Real Earnings Rise In July

ByJohn S. McClenahen For people working in private nonfarm U.S. establishments, real average weekly earnings -- that is, average weekly earnings adjusted for inflation -- increased 0.7% between June and July, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Aug. 17. The earnings rise was a combination of a 0.3% increase in average hourly earnings, a 0.3% increase in average weekly hours, and a 0.1% decrease in the department's Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.