26,520
21,120
5,310
4,312
26,520
63.2
62.7
61.9
62.8
57.5
53.3
47.8
48.8
66.1
62.8
63.7
63.4
61.6
62.7
57.5
53.3
48.0
49.0
66.6
62.6
96,048
9,987
6,038
53,370
21,260
25,130
19,720
4,750
4,109
24,610
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
108,670
11,904
6,810
56,320
22,950
26,650
21,320
5,520
4,327
26,590
110,204
11,958
6,910
56,980
23,160
26,700
21,410
5,570
4,350
26,740
111,550
12,183
6,997
58,110
23,140
26,650
21,590
5,600
4,369
26,790
113,544
12,399
7,133
58,480
23,300
26,760
21,670
5,620
4,385
27,180
115,461
12,639
7,272
58,820
23,360
26,960
21,800
5,710
4,418
27,370
117,834
12,870
7,562
59,410
23,450
27,100
22,280
5,760
4,443
27,540
119,865
13,121
7,736
60,050
23,520
27,260
22,340
5,780
4,480
27,760
63.8
64.1
62.1
62.6
57.2
53.2
48.2
50.2
66.9
62.5
63.9
64.8
61.9
62.6
57.1
52.9
48.3
51.4
66.8
62.2
64.0
64.1
61.7
62.7
57.1
52.6
47.7
51.2
66.8
62.3
64.0
64.4
61.4
63.1
56.6
52.3
47.5
50.9
66.7
62.1
64.4
64.8
61.5
62.7
56.6
52.4
47.3
50.5
66.6
62.6
64.8
65.2
61.8
62.3
56.3
52.6
47.2
50.7
66.9
62.7
65.3
65.7
63.0
62.1
56.1
52.8
48.2
50.8
67.1
62.7
65.6
66.2
63.0
61.9
55.8
53.1
48.2
50.5
67.4
63.0
98,824
10,395
6,111
54,040
21,300
25,470
19,930
4,830
4,174
24,940
99,303
10,708
6,284
54,600
21,330
25,750
20,200
4,980
4,226
24,670
100,397
11,006
6,416
55,060
21,200
25,560
20,280
5,010
4,219
23,800
99,526
10,644
6,415
55,620
21,240
25,140
20,250
4,980
4,213
23,710
100,834
10,734
6,300
56,550
21,170
24,750
20,320
4,890
4,218
23,600
105,005
11,000
6,490
56,870
20,980
24,790
20,390
4,930
4,249
24,000
107,150
11,311
6,670
57,260
20,890
24,950
20,490
5,110
4,293
24,310
109,597
11,634
6,952
57,750
20,960
25,210
20,610
5,200
4,326
24,450
112,440
11,955
7,107
58,320
20,970
25,370
20,590
5,240
4,396
24,910
59.3
57.5
58.0
61.3
54.4
51.5
45.9
46.3
64.6
58.8
59.9
58.7
57.8
61.4
54.0
51.7
45.9
46.4
65.3
59.2
59.2
59.3
58.3
61.3
53.5
51.7
46.1
47.0
65.6
58.1
59.0
59.9
58.4
61.2
52.8
50.8
45.9
46.6
65.1
55.7
57.8
57.0
57.3
61.2
52.3
49.6
45.2
45.8
64.7
55.3
57.9
56.7
55.3
61.4
51.8
48.6
44.7
44.5
64.4
54.7
59.5
57.4
56.0
61.0
51.0
48.5
44.5
44.3
64.5
55.3
60.1
58.4
56.6
60.6
50.4
48.7
44.4
45.4
65.0
55.7
60.7
59.4
57.9
60.4
50.2
49.1
44.6
45.8
65.4
55.7
61.5
60.3
57.9
60.1
49.7
49.4
44.4
45.8
66.2
56.6
6,202
908
405
1,240
1,200
870
850
260
94
1,650
6,137
836
408
1,170
1,360
780
920
270
88
1,420
7,637
865
409
1,140
1,470
770
920
330
86
1,850
8,273
898
394
1,260
1,750
1,090
1,040
510
108
2,790
10,678
1,314
495
1,360
1,920
1,560
1,160
590
137
3,030
10,717
1,448
697
1,560
1,970
1,990
1,270
710
151
3,190
8,539
1,399
642
1,610
2,320
1,970
1,280
690
136
3,180
8,312
1,328
602
1,560
2,440
2,010
1,310
600
125
3,060
8,237
1,236
610
1,670
2,490
1,890
1,680
560
117
3,090
7,425
1,167
629
1,730
2,550
1,890
1,760
540
84
2,850
6.1
8.3
6.3
2.3
5.3
3.3
4.1
5.2
2.2
6.3
5.8
7.4
6.3
2.1
6.0
3.0
4.4
5.3
2.1
5.4
7.1
7.5
6.1
2.0
6.4
2.9
4.4
6.2
2.0
7.0
7.6
7.5
5.8
2.2
7.6
4.1
4.9
9.2
2.5
10.5
9.7
11.0
7.2
2.4
8.3
5.8
5.4
10.6
3.1
11.3
9.6
11.9
10.0
2.7
8.5
7.1
5.9
12.7
3.5
11.9
7.5
11.3
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
10.5
2.8
11.2
7.0
9.6
8.1
2.8
10.6
7.0
7.5
9.7
2.6
11.2
6.2
8.9
8.1
2.9
10.9
6.9
7.9
9.3
1.9
10.3
L a b o r fo rc e
United S tates........................................................
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 S tates........................................................
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 t io 2
United S tates........................................................
Canada ..................................................................
Australia................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden..............................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
U n e m p lo y e d
United S tates........................................................
Canada ..................................................................
Australia.................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden..................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
U n e m p lo y m e n t r a te
United S tates........................................................
Canada ..................................................................
Australia.................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden.................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
1 j_abor force as a percent of the civilian working-age population.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2 Employment as a percent of the civilian working-age population.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: International Comparisons Data
47. Annual indexes of manufacturing productivity and related measures, 12 countries
(1977 = 100)
Item and country
1960
1970
1973
1975
1976
1977
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
O u tp u t p e r h o u r
United States........................................................
Canada .................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium..................................................................
Denmark ................................................................
France ...................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Sweden..................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
62.2
50.7
23.2
33.0
37.2
36.6
40.3
35.4
32.4
54.6
42.3
55.9
80.8
75.6
64.8
60.4
65.6
70.0
71.2
72.7
64.3
81.7
80.7
80.4
93.4
90.3
83.1
78.8
83.3
82.7
84.0
90.9
81.5
94.6
94.8
95.5
92.9
88.6
87.7
86.5
94.6
89.0
90.1
91.1
86.2
96.8
100.2
94.9
97.1
94.8
94.3
95.3
98.2
95.6
96.4
98.9
95.8
99.7
101.7
99.1
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
101.4
102.0
114.8
111.9
106.5
109.7
108.2
110.5
112.3
107.1
110.9
102.5
101.4
98.2
122.7
119.2
112.3
110.6
108.6
116.9
113.9
106.7
112.7
101.9
103.6
102.9
127.2
127.6
114.2
114.0
111.0
124.8
116.9
107.0
113.2
107.0
105.9
98.3
135.0
135.2
114.6
122.0
112.6
129.6
119.4
109.8
116.5
113.5
112.0
105.4
142.3
148.2
120.2
125.1
119.2
138.6
127.5
117.2
125.5
123.2
118.1
116.8
152.5
154.4
118.6
129.3
123.7
147.8
140.5
123.9
131.0
130.0
124.2
119.7
161.1
159.0
118.3
133.3
128.5
151.9
145.1
125.2
136.1
134.7
128.8
119.4
163.8
165.4
118.5
136.2
130.7
153.1
144.7
124.8
136.4
138.5
132.4
121.5
170.5
121.0
141.2
132.4
158.9
134.4
139.9
148.1
52.5
41.3
19.2
41.9
49.2
35.4
50.0
36.4
44.8
55.1
52.6
71.2
78.6
73.5
69.9
78.6
82.0
73.3
86.6
78.0
84.4
86.9
92.5
95.0
96.3
93.5
91.9
96.4
95.9
88.6
96.1
90.5
95.8
99.5
100.3
104.8
84.9
89.9
86.2
92.7
95.0
90.0
91.0
86.9
92.7
101.0
106.1
96.3
93.1
96.5
94.8
99.7
99.6
96.1
98.0
97.9
99.0
101.4
106.1
98.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
108.1
108.5
113.9
104.1
105.4
105.3
106.6
108.6
106.1
100.3
103.6
100.5
103.2
103.6
124.1
106.8
110.1
104.6
106.6
115.4
106.6
98.8
104.0
91.7
104.8
107.4
129.8
105.7
106.6
102.9
104.9
115.1
106.7
97.7
100.6
86.2
98.4
93.6
137.3
110.1
108.3
104.0
102.4
113.4
105.0
97.4
100.1
86.4
104.7
99.6
148.2
114.8
115.6
103.8
103.6
114.3
107.0
97.2
105.2
88.9
117.5
114.9
165.4
117.5
119.7
104.0
106.4
119.0
113.3
102.6
111.5
92.6
122.5
121.2
177.0
119.9
123.4
103.3
110.1
121.8
116.0
105.2
115.3
95.2
125.9
123.9
178.0
122.0
126.7
103.0
112.8
125.8
117.3
107.0
115.2
95.5
130.7
129.9
184.1
124.3
104.1
113.5
131.2
108.9
118.8
100.7
84.4
81.4
82.7
127.1
132.4
96.7
123.8
102.8
138.4
101.0
124.4
127.3
97.3
97.2
107.9
130.2
125.1
104.7
121.7
107.4
131.2
106.4
114.6
118.1
103.1
103.6
110.7
122.3
115.2
107.1
114.4
99.6
117.6
105.1
105.7
109.8
91.4
101.5
98.2
107.1
100.4
101.1
101.0
95.4
107.6
104.3
105.9
101.5
95.9
101.8
100.6
104.6
101.4
100.6
101.6
99.0
103.3
101.7
104.3
99.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
106.5
106.3
99.3
93.0
99.0
95.9
98.5
98.2
94.4
93.6
93.4
98.0
101.7
105.5
101.2
89.6
98.0
94.6
98.1
98.7
93.6
92.6
92.3
90.1
101.1
104.3
102.0
82.8
93.4
90.3
94.6
92.2
91.2
91.3
88.9
80.6
92.9
95.2
101.7
81.4
94.5
85.2
91.0
87.5
88.0
88.6
85.9
76.2
93.5
94.5
104.2
77.5
96.2
83.0
86.9
82.5
83.9
82.9
83.9
72.2
99.5
98.3
108.5
76.1
100.9
80.4
86.1
80.5
80.6
82.8
85.1
71.2
98.7
101.2
109.8
75.4
104.3
77.5
85.7
80.2
79.9
84.0
84.7
70.7
97.8
103.8
108.7
73.8
106.9
75.6
86.3
82.2
81.1
85.7
84.5
69.0
98.7
106.9
108.0
102.7
73.7
85.7
82.6
36.5
27.5
8.9
13.8
12.6
15.2
18.8
8.4
12.5
15.8
14.7
15.2
57.4
47.9
33.9
34.9
36.3
36.7
48.0
26.1
39.0
37.9
38.5
31.4
68.8
60.0
55.1
53.5
56.1
52.4
67.5
43.7
60.5
54.5
54.2
47.9
85.1
78.9
84.2
79.0
81.0
77.0
84.5
70.2
82.2
77.2
77.3
76.4
92.1
90.3
90.7
89.5
90.4
89.2
91.2
84.2
91.9
88.8
91.5
88.4
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
118.6
118.6
113.4
117.5
123.1
128.4
116.1
134.7
117.0
116.0
120.1
139.0
132.4
131.3
120.7
130.4
135.9
148.5
125.6
160.2
123.6
128.0
133.6
168.7
145.2
151.1
129.8
144.5
149.7
172.0
134.5
198.4
129.1
142.8
148.1
193.3
157.5
167.0
136.6
150.7
162.9
203.9
141.0
238.3
137.5
156.0
158.9
211.7
162.4
177.2
140.7
159.7
174.2
225.2
148.3
282.9
144.0
173.5
173.3
226.6
168.0
185.5
144.9
173.0
184.4
247.2
155.5
316.5
150.0
188.3
189.7
242.3
176.9
194.7
151.4
184.5
196.1
267.2
164.7
348.6
157.7
204.8
212.4
258.6
182.7
202.3
158.8
191.9
205.3
279.8
172.1
360.0
161.5
225.3
228.1
278.5
185.1
211.4
161.1
225.9
289.3
179.1
383.2
58.7
54.2
38.4
41.7
33.8
41.5
46.6
23.7
38.5
29.0
34.8
27.2
71.0
63.4
52.3
57.8
55.4
52.5
67.4
36.0
60.7
46.4
47.7
39.1
73.7
66.5
66.4
67.9
67.4
63.4
80.3
48.1
74.3
57.6
57.2
50.2
91.7
89.1
96.0
91.2
85.6
86.5
93.8
77.1
95.4
79.7
77.1
80.5
94.9
95.3
96.2
93.9
92.1
93.3
94.6
85.1
96.0
89.1
90.0
89.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
117.0
116.2
98.8
105.0
115.7
117.0
107.3
121.9
104.1
108.2
108.3
135.6
130.6
133.7
98.4
109.4
121.0
134.3
115.7
137.0
108.5
120.0
118.6
165.6
140.1
146.7
102.0
113.2
131.1
151.0
121.2
158.9
110.4
133.4
130.9
180.6
148.7
170.0
101.2
111.4
142.2
167.2
125.2
184.0
115.2
142.1
136.3
186.6
145.0
168.1
98.9
107.8
144.9
179.9
124.4
204.1
113.0
148.0
138.1
183.9
142.2
158.8
95.0
112.1
155.4
191.2
125.8
214.1
106.8
152.0
144.8
186.4
142.4
162.6
94.0
116.0
165.7
200.4
128.2
229.5
108.7
163.5
156.1
192.0
141.8
169.4
97.0
116.0
173.2
205.4
131.7
235.1
111.6
180.5
167.3
201.1
139.7
174.0
94.5
58.7
59.4
28.5
30.0
29.5
41.6
25.9
33.7
25.1
21.7
30.1
43.7
71.0
64.5
39.1
41.7
44.4
46.7
42.9
50.6
41.2
34.5
41.1
53.7
73.7
70.6
65.6
62.7
67.2
70.2
70.4
73.1
65.6
53.4
58.7
70.5
91.7
93.1
86.7
89.1
89.6
99.3
88.7
104.3
92.8
81.4
83.2
102.5
94.9
102.7
86.9
87.2
91.5
96.1
87.3
90.5
89.1
86.9
92.3
92.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
117.0
105.4
121.3
128.3
132.0
135.2
135.9
129.5
127.4
113.8
112.9
165.0
130.6
121.5
116.8
134.3
129.0
156.4
147.9
141.4
134.1
129.3
125.3
220.7
140.1
130.0
123.8
109.6
110.3
136.4
124.9
123.2
108.9
123.6
115.4
209.5
148.7
146.3
108.8
87.2
102.3
124.9
119.7
119.9
105.8
117.1
96.9
186.9
145.0
144.9
111.5
75.5
95.1
116.1
113.1
118.6
97.1
107.9
80.4
159.8
142.2
130.3
107.2
69.5
90.1
107.6
102.6
107.6
81.6
99.1
78.2
142.8
142.4
126.5
105.6
70.1
93.9
109.7
101.1
106.1
80.4
101.3
81.1
142.7
141.8
129.5
154.2
93.1
128.5
145.8
140.8
139.2
111.9
129.8
104.9
169.2
O u tp u t
United S tates........................................................
Canada ..................................................................
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
United Kingdom.....................................................
T o ta l h o u rs
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium.................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Netherlands...........................................................
Norway..................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
C o m p e n s a t io n p e r h o u r
Japan ....................................................................
Belgium..................................................................
Germany................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Norway..................................................................
United Kingdom....................................................
U n it la b o r c o s t s :
National currency basis
Belgium..................................................................
Italy........................................................................
Nonway..................................................................
United Kingdom...................................................
U n it la b o r c o s t s :
U.S. dollar basis
Japan ...................................................................
United Kingdom...................................................
- Data not available.
98
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
81.0
84.9
68.0
263.1
243.8
301.3
186.6
204.9
135.2
241.2
195.7
174.3
203.4
139.7
139.4
175.0
163.6
167.5
174.5
164.2
154.5
122.7
191.2
48. Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by industry, United States
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers2
Industry and type of case1
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
P R IV A T E S E C T O R 3
Total cases...................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................
Lost workdays....................................................................
9.4
4.1
63.5
9.5
4.3
67.7
8.7
4.0
65.2
8.3
3.8
61.7
7.7
3.5
58.7
7.6
3.4
58.5
8.0
3.7
63.4
7.9
3.6
64.9
7.9
3.6
65.8
11.6
5.4
80.7
11.7
5.7
83.7
11.9
5.8
82.7
12.3
5.9
82.8
11.8
5.9
86.0
11.9
6.1
90.8
12.0
6.1
90.7
11.4
5.7
91.3
11.2
5.6
93.6
11.5
6.4
143.2
11.4
6.8
150.5
11.2
6.5
163.6
11.6
6.2
146.4
10.5
5.4
137.3
8.4
4.5
125.1
9.7
5.3
160.2
8.4
4.8
145.3
7.4
4.1
125.9
16.0
6.4
109.4
16.2
6.8
120.4
15.7
6.5
117.0
15.1
6.3
113.1
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
15.9
6.3
105.3
16.3
6.8
111.2
15.5
6.5
113.0
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
16.6
6.2
110.9
16.6
6.7
123.1
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
15.8
6.6
111.0
16.0
6.9
124.3
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
13.2
5.6
84.9
13.3
5.9
90.2
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
22.6
11.1
178.8
20.7
10.8
175.9
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
17.5
6.9
95.9
17.6
7.1
99.6
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
16.8
7.8
126.3
16.8
8.0
133.7
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
17.0
7.5
123.6
17.3
8.1
134.7
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
19.3
8.0
112.4
19.9
8.7
124.2
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
14.4
5.4
75.1
14.7
5.9
83.6
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
8.7
3.3
50.3
8.6
3.4
51.9
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
11.5
5.1
78.0
11.6
5.5
85.9
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
6.9
2.6
37.0
7.2
2.8
40.0
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
11.8
4.5
66.4
11.7
4.7
67.7
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
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 ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
C o n s tr u c tio n
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
General building contractors:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Heavy construction contractors:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Special trade contractors:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
M a n u fa c tu r in g
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
D u r a b le g o o d s
Lumber and wood products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays.....................................................................................
Furniture and fixtures:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Stone, clay, and glass products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Primary metal Industries:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Fabricated metal products:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Machinery, except electrical:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Electric and electronic equipment:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday cases..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Transportation equipment:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Instruments and related products:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
September 1988
•
Current Labor Statistics: Injury and Illness Data
48. Continued— Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by industry, United States
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers2
industry ana type
ot
case1
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
N o n d u ra b le g o o d s
Food and kindred products:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Tobacco manufacturing:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Textile mill products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses..................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Apparel and other textile products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Paper and allied products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday cases ...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Printing and publishing:
Total cases................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Chemicals and allied products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Petroleum and coal products:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
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............................................................................................
19.4
8.9
132.2
19.9
9.5
141.8
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
8.7
4.0
58.6
9.3
4.2
64.8
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
10.2
3.4
61.5
9.7
3.4
61.3
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
6.5
2.2
32.4
6.5
2.2
34.1
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
13.5
5.7
103.3
13.5
6.0
108.4
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
7.0
2.9
43.8
7.1
3.1
45.1
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
7.8
3.3
50.9
7.7
3.5
54.9
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
7.9
3.4
58.3
7.7
3.6
62.0
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
17.1
8.1
125.5
17.1
8.2
127.1
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
6.6
118.2
11.7
4.7
72.5
11.5
4.9
76.2
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
10.1
5.7
102.3
10.0
5.9
107.0
9.4
5.5
104.5
9.0
5.3
100.6
8.5
4.9
96.7
8.2
4.7
94.9
8.8
5.2
105.1
8.6
5.0
107.1
8.2
4.8
102.1
7.9
3.2
44.9
8.0
3.4
49.0
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
8.9
3.9
57.5
8.8
4.1
59.1
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
7.5
2.8
39.7
7.7
3.1
44.7
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
2.1
.8
12.5
2.1
.9
13.3
2.0
.8
12.2
1.9
.8
11.6
2.0
.9
13.2
2.0
.9
12.8
1.9
.9
13.6
2.0
.9
15.4
2.0
.9
17.1
5.5
2.4
36.2
5.5
2.5
38.1
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
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 ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays ..........................................................................................
W h o le s a le a n d r e ta il tr a d e
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
Lost workdays............................................................................................
Wholesale trade:
Total cases.................................................................................................
Lost workday ca ses...................................................................................
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.
100
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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.
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