Average Hourly Earnings Decreased 0.2% in October, CPI Increased 0.4%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased 0.2 percent from September to October. This result stems from an increase of 0.2 percent in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.4 percent in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Real average hourly earnings increased 1.2 percent, from October 2018 to October 2019. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3-percent decrease in the average workweek resulted in a 0.9-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.