Table 1
Growth in work hours and real wages, by race and wage group, 1979-2015
| Annual Hours | Change, 1979-2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 2015 | Annual hours | Weeks worked | Weekly hours | |
| White by wage group | |||||
| All | 1,701 | 1,888 | 11.0% | 8.1% | 2.7% |
| Bottom Fifth | 1,235 | 1,445 | 17.0% | 19.5% | -2.1% |
| Second fifth | 1,579 | 1,853 | 17.4% | 12.4% | 4.5% |
| Middle fifth | 1,788 | 1,956 | 9.4% | 6.5% | 2.7% |
| Fourth fifth | 1,928 | 2,054 | 6.6% | 4.1% | 2.4% |
| Top fifth | 1,928 | 2,035 | 5.6% | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Black by wage group | |||||
| All | 1,606 | 1,805 | 12.4% | 10.2% | 2.0% |
| Bottom Fifth | 1,250 | 1,524 | 21.9% | 19.1% | 2.3% |
| Second fifth | 1,623 | 1,848 | 13.9% | 10.7% | 2.9% |
| Middle fifth | 1,818 | 1,950 | 7.3% | 6.9% | 0.3% |
| Fourth fifth | 1,859 | 1,993 | 7.2% | 5.9% | 1.3% |
| Top fifth | 1,741 | 1,849 | 6.2% | 3.9% | 2.2% |
*Annual hours based on weeks worked multiplied by usual weekly hours
**Based on hourly wage distribution of all workers 18-64 years old
Source: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata
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