A Note on Average Hourly Earnings in Aircraft and Guided Missiles and Space Vehicles Manufacturing - Sic 3721 - Sic 3761 - Statistical Data Included

Employment and Earnings, Oct, 1999

For many years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings series for production workers in aircraft manufacturing (SIC 3721) and guided missiles and space vehicles manufacturing (SIC 3761) have been used to escalate labor costs in contracts between aerospace companies and their customers. Although the Bureau's series by definition take account of traditional wage rate changes, they do not capture "lump-sum payments to workers in lieu of general wage increases" which were negotiated in aerospace manufacturers' collective bargaining agreements beginning in late 1983.

Because of special circumstances in the aerospace industry, BLS has calculated average hourly earnings series for SIC 3721 and SIC 3761 which include lump-sum payments. These series, beginning in October 1983, the effective date of the first aerospace bargaining agreement using lump-sum payments, were published in the June 1988 issue of Employment and Earnings. Current and year earlier data are presented in table B-15a along with the average hourly earnings series produced as part of the Current Employment Statistics program. An explanation of the methodology used to derive these series appears in the Explanatory Notes of this publication.

B-15a. Average hourly earnings in aircraft (SIC 3721) and guided missiles and space vehicles (SIC 3761) manufacturing

                                       Aircraft (SIC 3721)
           Series
                                July     Aug.     July     Aug.
                                1998     1998     1999    1999(p)

Average hourly earnings,
 excluding lump-sum payments   $20.99   $21.07   $21.80    $21.95

Average hourly earnings,
 including lump-sum payments    21.08    21.15    21.83     22.01

                               Guided missiles and space vehicles
                                          (SIC 3761)
           Series
                                July     Aug.     July     Aug.
                                1998     1998     1999    1999(p)

Average hourly earnings,
 excluding lump-sum payments   $21.55   $21.55   $21.71    $21.63

Average hourly earnings,
 including lump-sum payments    21.76    21.76    21.86     21.77

(p) = preliminary

ESTABLISHMENT DATA EARNINGS NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED

B-16. Average hourly earnings(1), excluding overtime, of production
workers on manufacturing payrolls

                                                 Aug.      Sept.
                   Industry                      1998      1998

Manufacturing                                   $12.74    $12.88

 Durable goods                                   13.18     13.33
  Lumber and wood products                       10.57     10.63
  Furniture and fixtures                         10.44     10.51
  Stone, clay, and glass products                12.63     12.87
  Primary metal industries                       14.43     14.53
  Fabricated metal products                      12.34     12.47
  Industrial machinery and equipment             13.67     13.80
  Electronic and other electrical equipment      12.52     12.64
  Transportation equipment                       16.33     16.48
  Instruments and related products               13.29     13.38
  Miscellaneous manufacturing                    10.45     10.61

 Nondurable goods                                12.08     12.22
  Food and kindred products                      11.00     11.15
  Tobacco products                               18.28     17.48
  Textile mill products                           9.84      9.93
  Apparel and other textile products              8.31      8.40
  Paper and allied products                      14.59     14.76
  Printing and publishing                        12.90     13.05
  Chemicals and allied products                  16.18     16.29
  Petroleum and coal products                    19.23     19.30
  Rubber and misc. plastics products             11.25     11.38
  Leather and leather products                    9.01      9.08

                                                 July      Aug.
                   Industry                      1999     1999(p)

Manufacturing                                   $13.20    $13.19

 Durable goods                                   13.65     13.67
  Lumber and wood products                       10.93     10.92
  Furniture and fixtures                         10.71     10.74
  Stone, clay, and glass products                13.00     12.95
  Primary metal industries                       14.93     14.83
  Fabricated metal products                      12.76     12.74
  Industrial machinery and equipment             14.28     14.31
  Electronic and other electrical equipment      12.89     12.87
  Transportation equipment                       17.05     17.13
  Instruments and related products               13.73     13.73
  Miscellaneous manufacturing                    10.95     10.90

 Nondurable goods                                12.54     12.48
  Food and kindred products                      11.38     11.28
  Tobacco products                               20.14     20.24
  Textile mill products                          10.17     10.17
  Apparel and other textile products              8.60      8.62
  Paper and allied products                      15.08     14.97
  Printing and publishing                        13.29     13.28
  Chemicals and allied products                  16.54     16.52
  Petroleum and coal products                    19.77     19.88
  Rubber and misc. plastics products             11.75     11.67
  Leather and leather products                    9.35      9.46

                                                 Sept.
                   Industry                     1999(p)

Manufacturing                                   $13.34

 Durable goods                                   13.82
  Lumber and wood products                        (2)
  Furniture and fixtures                          (2)
  Stone, clay, and glass products                 (2)
  Primary metal industries                        (2)
  Fabricated metal products                       (2)
  Industrial machinery and equipment              (2)
  Electronic and other electrical equipment       (2)
  Transportation equipment                        (2)
  Instruments and related products                (2)
  Miscellaneous manufacturing                     (2)

 Nondurable goods                               $12.63
  Food and kindred products                       (2)
  Tobacco products                                (2)
  Textile mill products                           (2)
  Apparel and other textile products              (2)
  Paper and allied products                       (2)
  Printing and publishing                         (2)
  Chemicals and allied products                   (2)
  Petroleum and coal products                     (2)
  Rubber and misc. plastics products              (2)
  Leather and leather products                    (2)