Wages of young high school graduates today are still below their 2000 levels: Real hourly wages (2018$) of young high school graduates (ages 18–21) not enrolled in further schooling, 1990–2019
| Wages | |
|---|---|
| Dec-1989 | $11.03 |
| Jan-1990 | $11.06 |
| Feb-1990 | $11.07 |
| Mar-1990 | $11.05 |
| Apr-1990 | $11.12 |
| May-1990 | $11.10 |
| Jun-1990 | $11.15 |
| Jul-1990 | $11.17 |
| Aug-1990 | $11.18 |
| Sep-1990 | $11.16 |
| Oct-1990 | $11.11 |
| Nov-1990 | $11.10 |
| Dec-1990 | $11.11 |
| Jan-1991 | $11.08 |
| Feb-1991 | $11.07 |
| Mar-1991 | $11.06 |
| Apr-1991 | $11.03 |
| May-1991 | $11.04 |
| Jun-1991 | $11.04 |
| Jul-1991 | $11.02 |
| Aug-1991 | $10.99 |
| Sep-1991 | $10.97 |
| Oct-1991 | $10.97 |
| Nov-1991 | $10.93 |
| Dec-1991 | $10.89 |
| Jan-1992 | $10.91 |
| Feb-1992 | $10.91 |
| Mar-1992 | $10.89 |
| Apr-1992 | $10.89 |
| May-1992 | $10.84 |
| Jun-1992 | $10.79 |
| Jul-1992 | $10.77 |
| Aug-1992 | $10.78 |
| Sep-1992 | $10.75 |
| Oct-1992 | $10.73 |
| Nov-1992 | $10.76 |
| Dec-1992 | $10.74 |
| Jan-1993 | $10.68 |
| Feb-1993 | $10.67 |
| Mar-1993 | $10.64 |
| Apr-1993 | $10.57 |
| May-1993 | $10.61 |
| Jun-1993 | $10.61 |
| Jul-1993 | $10.56 |
| Aug-1993 | $10.50 |
| Sep-1993 | $10.49 |
| Oct-1993 | $10.47 |
| Nov-1993 | $10.46 |
| Dec-1993 | $10.45 |
| Jan-1994 | $10.43 |
| Feb-1994 | $10.42 |
| Mar-1994 | $10.49 |
| Apr-1994 | $10.54 |
| May-1994 | $10.51 |
| Jun-1994 | $10.51 |
| Jul-1994 | $10.53 |
| Aug-1994 | $10.55 |
| Sep-1994 | $10.67 |
| Oct-1994 | $10.80 |
| Nov-1994 | $10.82 |
| Dec-1994 | $10.88 |
| Jan-1995 | $10.94 |
| Feb-1995 | $10.95 |
| Mar-1995 | $10.92 |
| Apr-1995 | $10.87 |
| May-1995 | $10.89 |
| Jun-1995 | $10.87 |
| Jul-1995 | $10.87 |
| Aug-1995 | $10.90 |
| Sep-1995 | $10.82 |
| Oct-1995 | $10.73 |
| Nov-1995 | $10.76 |
| Dec-1995 | $10.73 |
| Jan-1996 | $10.70 |
| Feb-1996 | $10.75 |
| Mar-1996 | $10.77 |
| Apr-1996 | $10.77 |
| May-1996 | $10.71 |
| Jun-1996 | $10.73 |
| Jul-1996 | $10.71 |
| Aug-1996 | $10.70 |
| Sep-1996 | $10.71 |
| Oct-1996 | $10.71 |
| Nov-1996 | $10.73 |
| Dec-1996 | $10.77 |
| Jan-1997 | $10.81 |
| Feb-1997 | $10.77 |
| Mar-1997 | $10.74 |
| Apr-1997 | $10.76 |
| May-1997 | $10.82 |
| Jun-1997 | $10.95 |
| Jul-1997 | $11.00 |
| Aug-1997 | $10.98 |
| Sep-1997 | $10.95 |
| Oct-1997 | $10.98 |
| Nov-1997 | $10.99 |
| Dec-1997 | $10.98 |
| Jan-1998 | $10.98 |
| Feb-1998 | $11.03 |
| Mar-1998 | $11.04 |
| Apr-1998 | $11.10 |
| May-1998 | $11.17 |
| Jun-1998 | $11.17 |
| Jul-1998 | $11.27 |
| Aug-1998 | $11.40 |
| Sep-1998 | $11.44 |
| Oct-1998 | $11.50 |
| Nov-1998 | $11.53 |
| Dec-1998 | $11.62 |
| Jan-1999 | $11.68 |
| Feb-1999 | $11.69 |
| Mar-1999 | $11.74 |
| Apr-1999 | $11.82 |
| May-1999 | $11.80 |
| Jun-1999 | $11.75 |
| Jul-1999 | $11.87 |
| Aug-1999 | $11.88 |
| Sep-1999 | $11.94 |
| Oct-1999 | $11.96 |
| Nov-1999 | $12.03 |
| Dec-1999 | $11.98 |
| Jan-2000 | $12.02 |
| Feb-2000 | $12.05 |
| Mar-2000 | $12.11 |
| Apr-2000 | $12.10 |
| May-2000 | $12.17 |
| Jun-2000 | $12.26 |
| Jul-2000 | $12.19 |
| Aug-2000 | $12.19 |
| Sep-2000 | $12.20 |
| Oct-2000 | $12.22 |
| Nov-2000 | $12.26 |
| Dec-2000 | $12.30 |
| Jan-2001 | $12.34 |
| Feb-2001 | $12.31 |
| Mar-2001 | $12.26 |
| Apr-2001 | $12.27 |
| May-2001 | $12.23 |
| Jun-2001 | $12.26 |
| Jul-2001 | $12.27 |
| Aug-2001 | $12.30 |
| Sep-2001 | $12.33 |
| Oct-2001 | $12.36 |
| Nov-2001 | $12.32 |
| Dec-2001 | $12.31 |
| Jan-2002 | $12.25 |
| Feb-2002 | $12.29 |
| Mar-2002 | $12.34 |
| Apr-2002 | $12.32 |
| May-2002 | $12.36 |
| Jun-2002 | $12.30 |
| Jul-2002 | $12.20 |
| Aug-2002 | $12.20 |
| Sep-2002 | $12.11 |
| Oct-2002 | $12.09 |
| Nov-2002 | $12.07 |
| Dec-2002 | $12.07 |
| Jan-2003 | $12.06 |
| Feb-2003 | $12.01 |
| Mar-2003 | $12.03 |
| Apr-2003 | $12.01 |
| May-2003 | $11.97 |
| Jun-2003 | $11.98 |
| Jul-2003 | $12.04 |
| Aug-2003 | $12.13 |
| Sep-2003 | $12.24 |
| Oct-2003 | $12.19 |
| Nov-2003 | $12.23 |
| Dec-2003 | $12.25 |
| Jan-2004 | $12.27 |
| Feb-2004 | $12.33 |
| Mar-2004 | $12.31 |
| Apr-2004 | $12.37 |
| May-2004 | $12.42 |
| Jun-2004 | $12.44 |
| Jul-2004 | $12.38 |
| Aug-2004 | $12.23 |
| Sep-2004 | $12.25 |
| Oct-2004 | $12.17 |
| Nov-2004 | $12.09 |
| Dec-2004 | $12.13 |
| Jan-2005 | $12.03 |
| Feb-2005 | $11.96 |
| Mar-2005 | $11.86 |
| Apr-2005 | $11.74 |
| May-2005 | $11.72 |
| Jun-2005 | $11.73 |
| Jul-2005 | $11.79 |
| Aug-2005 | $11.79 |
| Sep-2005 | $11.71 |
| Oct-2005 | $11.80 |
| Nov-2005 | $11.82 |
| Dec-2005 | $11.72 |
| Jan-2006 | $11.84 |
| Feb-2006 | $11.84 |
| Mar-2006 | $11.91 |
| Apr-2006 | $12.02 |
| May-2006 | $12.00 |
| Jun-2006 | $11.97 |
| Jul-2006 | $11.97 |
| Aug-2006 | $11.95 |
| Sep-2006 | $12.01 |
| Oct-2006 | $11.97 |
| Nov-2006 | $11.92 |
| Dec-2006 | $11.93 |
| Jan-2007 | $11.90 |
| Feb-2007 | $11.95 |
| Mar-2007 | $12.01 |
| Apr-2007 | $12.00 |
| May-2007 | $12.01 |
| Jun-2007 | $11.99 |
| Jul-2007 | $11.94 |
| Aug-2007 | $12.02 |
| Sep-2007 | $11.94 |
| Oct-2007 | $11.98 |
| Nov-2007 | $12.00 |
| Dec-2007 | $12.09 |
| Jan-2008 | $12.09 |
| Feb-2008 | $12.08 |
| Mar-2008 | $11.98 |
| Apr-2008 | $11.96 |
| May-2008 | $11.93 |
| Jun-2008 | $11.89 |
| Jul-2008 | $11.87 |
| Aug-2008 | $11.81 |
| Sep-2008 | $11.77 |
| Oct-2008 | $11.78 |
| Nov-2008 | $11.86 |
| Dec-2008 | $11.81 |
| Jan-2009 | $11.79 |
| Feb-2009 | $11.72 |
| Mar-2009 | $11.75 |
| Apr-2009 | $11.68 |
| May-2009 | $11.69 |
| Jun-2009 | $11.66 |
| Jul-2009 | $11.67 |
| Aug-2009 | $11.70 |
| Sep-2009 | $11.68 |
| Oct-2009 | $11.58 |
| Nov-2009 | $11.49 |
| Dec-2009 | $11.46 |
| Jan-2010 | $11.42 |
| Feb-2010 | $11.45 |
| Mar-2010 | $11.34 |
| Apr-2010 | $11.30 |
| May-2010 | $11.28 |
| Jun-2010 | $11.34 |
| Jul-2010 | $11.45 |
| Aug-2010 | $11.33 |
| Sep-2010 | $11.39 |
| Oct-2010 | $11.37 |
| Nov-2010 | $11.34 |
| Dec-2010 | $11.28 |
| Jan-2011 | $11.33 |
| Feb-2011 | $11.29 |
| Mar-2011 | $11.31 |
| Apr-2011 | $11.23 |
| May-2011 | $11.20 |
| Jun-2011 | $11.18 |
| Jul-2011 | $10.96 |
| Aug-2011 | $10.97 |
| Sep-2011 | $10.95 |
| Oct-2011 | $10.95 |
| Nov-2011 | $10.89 |
| Dec-2011 | $10.89 |
| Jan-2012 | $10.81 |
| Feb-2012 | $10.76 |
| Mar-2012 | $10.76 |
| Apr-2012 | $10.84 |
| May-2012 | $10.79 |
| Jun-2012 | $10.78 |
| Jul-2012 | $10.79 |
| Aug-2012 | $10.87 |
| Sep-2012 | $10.76 |
| Oct-2012 | $10.76 |
| Nov-2012 | $10.75 |
| Dec-2012 | $10.73 |
| Jan-2013 | $10.71 |
| Feb-2013 | $10.74 |
| Mar-2013 | $10.73 |
| Apr-2013 | $10.78 |
| May-2013 | $10.79 |
| Jun-2013 | $10.71 |
| Jul-2013 | $10.75 |
| Aug-2013 | $10.70 |
| Sep-2013 | $10.78 |
| Oct-2013 | $10.78 |
| Nov-2013 | $10.85 |
| Dec-2013 | $10.86 |
| Jan-2014 | $10.85 |
| Feb-2014 | $10.87 |
| Mar-2014 | $10.88 |
| Apr-2014 | $10.82 |
| May-2014 | $10.85 |
| Jun-2014 | $10.93 |
| Jul-2014 | $10.88 |
| Aug-2014 | $10.92 |
| Sep-2014 | $10.94 |
| Oct-2014 | $10.97 |
| Nov-2014 | $10.98 |
| Dec-2014 | $11.04 |
| Jan-2015 | $11.10 |
| Feb-2015 | $11.19 |
| Mar-2015 | $11.28 |
| Apr-2015 | $11.31 |
| May-2015 | $11.32 |
| Jun-2015 | $11.38 |
| Jul-2015 | $11.49 |
| Aug-2015 | $11.49 |
| Sep-2015 | $11.54 |
| Oct-2015 | $11.61 |
| Nov-2015 | $11.63 |
| Dec-2015 | $11.65 |
| Jan-2016 | $11.66 |
| Feb-2016 | $11.62 |
| Mar-2016 | $11.59 |
| Apr-2016 | $11.62 |
| May-2016 | $11.69 |
| Jun-2016 | $11.65 |
| Jul-2016 | $11.72 |
| Aug-2016 | $11.74 |
| Sep-2016 | $11.80 |
| Oct-2016 | $11.77 |
| Nov-2016 | $11.85 |
| Dec-2016 | $11.85 |
| Jan-2017 | $11.84 |
| Feb-2017 | $11.84 |
| Mar-2017 | $11.88 |
| Apr-2017 | $11.95 |
| May-2017 | $11.90 |
| Jun-2017 | $11.94 |
| Jul-2017 | $11.95 |
| Aug-2017 | $11.97 |
| Sep-2017 | $11.90 |
| Oct-2017 | $11.96 |
| Nov-2017 | $11.93 |
| Dec-2017 | $11.91 |
| Jan-2018 | $12.05 |
| Feb-2018 | $12.12 |
| Mar-2018 | $12.09 |
| Apr-2018 | $12.07 |
| May-2018 | $12.08 |
| Jun-2018 | $12.05 |
| Jul-2018 | $12.02 |
| Aug-2018 | $12.04 |
| Sep-2018 | $12.10 |
| Oct-2018 | $12.08 |
| Nov-2018 | $12.14 |
| Dec-2018 | $12.19 |
| Jan-2019 | $12.22 |
| Feb-2019 | $12.23 |
| Mar-2019 | $12.26 |
Notes: The wage series is based on 12-month moving pools of data. The most recent data point uses pooled data from March 2018 through February 2019. Dollar amounts are adjusted for inflation to 2018 dollars. Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata from the U.S. Census Bureau (EPI 2019)