Figure H
Hourly wages at the 10th percentile and poverty rate, 1979–2015
| Year | Poverty rate (left axis) | 10th percentile wages (right axis) |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-01-01 | 11.7% | $9.16 |
| 1980-01-01 | 13.0% | $8.64 |
| 1981-01-01 | 14.0% | $8.47 |
| 1982-01-01 | 15.0% | $8.19 |
| 1983-01-01 | 15.2% | $7.95 |
| 1984-01-01 | 14.4% | $7.81 |
| 1985-01-01 | 14.0% | $7.76 |
| 1986-01-01 | 13.6% | $7.84 |
| 1987-01-01 | 13.4% | $7.82 |
| 1988-01-01 | 13.0% | $7.77 |
| 1989-01-01 | 12.8% | $7.78 |
| 1990-01-01 | 13.5% | $7.84 |
| 1991-01-01 | 14.2% | $7.94 |
| 1992-01-01 | 14.8% | $8.08 |
| 1993-01-01 | 15.1% | $7.99 |
| 1994-01-01 | 14.5% | $7.90 |
| 1995-01-01 | 13.8% | $7.83 |
| 1996-01-01 | 13.7% | $7.79 |
| 1997-01-01 | 13.3% | $8.11 |
| 1998-01-01 | 12.7% | $8.60 |
| 1999-01-01 | 11.9% | $8.63 |
| 2000-01-01 | 11.3% | $8.79 |
| 2001-01-01 | 11.7% | $9.05 |
| 2002-01-01 | 12.1% | $9.15 |
| 2003-01-01 | 12.5% | $9.05 |
| 2004-01-01 | 12.7% | $8.89 |
| 2005-01-01 | 12.6% | $8.73 |
| 2006-01-01 | 12.3% | $8.82 |
| 2007-01-01 | 12.5% | $9.00 |
| 2008-01-01 | 13.2% | $8.83 |
| 2009-01-01 | 14.3% | $8.89 |
| 2010-01-01 | 15.1% | $8.80 |
| 2011-01-01 | 15.0% | $8.58 |
| 2012-01-01 | 15.0% | $8.48 |
| 2013-01-01 | 14.7% | $8.58 |
| 2014-01-01 | 14.8% | $8.64 |
| 2015-01-01 | 13.5% | $8.97 |
Note: Shaded areas denote recessions. Wages in 2015 dollars. Because the redesign of the CPS ASEC in 2013 did not directly affect poverty rates, the data for 2013 are an average of the new and old series.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement Historical Poverty Tables (Table 2) and CPS Outgoing Rotation Group microdata
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