Figure 4AE

Minimum wage as a share of average hourly earnings, 1964–2013

Year Minimum wage as a share of average hourly earnings
1964 49.4%
1965 47.5%
1966 45.8%
1967 49.1%
1968 53.0%
1969 49.7%
1970 47.1%
1971 44.1%
1972 41.0%
1973 38.6%
1974 45.1%
1975 44.4%
1976 45.5%
1977 42.3%
1978 45.1%
1979 45.7%
1980 45.3%
1981 45.0%
1982 42.6%
1983 40.9%
1984 39.5%
1985 38.3%
1986 37.5%
1987 36.7%
1988 35.5%
1989 34.2%
1990 37.3%
1991 40.4%
1992 39.5%
1993 38.5%
1994 37.5%
1995 36.5%
1996 39.5%
1997 41.2%
1998 39.6%
1999 38.2%
2000 36.7%
2001 35.4%
2002 34.4%
2003 33.5%
2004 32.8%
2005 31.9%
2006 30.7%
2007 33.6%
2008 36.2%
2009 39.0%
2010 38.1%
2011 37.3%
2012 36.7%
2013 36.0%
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Note: Earnings measured is average hourly earnings of production/nonsupervisory workers.

The data are the minimum wage divided by the average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers. Minimum-wage levels are from SWA Table 4.39, and average hourly earnings are from the series used in SWA Table 4.3.

Source: EPI analysis of U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (2009) and Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics

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