A Note on Average Hourly Earnings in Aircraft and Guided Missiles and Space Vehicles Manufacturing - Sic 3721 - Sic 3761 - includes average hourly earnings of manufacturing production workers, nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls by major industry, manufacturing production workers in states and selected areas, labor force status by census region and division, labor force status by state, and by metropolitan area - Statistical Data Included

Employment and Earnings, August, 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
                                 May      June     May      June
                                 1999     1999     2000    2000(p)
Average hourly earnings,
  excluding lump-sum payments   $21.42   $21.46   $22.63    $22.77

Average hourly earnings,
  including lump-sum payments    21.43    21.47    22.76     22.92

                                Guided missiles and space vehicles
                                            (SIC 3761)
           Series
                                 May      June     May      June
                                 1999     1999     2000    2000(p)
Average hourly earnings,
  excluding lump-sum payments   $22.00   $21.75   $21.45    $21.61

Average hourly earnings,
  including lump-sum payments    22.10    21.85    21.51     21.67

(p) = preliminary.

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

                  Industry                  June     July      May
                                            1999     1999     2000

Manufacturing                              $13.17   $13.20   $13.54

Durable goods                               13.63    13.54    14.01
  Lumber and wood products                  10.86    10.94    11.18
  Furniture and fixtures                    10.67    10.72    11.20
  Store, clay, and glass products           12.92    12.98    13.30
  Primary metal industries                  14.81    14.92    15.27
  Fabricated metal products                 12.77    12.78    13.02
  Industrial machinery and equipment        14.21    14.29    14.63
  Electronic and other
    electrical equipment                    12.81    12.90    13.02
  Transportation equipment                  17.00    17.00    17.64
  Instruments and related products          13.61    13.73    13.89
  Miscellaneous manufacturing               10.87    10.92    11.23

Nondurable goods                            12.47    12.53    12.79
  Food and kindred products                 11.42    11.37    11.67
  Tobacco products                          19.95    20.08    19.61
  Textile mill products                     10.21    10.17    10.37
  Apparel and other textile products         8.61     8.60     8.79
  Paper and allied products                 14.99    15.08    15.20
  Printing and publishing                   13.25    13.29    13.65
  Chemicals and allied products             16.31    16.44    16.88
  Petroleum and coat products               19.48    19.70    20.00
  Rubber and misc. plastics products        11.66    11.80    12.02
  Leather and leather products               9.41     9.43     9.79

                  Industry                   June       July
                                           2000(p)     2000(p)

Manufacturing                             $13.57       $13.62

Durable goods                              14.07        14.09
  Lumber and wood products                 11.24         (2)
  Furniture and fixtures                   11.22         (2)
  Store, clay, and glass products          13.35         (2)
  Primary metal industries                 15.34         (2)
  Fabricated metal products                13.07         (2)
  Industrial machinery and equipment       14.66         (2)
  Electronic and other
    electrical equipment                   13.04         (2)
  Transportation equipment                 17.78         (2)
  Instruments and related products         13.87         (2)
  Miscellaneous manufacturing              11.23         (2)

Nondurable goods                           12.79      $12.90
  Food and kindred products                11.66         (2)
  Tobacco products                         19.99         (2)
  Textile mill products                    10.35         (2)
  Apparel and other textile products        8.79         (2)
  Paper and allied products                15.23         (2)
  Printing and publishing                  13.64         (2)
  Chemicals and allied products            16.92         (2)
  Petroleum and coat products              19.66         (2)
  Rubber and misc. plastics products       12.07         (2)
  Leather and leather products              9.77         (2)