Average Hourly Earnings

January 9, 2026

Average  hourly earnings rose 0.3% in December to $37.02 after having risen 0.2% in November,  Earnings growth  in the past year has been 3.8%.

While nominal earnings have risen 3.8% in the past year, inflation has risen fairly quickly and real or inflation-adjusted earnings have risen only 0.9% in that same period of time which is roughly the same growth rate in real earnings that existed prior to the recession.

Average weekly earnings were unchanged in December at $1,266.08 after having climbed 0.5% in October.  In the past year weekly earnings have risen 3.8%.

Stephen Slifer

NumberNomics

Charleston, SC