Average hourly earnings for all employees on US private nonfarm payrolls rose by 14 cents, or 0.4%, to $38.00 in October 2026. This followed an upwardly revised 0.3% increase in the previous month and exceeded market expectations of a 0.3% gain. It marked the strongest monthly wage increase since January.
In October, average hourly earnings for private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees increased by 12 cents, or 0.4%, to $32.75. On a year-over-year basis, average hourly earnings were up 3.1% in October, following an upwardly revised 3.2% advance in the prior month and surpassing analysts’ forecasts of a 2.9% rise.
