Average earnings indices

Whole economy % annual rise (2000=100) % annual rise Manufacturing Services Private sector Public sector

Jan 03 (r) 109.1 2.7 4.0 2.9 2.1 5.2

Feb 110.0 2.9 4.3 2.4 2.4 5.2

Mar (r) 111.2 4.2 6.6 3.9 3.9 5.1

Apr 110.8 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.0 5.1

May 111.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 2.8 4.6

June 111.6 3.2 3.0 3.3 2.6 5.4

July 112.3 3.6 3.2 3.9 3.2 5.3

Aug 112.4 3.5 2.9 3.8 2.9 6.0

Sep 112.8 3.7 3.5 3.9 3.2 5.5

Oct 113.0 3.6 3.2 3.8 3.4 4.7

Nov 113.7 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.1 4.2

Dec 113.2 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.1 4.3

Jan 04 (r) 117.1 7.3 3.6 8.7 8.1 4.1

Feb (r) 114.3 4.3 3.6 3.7 3.9 4.4

Mar (p) 116.0 4.3 3.5 4.7 4.5 4.3

Headline rate* for Mar 5.2 3.5 5.7 5.5 4.3

* Average of earnings increases for latest three months compared to year earlier.

(r) revised. (p) provisional.

Source: National Statistics

Average of average earnings forecasts for 2004 is 4.1% (HM Treasury)