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Real earnings flat in October as prices match pay gains

Published November 10, 20263 min read

An unmarked lunchbox and work gloves sit on a table in an empty workplace break room. — A quiet workplace break room evokes the workers behind October’s flat real earnings. Illustration: MarketIntelLabs

Real average hourly earnings for private-sector workers were unchanged in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, as a 0.4 percent rise in nominal pay was fully offset by a matching 0.4 percent increase in consumer prices.

Key Takeaways Real average hourly earnings were flat at $11.26 (1982-1984 dollars) in October, unchanged from September. Real average weekly earnings also held at $387.35, as the 34.4-hour average workweek did not move. Nominal hourly pay rose 0.4 percent to $38.00, up 3.1 percent from a year earlier, while the CPI-U climbed 0.4 percent in the same month. September marked the last available over-the-year real earnings comparison, showing real hourly pay do…

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