BLS Current Employment Statistics: Production, Nonsupervisory Worker Compensation Explained

What the BLS Current Employment Statistics Report Covers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey each month. CES tracks employment, hours, and earnings for about 700,000 establishments, covering roughly 60% of private payroll jobs. The report is broken into three main categories: production, nonsupervisory, and supervisory employment. For workers in manufacturing, mining, and utilities—collectively called production workers—the CES provides the most granular view of wages and hours.

Defining Production, Nonsupervisory, and Supervisory Workers

• Production workers are employees who perform hands‑on tasks that create or transform goods, such as machine operators, assemblers, and fabricators.

• Nonsupervisory workers include all production employees plus other non‑management staff like clerical, service, and maintenance personnel.

• Supervisory workers are those who oversee production, quality control, or other teams.

How Compensation is Calculated

BLS measures average hourly earnings, weekly hours, and total wages. Compensation is reported in two key ways:

• Average hourly earnings – median wages paid per hour.
• Weekly hours – average hours worked per week.

Multiplying average hourly earnings by weekly hours gives the average weekly earnings figure, which is often used by policymakers and researchers to gauge overall pay trends.

Key Data Points from the Latest CES Release

As of the most recent month available, the CES reported the following for production, nonsupervisory workers:

Trend Analysis: What Has Changed Over Time?

Over the past five years, production worker hourly earnings have grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 2.5%. Weekly hours have remained relatively flat, hovering around 36.5 hours per week. This combination has led to modest increases in overall compensation.

Comparing Production to Other Sectors

When compared to the broader nonsupervisory workforce, production workers tend to earn slightly more per hour but work similar hours. Supervisory workers, however, command higher wages due to managerial responsibilities.

Table: Average Hourly Earnings by Category (2023)

What These Numbers Mean for Employers

Employers use CES data to benchmark wages against industry peers, set competitive salary ranges, and forecast labor costs. The stability in weekly hours suggests that productivity gains are more likely to come from technology or process improvements rather than increased labor hours.

Implications for Workers and Policy Makers

Workers can reference CES figures when negotiating pay or evaluating job offers. Policymakers rely on the data to assess the health of the labor market and to calibrate minimum wage adjustments or tax incentives for specific industries.

How to Access CES Data Yourself

The BLS website offers downloadable tables, interactive charts, and API access. Key steps:

• Navigate to BLS CES page.
• Select the desired month and industry.
• Download the CSV or use the API for programmatic access.

Future Outlook and Potential Shifts

Emerging trends such as automation and remote manufacturing may alter the composition of production work. While hourly earnings are expected to rise modestly, the role of human labor in production could shift toward higher-skilled, higher-paid positions.