January 5, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Clerical, service, and agricultural workers have low wages

Workers in clerical, service, and agricultural occupations reported lower wages than those for other occupations during 1997.  About 61 percent of service workers, 40 percent of agricultural workers, and 33 percent of clerical workers earned less than $10.00 per hour.  In comparison, only 19 percent of all workers made less than $10.00 per hour.

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Service occupations reported the biggest share of workers making less than $8.50 per hour at about 47 percent.

Among clerical occupations, hotel desk clerks had the lowest wages at $7.32 per hour.  For service occupations, the $5.87 hourly wage rate for waiters and waitresses was the lowest.  In agricultural occupations, farmworkers in food and fiber crops reported the lowest wages at $6.00 per hour.

Data on occupational employment and wages are produced by the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics program.  For additional information, see News Release USDL 98-502, "Occupational Employment and Wages, 1997."