17. Wage statistics have become part of everyday conversation. Show your understanding of the following passage by answering the questions printed below:

Wage rate figures for August 1975, and total wage and salary earnings figures for July 197 5 were released by the Department of Employment on Wednesday. The rate of increase of total earnings (which include overtime and shift bonuses) had been running significantly below that of hourly wage rates for some time, due to reductions in overtime working and to increases in rates which simply consolidate earlier gains in bonuses. In the year to July total wage and salary earnings rose by 27\-'2%- up from a year-on-year rate of 25\-'2% in June but down from a 28\-'2% in May.

(a) Name two factors in total earnings which do not affect hourly wage rates.

(b) Why did the consolidation of bonuses affect the two sets of figures?

(c) In what way did early gains in bonuses affect more recent increases in hourly rates?

(d) In your own words - what happened to wage inflation during the period discussed in this passage?