September 13, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Average annual pay increase in 2000

The average annual pay of U.S. workers rose by 5.9 percent in 2000, according to preliminary data. This compares with a 4.4-percent rise in 1999.

Percent change in U.S. average annual pay, 1990-2000
[Chart data—TXT]

This pay growth in 2000 was the highest in the 1990-2000 period. Moreover, the 2000 increase in average annual pay was the largest since 1982, when pay rose by 6.7 percent.

The level of average annual pay for U.S. workers was $35,296 in 2000. This was up from $33,340 in 1999.

The BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program produced these data. Pay data presented here are for all workers covered by State and Federal unemployment insurance programs. Data for 2000 are preliminary and subject to revision. Find more information on pay in 2000 in "Average Annual Pay By State and Industry, 2000," news release USDL 01-295.