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, Jan, 2000

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               Oct.      Nov.      Oct.      Nov.
                                 1998      1998      1999   1999(P)
Average hourly earnings,
 excluding lump-sum payments   $21.51    $21.54    $22.28    $22.25

Average hourly earnings,
 including lump-sum payments    21.59     21.63     22.35     22.32

                                     Guided missiles and space
                                         vehicles (SIC 3761)

           Series               Oct.      Nov.      Oct.      Nov.
                                 1998      1998      1999   1999(P)
Average hourly earnings,
 excluding lump-sum payments   $21.55    $21.61    $21.72    $21.63

Average hourly earnings,
 including lump-sum payments    21.78     21.83     21.86     21.73

(P) = preliminary.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA EARNINGS NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED

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

                                                Nov.       Dec.
                  Industry                      1998       1998

Manufacturing                                 $12.87     $12.94

 Durable goods                                 13.31      13.36
  Lumber and wood products                     10.66      10.73
  Furniture and fixtures                       10.53      10.59
  Stone, clay, and glass products              12.72      12.78
  Primary metal industries                     14.34      14.32
  Fabricated metal products                    12.49      12.58
  Industrial machinery and equipment           13.85      13.88
  Electronic and other electrical equipment    12.55      12.63
  Transportation equipment                     16.42      16.41
  Instruments and related products             13.38      13.44
  Miscellaneous manufacturing                  10.61      10.71

 Nondurable goods                              12.23      12.31
  Food and kindred products                    11.20      11.28
  Tobacco products                             16.71      16.29
  Textile mill products                         9.96       9.99
  Apparel and other textile products            8.39       8.45
  Paper and allied products                    14.67      14.82
  Printing and publishing                      12.99      13.11
  Chemicals and allied products                16.29      16.34
  Petroleum and coal products                  19.53      19.87
  Rubber and misc. plastics products           11.36      11.44
  Leather and leather products                  9.17       9.17

                                                Oct.      Nov.
                  Industry                      1999    1999(p)

Manufacturing                                 $13.27     $13.32

 Durable goods                                 13.75      13.78
  Lumber and wood products                     10.99      11.02
  Furniture and fixtures                       10.82      10.85
  Stone, clay, and glass products              13.02      13.09
  Primary metal industries                     14.90      14.97
  Fabricated metal products                    12.77      12.82
  Industrial machinery and equipment           14.36      14.35
  Electronic and other electrical equipment    12.95      12.93
  Transportation equipment                     17.30      17.33
  Instruments and related products             13.78      13.74
  Miscellaneous manufacturing                  11.02      11.02

 Nondurable goods                              12.55      12.62
  Food and kindred products                    11.30      11.44
  Tobacco products                             17.20      17.17
  Textile mill products                        10.18      10.24
  Apparel and other textile products            8.69       8.75
  Paper and allied products                    15.07      15.10
  Printing and publishing                      13.39      13.42
  Chemicals and allied products                16.68      16.69
  Petroleum and coal products                  20.08      20.31
  Rubber and misc. plastics products           11.74      11.75
  Leather and leather products                  9.55       9.53

                                                Dec.
                  Industry                    1999(p)

Manufacturing                                 $13.42

 Durable goods                                 13.88
  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                             $12.71
  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)