BLS DAILY REPORT, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2000
RELEASED TODAY: Average annual pay of employees within the nation's 316
metropolitan areas increased by 4.4 percent from 1998 to 1999, according to
preliminary data. The over-the-year gain was smaller than 1998's gain of
5.2 percent. Annual pay in metropolitan areas averaged $34,868 in 1999, up
from $33,407 in 1998. ...
Move to Washington State? That state saw average annual pay rise 8 percent
last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with a 4.3
percent increase for the nation. Alaska's 0.6 percent increase was the
lowest. Hours worked and the mix of jobs contributed to the numbers (Wall
Street Journal's "Work Week" feature, page A1).
Contrary to popular opinion, the wage gap between men and women does not
directly correlate with the existing level of gender wage discrimination,
senior Federal Reserve economist Howard J. Wall concludes in a recent
article in the October issue of "The Regional Economist" published quarterly
by the St. Louis Fed. In 1999, women's median weekly earnings were 76.5
percent of men's -- a gap of 23.5 cents, according to Department of Labor
figures, Wall said. Comparing hourly wages narrows the gender wage gap to
16.2 cents, according to a different set of BLS figures. A recent study
attributes 62 percent of the hourly wage gap to factors other than
discrimination, leaving only 6.2 cents -- or about one-fourth of the gap --
unexplained, Wall said. ... The lion's share of the gender wage gap arises
from "differences between men and women in important determinants of
earnings, such as number of hours worked, experience, training and
occupation," Wall writes. "Moreover, even this one-fourth of the gap may
have less to do with wage discrimination than with the accumulated effects
of shorter hours and interrupted careers on women's earnings and promotion
prospects," Wall writes. ... (Daily Labor Report, page A-3).
Home resales declined in October to the slowest pace in 3 months as cooler
economic growth reduced buyer demand. Resales fell 3.9 percent last month,
the National Association of Realtors said. ... (Washington Post, page
E2)_____Home resales declined in October to a pace that still keeps the
industry on track for its second-best year on record. ... (New York Times,
page E2)_____Home sales declined for the second month in a row in October,
surprising economists who had expected low mortgage rates to keep the
housing market surging. ... (Wall Street Journal, page A2)
Job cuts at Internet companies rose 55 percent between October and November,
according to job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Challenger
said Internet job losses rose to 8,789 in November, the highest since it
started keeping count in December 1999. The firm predicted that job cuts
would continue over the next 2 months as more dot.com companies close
(Washington Post, page E2)_____Since January, over 30,000 jobs have been
eliminated. ... (New York Times, page C4).
More than 600,000 people a year miss at least one day of work due to
injuries from repetitive stretching, bending, or typing, government
statistics show. ... OSHA's new regulations, issued Nov. 13, include how
much employees should type or use a mouse in a day and how many pounds they
should lift. The new regs mark the first time OSHA has defined repetitive
stress as a hazard and ordered employers to take corrective measures. The
rules, which go into effect on Jan. 16, 2001, cover all 102 million workers
not employed in agriculture, construction, railroads, or maritime
industries. ... In the long run, the regulations -- although opposed by
some employers -- are likely to do more good than harm, for companies and
workers alike, says Business Week (Dec. 4, page 90). About 40 percent of
the workforce is at companies, mostly large employers, that are already in
compliance with the rules, OSHA estimates. In fact, company efforts have
cut RSI cases by 15 percent since 1998, according to BLS. ...
Prescription drug costs to employers for employee health plans are expected
to rise 19.9 percent next year, says a survey of insurers and health plan
administrators by Buck Consultants Inc., New York. The rise reflects rising
prices, increased use, and other factors (Wall Street Journal's "Work Week"
feature, page A1).
DUE OUT TOMORROW: Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment: October
2000
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