Real average hourly wages of young workers, 1989–2016*
| High school graduates | College graduates | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year* | All | Men | Women | All | Men | Women |
| 1990 | $10.05 | $10.78 | $9.23 | $16.95 | $17.75 | $16.38 |
| 2000 | 10.93 | 11.71 | 9.96 | 18.40 | 19.38 | 17.78 |
| 2007 | 10.85 | 11.68 | 9.76 | 18.32 | 19.62 | 17.39 |
| 2015 | 10.33 | 10.97 | 9.39 | 17.96 | 19.74 | 16.50 |
| 2016 | 10.66 | 11.04 | 10.12 | 18.53 | 20.94 | 16.58 |
| Percent change | ||||||
| 1990–2000 | 8.8% | 8.7% | 7.8% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 8.5% |
| 2000–2016 | -2.5 | -5.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 8.1 | -6.8 |
| 2000–2007 | -0.8 | -0.3 | -1.9 | -0.4 | 1.2 | -2.2 |
| 2007–2016 | -1.7 | -5.5 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 6.7 | -4.6 |
| 2015–2016 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 7.7 | 3.1 | 6.0 | 0.5 |
* Data represent 12-month averages as of February of the indicated year.
Note: Data are for college graduates age 21–24 and high school graduates age 17–20 who are not enrolled in further schooling. Wages are in 2015 dollars.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata