U.S. wages, earnings, labor costs and productivity

Average hourly earnings

$37.81 Sep 2026 · was 3.1% in Aug 2026

Average hourly earnings show what private-sector workers are paid per hour before taxes, based on the monthly employer survey. Comparing its yearly growth with CPI inflation shows whether paychecks are keeping up with prices.

Average hourly earnings: production and nonsupervisory

$32.60 Sep 2026 · was 3.3% in Aug 2026

This is average hourly pay for production and nonsupervisory employees, roughly 80% of private workers. It has a longer history than the all-employee series, back to 1964.

Average weekly earnings

$1,300.66 Sep 2026 · was 3.7% in Aug 2026

Average weekly earnings combine hourly pay and hours worked for all private employees. They can rise because of higher pay or longer workweeks.

Average weekly hours

0.0 hrs Sep 2026 vs. Aug 2026

This is the average number of hours worked per week by all private employees. Employers often cut hours before cutting jobs, so it can be an early signal.

Average hourly earnings: manufacturing

$30.21 Sep 2026 · was 4.2% in Aug 2026

This is average hourly pay for production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing.

Real median weekly earnings

$370 Q3 2026 · was 0.5% in Q2 2026

This is the median usual weekly pay of full-time wage and salary workers, adjusted for inflation and expressed in 1982-84 dollars. Half of full-time workers earn more and half earn less.

Employment Cost Index: total compensation

177.2 Q2 2026 · was 3.4% in Q1 2026

The Employment Cost Index tracks what employers pay per hour for wages and benefits, holding the mix of jobs constant. Because it is not affected by shifts between high- and low-paying jobs, the Fed watches it closely.

Employment Cost Index: wages and salaries

179.0 Q2 2026 · was 3.3% in Q1 2026

This part of the Employment Cost Index covers wages and salaries of private industry workers, without benefits.

Labor productivity

120.0 Q2 2026 · was 2.9% in Q1 2026

Labor productivity is output per hour worked in the nonfarm business sector. Over the long run, productivity growth is what allows wages to rise faster than prices.

Unit labor costs

124.0 Q2 2026 · was 0.4% in Q1 2026

Unit labor costs measure what businesses pay workers to produce one unit of output. They rise when pay grows faster than productivity, which can push up prices.