Full text of First Quarter 2001 : Text File, 01-102
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Technical information: (202) 691-6378 USDL 01-102
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, April 18, 2001
USUAL WEEKLY EARNINGS OF WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS:
FIRST QUARTER 2001
Median weekly earnings of the nation's 99.1 million full-time wage and
salary workers were $592 in the first quarter of 2001, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This was 3.0
percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.4 percent in
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same
period.
Data on usual earnings are collected as part of the Current Population
Survey, a nationwide sample survey of households in which respondents are
asked, among other things, how much each wage and salary worker usually
earns. (See the explanatory note.) Highlights from the first-quarter data
are:
--Women who usually worked full time had median earnings of $508 per
week, or 76.0 percent of the $668 median for men. The female-to-male
earnings ratios were higher among Hispanics (88.9 percent) and blacks
(87.1 percent) than among whites (74.8 percent). (See table 1.)
--Median earnings for black men working at full-time jobs were $505 per
week, 72.7 percent of the median for white men ($695). The difference was
much less among women, as black women's median earnings ($440) were 84.6
percent of those for their white counterparts ($520). Overall, median
earnings of Hispanics who worked full time ($407) were lower than those of
blacks ($477) and whites ($610). (See table 1.)
--Among men, the $809 median weekly earnings level of 45- to 54-year-olds
was the highest of any age group. Among women, earnings also were highest
for those 45 to 54 years old ($570), while 55- to 64-year-olds had the
second-highest earnings ($549). (See table 2.)
--Among the major occupational groups, persons employed full time in
managerial and professional specialty occupations had the highest median
weekly earnings--$1,029 for men and $731 for women. Men and women in
service and farm jobs earned the least. (See table 3.)
--Full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had
median weekly earnings of $371, compared with $513 for high school grad-
uates (no college) and $922 for college graduates. Among college graduates
with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree and above), the highest
-earning 10 percent of male workers made $2,434 or more per week, compared
with $1,663 or more for their female counterparts. (See table 4.)
Explanatory Note
The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current
Population Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for
the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scienti-
fically selected national sample of about 50,000 households, with coverage
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The earnings data are
collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to
wages and salaries. The data, therefore, exclude self-employment income.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Reliability
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsam-
pling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true"
population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error,
varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will
differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value
because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the
population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in
the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of the February 1994 and subsequent issues of
Employment and Earnings.
Definitions
The principal definitions used in connection with the earnings series
are described briefly below.
Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders.) Prior to
1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week. Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period. Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent. The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent. If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
Medians (and other quantiles) of weekly earnings. The median (or upper
limit of the second quartile) is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median
and the other having earnings below the median. Ten percent of a given
distribution have earnings below the upper limit of the first decile (90
percent have higher earnings); 25 percent have earnings below the upper
limit of the first quartile (75 percent have higher earnings); 75 percent
have earnings below the upper limit of the third quartile (25 percent have
higher earnings); and 90 percent have earnings below the upper limit of the
ninth decile (10 percent have higher earnings).
- 2 -
The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly
earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples
of $50. The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of
the interval in which the quantile boundary lies.
Over-the-year changes in the medians (and other quantile boundaries)
for specific groups may not necessarily be consistent with the movements
estimated for the overall quantile boundary. The most common reasons for
this possible anomaly are: (1) There could be a change in the relative
weights of the subgroups. For example, the medians of both 16-to-24 year
olds and those 25 years and over may rise; but if the lower-earning 16-to-
24 group accounts for a greatly increased share of the total, the overall
median could actually fall. (2) There could be a large change in the shape
of the distribution of reported earnings, particularly near a quantile
boundary. This could be caused by survey observations that are clustered
at rounded values, e.g., $250, $300, $400. An estimate lying in a $50-wide
centered interval containing such a cluster or "spike" tends to change more
slowly than one in other intervals.
Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates. The group includes
employees in both the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of
the earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of
whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
Constant dollars. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U) is used to convert current dollars to constant (1982) dollars.
Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included in
the numbers for the white and black populations.
Table 1. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly averages,
not seasonally adjusted
Number of workers Median weekly earnings
(in thousands)
Characteristic In current dollars In constant (1982)
dollars
I I
2000 2001
I I I I
2000 2001 2000 2001
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over.................................. 98,223 99,054 $575 $592 $327 $325
Men, 16 years and over................................. 55,088 55,382 649 668 369 367
16 to 24 years....................................... 6,109 6,195 369 384 210 211
25 years and over.................................... 48,979 49,187 697 718 396 394
Women, 16 years and over............................... 43,135 43,673 488 508 277 279
16 to 24 years....................................... 4,659 4,831 341 358 194 197
25 years and over.................................... 38,476 38,842 511 535 290 294
RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX
White.................................................. 81,205 81,758 590 610 335 335
Men.................................................. 46,579 46,862 672 695 382 381
Women................................................ 34,625 34,896 497 520 282 286
Black.................................................. 12,331 12,527 459 477 261 262
Men.................................................. 5,900 5,899 496 505 282 277
Women................................................ 6,430 6,628 422 440 240 241
Hispanic origin........................................ 11,423 11,627 395 407 224 223
Men.................................................. 7,096 7,083 419 424 238 233
Women................................................ 4,328 4,543 355 377 202 207
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
Table 2. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex,
first quarter 2001 averages, not seasonally adjusted
Total Men Women
Age, race, and Hispanic origin Number Number Number
of Median of Median of Median
workers weekly workers weekly workers weekly
(in earnings (in earnings (in earnings
thousands) thousands) thousands)
TOTAL
16 years and over......................................... 99,054 $592 55,382 $668 43,673 $508
16 to 24 years.......................................... 11,026 374 6,195 384 4,831 358
16 to 19 years........................................ 1,929 297 1,112 313 817 276
20 to 24 years........................................ 9,096 393 5,082 403 4,014 380
25 years and over....................................... 88,028 624 49,187 718 38,842 535
25 to 54 years........................................ 76,953 625 43,007 717 33,946 535
25 to 34 years...................................... 24,687 578 14,070 622 10,617 513
35 to 44 years...................................... 28,827 647 16,373 747 12,454 534
45 to 54 years...................................... 23,439 683 12,564 809 10,874 570
55 years and over..................................... 11,076 613 6,180 725 4,896 534
55 to 64 years...................................... 9,633 627 5,349 743 4,285 549
65 years and over................................... 1,442 488 831 533 611 390
White
16 years and over......................................... 81,758 610 46,862 695 34,896 520
16 to 24 years.......................................... 9,084 381 5,244 391 3,840 365
25 years and over....................................... 72,674 650 41,618 743 31,056 553
25 to 54 years........................................ 63,174 651 36,231 742 26,943 553
55 years and over..................................... 9,500 639 5,387 752 4,113 556
Black
16 years and over......................................... 12,527 477 5,899 505 6,628 440
16 to 24 years.......................................... 1,477 328 700 327 777 330
25 years and over....................................... 11,050 500 5,199 526 5,851 467
25 to 54 years........................................ 9,890 501 4,612 524 5,278 472
55 years and over..................................... 1,160 483 587 540 573 423
Hispanic origin
16 years and over......................................... 11,627 407 7,083 424 4,543 377
16 to 24 years.......................................... 2,086 316 1,337 319 749 307
25 years and over....................................... 9,541 439 5,746 478 3,795 397
25 to 54 years........................................ 8,671 441 5,179 480 3,492 395
55 years and over..................................... 870 423 567 428 303 418
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
Table 3. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation and sex, quarterly averages,
not seasonally adjusted
Number of workers Median weekly earnings
(in thousands)
Occupation and sex
I I I I
2000 2001 2000 2001
TOTAL
Managerial and professional specialty.................... 31,508 31,990 $827 $853
Executive, administrative, and managerial.............. 15,433 15,754 820 865
Professional specialty................................. 16,074 16,236 833 844
Technical, sales, and administrative support............. 27,980 28,412 505 519
Technicians and related support........................ 3,726 3,715 637 660
Sales occupations...................................... 9,753 10,239 558 579
Administrative support, including clerical............. 14,500 14,458 467 483
Service occupations...................................... 10,529 11,025 357 367
Private household...................................... 318 380 258 265
Protective service..................................... 1,976 2,101 619 613
Service, except private household and protective....... 8,235 8,544 329 330
Precision production, craft, and repair.................. 11,945 12,120 608 622
Mechanics and repairers................................ 4,160 4,143 660 654
Construction trades.................................... 4,221 4,405 593 603
Other precision production, craft, and repair.......... 3,564 3,572 566 619
Operators, fabricators, and laborers..................... 14,756 14,312 445 454
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors.......... 6,464 6,220 428 446
Transportation and material moving occupations......... 4,407 4,108 528 556
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers.... 3,885 3,984 378 390
Farming, forestry, and fishing........................... 1,506 1,196 320 370
Men
Managerial and professional specialty.................... 15,959 16,179 976 1,029
Executive, administrative, and managerial.............. 7,986 8,331 981 1,059
Professional specialty................................. 7,973 7,848 972 1,009
Technical, sales, and administrative support............. 10,701 10,708 661 681
Technicians and related support........................ 1,930 1,905 747 796
Sales occupations...................................... 5,342 5,617 679 725
Administrative support, including clerical............. 3,429 3,186 588 583
Service occupations...................................... 5,143 5,420 418 429
Private household...................................... 17 23 (1) (1)
Protective service..................................... 1,676 1,755 646 639
Service, except private household and protective....... 3,450 3,642 359 366
Precision production, craft, and repair.................. 10,869 11,016 623 643
Mechanics and repairers................................ 4,023 3,921 660 661
Construction trades.................................... 4,128 4,324 595 605
Other precision production, craft, and repair.......... 2,717 2,771 624 684
Operators, fabricators, and laborers..................... 11,144 11,022 488 491
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors.......... 4,087 4,030 495 504
Transportation and material moving occupations......... 4,028 3,731 548 576
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers.... 3,029 3,261 395 405
Farming, forestry, and fishing........................... 1,273 1,036 329 376
Women
Managerial and professional specialty.................... 15,549 15,811 702 731
Executive, administrative, and managerial.............. 7,447 7,423 674 710
Professional specialty................................. 8,102 8,387 725 745
Technical, sales, and administrative support............. 17,279 17,704 446 469
Technicians and related support........................ 1,796 1,810 524 556
Sales occupations...................................... 4,412 4,622 410 423
Administrative support, including clerical............. 11,071 11,272 443 464
Service occupations...................................... 5,386 5,605 317 319
Private household...................................... 301 357 251 269
Protective service..................................... 300 346 507 483
Service, except private household and protective....... 4,785 4,902 314 317
Precision production, craft, and repair.................. 1,076 1,104 421 466
Mechanics and repairers................................ 137 222 644 556
Construction trades.................................... 92 81 (1) (1)
Other precision production, craft, and repair.......... 847 801 402 432
Operators, fabricators, and laborers..................... 3,612 3,290 348 361
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors.......... 2,377 2,190 349 368
Transportation and material moving occupations......... 379 377 399 412
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers.... 855 723 320 317
Farming, forestry, and fishing........................... 233 159 279 344
1 Data not shown where base is less than 100,000.
Table 4. Quartiles and selected deciles of usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected
characteristics, first quarter 2001 averages, not seasonally adjusted
Number Upper limit of:
of
Characteristic workers
(in First First Second Third Ninth
thousands) decile quartile quartile quartile decile
(median)
SEX, RACE, AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
Total, 16 years and over.................................. 99,054 $287 $392 $592 $894 $1,332
Men..................................................... 55,382 309 434 668 1,012 1,502
Women................................................... 43,673 267 350 508 748 1,062
White................................................... 81,758 293 404 610 922 1,364
Men................................................... 46,862 315 456 695 1,041 1,537
Women................................................. 34,896 274 364 520 761 1,088
Black................................................... 12,527 257 328 477 686 997
Men................................................... 5,899 281 359 505 732 1,077
Women................................................. 6,628 241 308 440 643 928
Hispanic................................................ 11,627 241 295 407 609 884
Men................................................... 7,083 252 307 424 659 947
Women................................................. 4,543 229 275 377 538 778
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Total, 25 years and over................................ 88,028 301 417 624 940 1,384
Less than a high school diploma....................... 7,784 232 284 371 505 704
High school graduates, no college..................... 27,571 286 375 513 732 993
Some college or associate degree...................... 25,012 318 433 613 862 1,164
College graduates, total.............................. 27,661 455 640 922 1,357 1,893
Bachelor's degree only.............................. 18,183 419 602 857 1,248 1,750
Advanced degree..................................... 9,478 562 743 1,058 1,552 2,161
Men, 25 years and over................................ 49,187 336 483 718 1,071 1,559
Less than a high school diploma..................... 4,873 254 309 417 569 782
High school graduates, no college................... 15,645 322 427 597 838 1,112
Some college or associate degree.................... 13,287 364 501 714 980 1,315
College graduates, total............................ 15,382 508 736 1,086 1,559 2,141
Bachelor's degree only............................ 10,064 483 688 989 1,441 1,914
Advanced degree................................... 5,318 605 841 1,248 1,817 2,434
Women, 25 years and over.............................. 38,842 278 371 535 773 1,107
Less than a high school diploma..................... 2,911 211 253 306 404 511
High school graduates, no college................... 11,926 256 323 426 591 771
Some college or associate degree.................... 11,725 293 387 522 716 958
College graduates, total............................ 12,279 407 584 774 1,072 1,498
Bachelor's degree only............................ 8,120 380 534 731 999 1,386
Advanced degree................................... 4,160 518 667 897 1,191 1,663
NOTE: Ten percent of all full-time wage and salary workers earn less than the upper limit of the first decile; 25
percent earn less than the upper limit of the first quartile; 50 percent earn less than the upper limit of the second
quartile, or median; 75 percent earn less than the upper limit of the third quartile; and 90 percent earn less than the
upper limit of the ninth decile. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data
for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.
Table 5. Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, quarterly
averages, not seasonally adjusted
Number of workers Median weekly earnings
(in thousands)
Characteristic
I I I I
2000 2001 2000 2001
SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over.................................. 21,222 21,431 $164 $175
Men, 16 years and over................................. 6,824 6,799 153 163
16 to 24 years....................................... 3,867 3,696 123 129
25 years and over.................................... 2,957 3,103 207 221
Women, 16 years and over............................... 14,398 14,632 170 181
16 to 24 years....................................... 4,633 4,752 123 127
25 years and over.................................... 9,765 9,880 200 214
RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX
White.................................................. 18,301 18,488 165 175
Men.................................................. 5,724 5,654 152 163
Women................................................ 12,576 12,835 171 182
Black.................................................. 1,997 1,959 158 170
Men.................................................. 711 737 150 151
Women................................................ 1,286 1,222 163 181
Hispanic origin........................................ 1,896 2,027 175 175
Men.................................................. 640 716 183 174
Women................................................ 1,256 1,310 170 176
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other
races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.