ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.ceseeb2.txt The site above contains the data I show here. Below you can see that the average hourly Manufacturing earnings in 1984 was $9.05. In 1994, it was $12.04. Since 12.04/9.05 = 1.33. So the hourly wage in Manufacturing increased 33%. In 2004, average hourly Manufacturing earnings were $16.14. 16.14/12.04 = 1.3405. So the hourly wage in Manufacturing increased 34.05%.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATAHISTORICAL HOURS AND EARNINGS HISTORICAL HOURS AND EARNINGS B-2. Average hours and earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers(1) on private nonfarm payrolls by major industry sector,1964 to date Manufacturing Durable goods Nondurable goods Year and Hourly Hourly Hourly month Weekly Hourly earnings, Weekly Weekly Hourly earnings, Weekly Weekly Hourly earnings, Weekly hours earnings excluding earnings hours earnings excluding earnings hours earnings excluding earnings overtime overtime overtime Annual averages 1984........... 40.7 9.05 8.69 368.34 41.5 9.65 9.25 400.48 39.4 8.14 7.83 320.72
1985........... 40.5 9.40 9.03 380.70 41.3 10.01 9.61 413.41 39.4 8.47 8.15 333.721986........... 40.7 9.59 9.21 390.31 41.4 10.20 9.79 422.28 39.6 8.71 8.36 344.921987........... 40.9 9.77 9.35 399.59 41.6 10.35 9.90 430.56 40.0 8.93 8.55 357.201988........... 41.0 10.05 9.60 412.05 41.9 10.64 10.15 445.82 39.9 9.19 8.80 366.681989........... 40.9 10.35 9.89 423.32 41.7 10.93 10.45 455.78 39.9 9.50 9.09 379.05 1990........... 40.5 10.78 10.29 436.16 41.1 11.40 10.89 468.43 39.6 9.87 9.42 390.651991........... 40.4 11.13 10.63 449.73 40.9 11.81 11.30 483.28 39.7 10.18 9.70 404.171992........... 40.7 11.40 10.86 464.43 41.3 12.09 11.54 499.59 40.0 10.45 9.94 417.951993........... 41.1 11.70 11.10 480.80 41.9 12.41 11.78 519.92 40.1 10.70 10.16 429.151994........... 41.7 12.04 11.36 502.12 42.6 12.78 12.04 544.66 40.5 10.96 10.38 443.82
1995........... 41.3 12.34 11.68 509.26 42.1 13.05 12.32 549.49 40.1 11.30 10.73 452.831996........... 41.3 12.75 12.05 526.55 42.1 13.45 12.69 566.53 40.1 11.68 11.07 467.881997........... 41.7 13.14 12.38 548.22 42.6 13.83 13.00 589.10 40.5 12.04 11.39 487.041998........... 41.4 13.45 12.71 557.12 42.1 14.07 13.28 591.68 40.5 12.45 11.79 503.991999........... 41.4 13.85 13.09 573.17 41.9 14.46 13.65 606.67 40.4 12.85 12.17 519.91 2000........... 41.3 14.32 13.55 590.65 41.8 14.93 14.11 624.38 40.3 13.31 12.62 536.822001........... 40.3 14.76 14.06 595.19 40.6 15.38 14.67 624.54 39.9 13.75 13.09 548.412002........... 40.5 15.29 14.54 618.75 40.8 16.02 15.23 652.97 40.1 14.15 13.44 566.842003........... 40.4 15.74 14.96 635.99 40.8 16.45 15.63 671.21 39.8 14.63 13.91 582.612004........... 40.8 16.14 15.29 658.53 41.3 16.82 15.92 694.16 40.0 15.05 14.27 602.48