Longer hours, not higher wages, have driven modest earnings growth for most American households: The impact of hours worked versus hourly wages on annual household earnings growth, 1979–2007
| Percentile group | Hours | Wages |
|---|---|---|
| Low earners (Bottom 20%) | 74.4% | 25.6% |
| Middle earners (20th-80th percentile) | 60.9% | 39.1% |
| High earners (Top 20%) | 9.0% | 91.3% |
Source: EPI analysis of the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplment microdata