The University released yesterday a set of labor statistics that give the most complete picture yet of Harvard employees' wages. But Living Wage Campaign members and members of the Faculty task force on labor policy, who met yesterday afternoon, disputed the significance of the statistics.

Harvard presented data suggesting that only about 23 percent of its casual employees do not depend on their work at the University as their primary source of income. Just over 19 percent of casual employees, who are employed for less than three months or work less than 17.5 hours a week, earn less than $10 an hour.

While some members of the Faculty committee--formed by President Neil L. Rudenstine last March to make recommendations on labor policy--said this finding suggested that some of Harvard's lowest-paid employees had other sources of income, campaign members said they believed it was difficult to define what constitutes 'primary' income source.

Harvard gained the statistics from surveys it mailed to a sample of its casual employees. The survey, which was printed in five different languages, asked respondents for basic financial information and whether they rely on Harvard for their primary income.

But Living Wage Campaign members said the survey questions could not give an accurate snapshot of worker's lives.

"It's hard to identify what primary income means. You would be shocked about the daily routine of working three jobs," said Aaron D. Bartley, a second-year student at Harvard Law School.

Weatherhead Professor D. Quinn Mills, chair of the Faculty task force, warned Bartley to be careful about disputing the facts and "impeaching the witness."

"You should not tell us that we cannot rely on their responses," he said. The statistics discussed at yesterday's meeting also showed that just over seven percent of Harvard's 4,985 unionized Harvard employees earn less than $10 per hour.