Figure A

Pay for most nonunion workers has stagnated: Cumulative change in annual median wages of nonunion workers in the private sector, by gender, 1979–2013

Men

Year All nonunion High school diploma or less Non–college graduate
1979 0.00 0.00 0.00
1980 -6.62 -3.80 -3.83
1981 -8.09 -2.30 -6.63
1982 -9.07 -5.21 -7.13
1983 -10.04 -8.11 -7.63
1984 -8.65 -6.54 -5.79
1985 -5.60 -7.99 -7.99
1986 -5.15 -5.15 -6.66
1987 -5.69 -6.44 -6.86
1988 -5.29 -9.20 -8.80
1989 -3.01 -7.63 -8.40
1990 -7.70 -10.72 -10.27
1991 -10.93 -9.87 -10.93
1992 -13.11 -12.07 -13.11
1993 -10.93 -11.64 -11.64
1994 -8.68 -9.41 -10.77
1995 -6.43 -7.18 -9.90
1996 -7.11 -10.59 -12.16
1997 -7.05 -7.93 -9.77
1998 -4.71 -9.25 -6.83
1999 -0.97 -6.57 -4.18
2000 0.82 -7.46 -3.58
2001 1.52 -5.83 -2.34
2002 3.17 -5.23 -3.86
2003 1.47 -5.38 -4.95
2004 -1.16 -5.87 -4.82
2005 -1.16 -8.29 -4.34
2006 -1.27 -8.17 -5.06
2007 -1.29 -9.34 -3.93
2008 -1.68 -9.80 -6.82
2009 -0.44 -9.76 -6.52
2010 -3.44 -12.07 -8.50
2011 -4.26 -14.38 -11.35
2012 -2.44 -11.28 -9.67
2013 -3.81 -12.52 -10.93
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Women

Year All nonunion High school diploma or less Non–college graduate
1979 0.00 0.00 0.00
1980 0.01 -3.03 0.42
1981 0.76 -2.62 -0.12
1982 1.58 -1.83 -1.23
1983 2.41 -1.04 -2.34
1984 1.63 -4.84 -1.40
1985 4.82 -5.23 2.15
1986 7.20 -0.64 6.08
1987 6.53 -1.76 3.41
1988 8.69 1.02 3.85
1989 7.42 -3.01 3.69
1990 9.53 -3.86 3.99
1991 7.11 -3.51 3.64
1992 9.99 -2.24 7.19
1993 9.05 -1.04 4.64
1994 10.66 -1.79 5.67
1995 12.27 -2.53 6.70
1996 12.58 -1.97 4.02
1997 12.82 -3.33 5.58
1998 15.98 1.65 9.34
1999 18.26 0.61 10.64
2000 20.14 2.44 12.99
2001 22.83 3.13 15.65
2002 25.96 6.14 13.85
2003 28.44 7.11 16.82
2004 25.31 5.60 16.51
2005 26.13 5.22 15.37
2006 24.49 2.85 14.18
2007 23.51 0.07 13.95
2008 28.12 1.21 14.15
2009 28.53 2.28 14.70
2010 27.38 -0.09 12.69
2011 26.25 1.07 10.64
2012 24.35 -3.44 9.65
2013 26.84 -2.03 9.87
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Notes: Sample restricted to nonunion full-time workers in the private sector ages 16 to 64. Wages are measured in 2013 dollars. See the text and Methodological Appendix for details on the analysis.

Source: Authors’ compilations from the Current Population Survey (CPS) May Supplement microdata and CPS Outgoing Rotation Group microdata.

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