Figure B
Real median wages by race and ethnicity, 1979–2015
| White | Black | Hispanic | Black-White wage gap | Hispanic-White wage gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | $16.80 | $13.90 | $13.64 | 17.2% | 18.8% |
| 1989 | $16.83 | $13.38 | $12.44 | 20.5% | 26.1% |
| 1995 | $16.81 | $13.14 | $11.73 | 21.8% | 30.2% |
| 2000 | $18.19 | $14.44 | $12.58 | 20.6% | 30.8% |
| 2007 | $19.03 | $14.54 | $13.46 | 23.6% | 29.3% |
| 2015 | $19.01 | $14.22 | $13.48 | 25.2% | 29.1% |
| Percent change | |||||
| 1979–1989 | 0.1% | -3.9% | -9.7% | 15.9% | 28.1% |
| 1989–1995 | -0.1% | -1.8% | -6.0% | 6.1% | 13.6% |
| 1995–2000 | 7.6% | 9.0% | 6.7% | -6.0% | 2.0% |
| 2000–2007 | 4.4% | 0.7% | 6.5% | 12.6% | -5.3% |
| 2007–2015 | -0.1% | -2.3% | 0.1% | 6.4% | -0.5% |
| 1979–2015 | 11.6% | 2.3% | -1.3% | 31.6% | 35.5% |

Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) Outgoing Rotation Group microdata
Previous chart: « Unemployment rate of workers age 16 and older by race and ethnicity, for select MSAs, 1st quarter of 2016
Next chart: Lowest Average Annual Unemployment Rates of 1980s, 1990s, and 2009 Economic Recoveries, All Workers by Race »