Figure H

Wages of young college graduates today are just above their 2000 levels: Real hourly wages for employed young college graduates (ages 21–24) not enrolled in further schooling, 1989–2019 (2018$)

Date Wage
Dec-1989 $18.21
Jan-1990 $18.23
Feb-1990 $18.20
Mar-1990 $18.27
Apr-1990 $18.41
May-1990 $18.62
Jun-1990 $18.64
Jul-1990 $18.51
Aug-1990 $18.51
Sep-1990 $18.58
Oct-1990 $18.50
Nov-1990 $18.48
Dec-1990 $18.42
Jan-1991 $18.46
Feb-1991 $18.42
Mar-1991 $18.27
Apr-1991 $18.15
May-1991 $18.04
Jun-1991 $17.92
Jul-1991 $18.11
Aug-1991 $18.00
Sep-1991 $17.82
Oct-1991 $17.78
Nov-1991 $17.79
Dec-1991 $17.73
Jan-1992 $17.67
Feb-1992 $17.63
Mar-1992 $17.62
Apr-1992 $17.61
May-1992 $17.40
Jun-1992 $17.45
Jul-1992 $17.36
Aug-1992 $17.28
Sep-1992 $17.30
Oct-1992 $17.36
Nov-1992 $17.28
Dec-1992 $17.10
Jan-1993 $17.17
Feb-1993 $17.14
Mar-1993 $17.22
Apr-1993 $17.09
May-1993 $17.18
Jun-1993 $17.25
Jul-1993 $17.06
Aug-1993 $17.07
Sep-1993 $16.98
Oct-1993 $17.11
Nov-1993 $17.08
Dec-1993 $17.18
Jan-1994 $17.24
Feb-1994 $17.37
Mar-1994 $17.35
Apr-1994 $17.32
May-1994 $17.27
Jun-1994 $17.16
Jul-1994 $17.14
Aug-1994 $17.08
Sep-1994 $17.12
Oct-1994 $17.09
Nov-1994 $17.17
Dec-1994 $17.15
Jan-1995 $17.04
Feb-1995 $16.94
Mar-1995 $16.81
Apr-1995 $16.87
May-1995 $16.84
Jun-1995 $16.85
Jul-1995 $16.96
Aug-1995 $16.92
Sep-1995 $16.87
Oct-1995 $16.67
Nov-1995 $16.63
Dec-1995 $16.64
Jan-1996 $16.59
Feb-1996 $16.53
Mar-1996 $16.73
Apr-1996 $16.70
May-1996 $16.65
Jun-1996 $16.56
Jul-1996 $16.50
Aug-1996 $16.87
Sep-1996 $16.89
Oct-1996 $16.88
Nov-1996 $16.85
Dec-1996 $16.85
Jan-1997 $16.88
Feb-1997 $16.79
Mar-1997 $16.95
Apr-1997 $17.04
May-1997 $17.13
Jun-1997 $17.27
Jul-1997 $17.38
Aug-1997 $17.19
Sep-1997 $17.36
Oct-1997 $17.44
Nov-1997 $17.49
Dec-1997 $17.56
Jan-1998 $17.64
Feb-1998 $17.88
Mar-1998 $17.82
Apr-1998 $18.00
May-1998 $18.24
Jun-1998 $18.28
Jul-1998 $18.27
Aug-1998 $18.69
Sep-1998 $18.81
Oct-1998 $18.96
Nov-1998 $19.19
Dec-1998 $19.30
Jan-1999 $19.51
Feb-1999 $19.52
Mar-1999 $19.50
Apr-1999 $19.30
May-1999 $19.23
Jun-1999 $19.35
Jul-1999 $19.66
Aug-1999 $19.37
Sep-1999 $19.27
Oct-1999 $19.40
Nov-1999 $19.33
Dec-1999 $19.61
Jan-2000 $19.61
Feb-2000 $19.61
Mar-2000 $19.66
Apr-2000 $19.76
May-2000 $19.69
Jun-2000 $19.84
Jul-2000 $19.71
Aug-2000 $19.77
Sep-2000 $19.92
Oct-2000 $19.94
Nov-2000 $19.90
Dec-2000 $19.85
Jan-2001 $19.70
Feb-2001 $19.75
Mar-2001 $19.96
Apr-2001 $20.00
May-2001 $20.27
Jun-2001 $20.11
Jul-2001 $20.17
Aug-2001 $20.15
Sep-2001 $20.29
Oct-2001 $20.23
Nov-2001 $20.25
Dec-2001 $20.05
Jan-2002 $20.22
Feb-2002 $20.37
Mar-2002 $20.05
Apr-2002 $20.00
May-2002 $19.79
Jun-2002 $19.82
Jul-2002 $19.64
Aug-2002 $19.60
Sep-2002 $19.63
Oct-2002 $19.66
Nov-2002 $19.81
Dec-2002 $19.83
Jan-2003 $19.84
Feb-2003 $19.59
Mar-2003 $19.60
Apr-2003 $19.61
May-2003 $19.64
Jun-2003 $19.62
Jul-2003 $19.48
Aug-2003 $19.44
Sep-2003 $19.24
Oct-2003 $19.32
Nov-2003 $19.15
Dec-2003 $19.12
Jan-2004 $18.94
Feb-2004 $19.02
Mar-2004 $19.11
Apr-2004 $19.35
May-2004 $19.42
Jun-2004 $19.28
Jul-2004 $19.54
Aug-2004 $19.50
Sep-2004 $19.55
Oct-2004 $19.49
Nov-2004 $19.45
Dec-2004 $19.45
Jan-2005 $19.57
Feb-2005 $19.45
Mar-2005 $19.33
Apr-2005 $19.14
May-2005 $19.18
Jun-2005 $19.35
Jul-2005 $19.25
Aug-2005 $19.39
Sep-2005 $19.26
Oct-2005 $19.14
Nov-2005 $19.20
Dec-2005 $19.09
Jan-2006 $18.94
Feb-2006 $19.25
Mar-2006 $19.34
Apr-2006 $19.30
May-2006 $19.11
Jun-2006 $18.99
Jul-2006 $19.20
Aug-2006 $18.97
Sep-2006 $19.03
Oct-2006 $19.18
Nov-2006 $19.21
Dec-2006 $19.31
Jan-2007 $19.38
Feb-2007 $19.47
Mar-2007 $19.48
Apr-2007 $19.54
May-2007 $19.55
Jun-2007 $19.61
Jul-2007 $19.41
Aug-2007 $19.59
Sep-2007 $19.76
Oct-2007 $19.71
Nov-2007 $19.73
Dec-2007 $19.68
Jan-2008 $19.57
Feb-2008 $19.30
Mar-2008 $19.41
Apr-2008 $19.41
May-2008 $19.44
Jun-2008 $19.51
Jul-2008 $19.41
Aug-2008 $19.43
Sep-2008 $19.23
Oct-2008 $19.20
Nov-2008 $19.16
Dec-2008 $19.31
Jan-2009 $19.44
Feb-2009 $19.40
Mar-2009 $19.34
Apr-2009 $19.33
May-2009 $19.34
Jun-2009 $19.45
Jul-2009 $19.87
Aug-2009 $19.82
Sep-2009 $19.88
Oct-2009 $19.71
Nov-2009 $20.04
Dec-2009 $19.86
Jan-2010 $19.83
Feb-2010 $19.76
Mar-2010 $19.84
Apr-2010 $19.98
May-2010 $19.73
Jun-2010 $19.50
Jul-2010 $19.01
Aug-2010 $19.08
Sep-2010 $18.98
Oct-2010 $19.18
Nov-2010 $18.76
Dec-2010 $18.76
Jan-2011 $18.61
Feb-2011 $18.70
Mar-2011 $18.84
Apr-2011 $18.57
May-2011 $18.71
Jun-2011 $18.67
Jul-2011 $18.87
Aug-2011 $18.84
Sep-2011 $18.81
Oct-2011 $18.67
Nov-2011 $18.75
Dec-2011 $18.87
Jan-2012 $18.75
Feb-2012 $18.50
Mar-2012 $17.97
Apr-2012 $17.96
May-2012 $17.98
Jun-2012 $18.04
Jul-2012 $18.02
Aug-2012 $17.91
Sep-2012 $18.01
Oct-2012 $18.00
Nov-2012 $18.09
Dec-2012 $18.22
Jan-2013 $18.33
Feb-2013 $18.44
Mar-2013 $18.61
Apr-2013 $18.57
May-2013 $18.60
Jun-2013 $18.53
Jul-2013 $18.36
Aug-2013 $18.53
Sep-2013 $18.49
Oct-2013 $18.63
Nov-2013 $18.58
Dec-2013 $18.37
Jan-2014 $18.38
Feb-2014 $18.35
Mar-2014 $18.33
Apr-2014 $18.46
May-2014 $18.41
Jun-2014 $18.50
Jul-2014 $18.69
Aug-2014 $18.67
Sep-2014 $18.69
Oct-2014 $18.66
Nov-2014 $18.74
Dec-2014 $18.94
Jan-2015 $18.88
Feb-2015 $19.04
Mar-2015 $19.02
Apr-2015 $19.11
May-2015 $19.21
Jun-2015 $19.28
Jul-2015 $19.54
Aug-2015 $19.42
Sep-2015 $19.46
Oct-2015 $19.56
Nov-2015 $19.47
Dec-2015 $19.51
Jan-2016 $19.61
Feb-2016 $19.57
Mar-2016 $19.81
Apr-2016 $19.97
May-2016 $19.94
Jun-2016 $19.78
Jul-2016 $19.31
Aug-2016 $19.36
Sep-2016 $19.50
Oct-2016 $19.49
Nov-2016 $19.63
Dec-2016 $19.64
Jan-2017 $19.92
Feb-2017 $20.09
Mar-2017 $20.17
Apr-2017 $19.96
May-2017 $19.98
Jun-2017 $20.13
Jul-2017 $20.54
Aug-2017 $20.73
Sep-2017 $20.88
Oct-2017 $20.85
Nov-2017 $20.78
Dec-2017 $20.66
Jan-2018 $20.62
Feb-2018 $20.52
Mar-2018 $20.38
Apr-2018 $20.55
May-2018 $20.57
Jun-2018 $20.65
Jul-2018 $20.42
Aug-2018 $20.32
Sep-2018 $20.20
Oct-2018 $20.26
Nov-2018 $20.43
Dec-2018 $20.67
Jan-2019 $20.58
Feb-2019 $20.70
Mar-2019 $20.74
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Notes: The wage series is based on 12-month moving pools of data. The most recent data point uses pooled data from April 2018 through March 2019. Data sample includes only those working college graduates ages 21–24 who have not attained an advanced degree and who are not enrolled in further schooling. Dollar amounts are adjusted for inflation to 2018 dollars. Shaded areas indicate recessions.

Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata (EPI 2019a)

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