Key Points:
- Real average hourly earnings are hourly earnings adjusted for inflation. They are one measure of real wages, which represent the economic return to work.
- Despite trending up between January 2017 and January 2021, real wages have trended down since January 2021.
- Real average hourly earnings have fallen from $32.16 in February 2021 to $31.33 in February 2022, a 2.6% decrease.