The Fact
For multiple jobholders, BLS Current Population Survey usual-weekly-earnings data reflect earnings at the person’s main job, not combined earnings from every job.
What This Means
A worker can need a second job to make ends meet without that second paycheck appearing in this particular earnings measure.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPS Concepts and Definitions. https://www.bls.gov/cps/definitions.htm Accessed October 2, 2026.