Figure A
Low-wage workers are most likely to become unemployed: Unemployment rate of low-wage workers and not low-wage workers, 2000-2018
| year | Not-low-wage workers | Low-wage workers |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.6% | 12.1% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | 14.0% |
| 2002 | 7.4% | 14.3% |
| 2003 | 6.9% | 14.4% |
| 2004 | 6.2% | 13.3% |
| 2005 | 5.9% | 12.6% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | 12.6% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | 13.2% |
| 2008 | 8.7% | 17.4% |
| 2009 | 10.2% | 19.5% |
| 2010 | 9.3% | 18.8% |
| 2011 | 8.6% | 18.3% |
| 2012 | 8.2% | 17.1% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | 16.6% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | 14.3% |
| 2015 | 6.2% | 13.7% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | 12.7% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | 11.6% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | 10.1% |
Notes: Low-wage workers are workers who earn less than their state's 30th percentile wage. Unemployment rate in this figure includes workers 16–64 who had been on layoff or sought work during the previous year but had also worked.
Source: Authors’ calculations using the March Current Population Survey from IPUMS-CPS.
Previous chart: « Breathtaking spike in UI claims: Initial weekly unemployment claims, not seasonally adjusted, 1967-present