Mind the wage gap: Cumulative nominal average hourly earnings, actual and hypothetical if they had grown at 3.5% since the recession began, 2007–2021

Date Average hourly earnings of all private employees Hypothetical, assuming 3.5% growth* Gap
Jan-2007 $20.60
Feb-2007 $20.68
Mar-2007 $20.72
Apr-2007 $20.79
May-2007 $20.84
Jun-2007 $20.95
Jul-2007 $20.96
Aug-2007 $21.00
Sep-2007 $21.04
Oct-2007 $21.06
Nov-2007 $21.12
Dec-2007 $21.18 $21.18 $0.00
Jan-2008 $21.19 $21.24 $0.05
Feb-2008 $21.26 $21.30 $0.04
Mar-2008 $21.36 $21.36 $0.00
Apr-2008 $21.38 $21.42 $0.04
May-2008 $21.47 $21.49 $0.02
Jun-2008 $21.52 $21.55 $0.03
Jul-2008 $21.59 $21.61 $0.02
Aug-2008 $21.70 $21.67 -$0.03
Sep-2008 $21.72 $21.73 $0.01
Oct-2008 $21.76 $21.80 $0.04
Nov-2008 $21.88 $21.86 -$0.02
Dec-2008 $21.94 $21.92 -$0.02
Jan-2009 $21.97 $21.98 $0.01
Feb-2009 $21.99 $22.05 $0.06
Mar-2009 $22.06 $22.11 $0.05
Apr-2009 $22.09 $22.17 $0.08
May-2009 $22.10 $22.24 $0.14
Jun-2009 $22.13 $22.30 $0.17
Jul-2009 $22.18 $22.37 $0.19
Aug-2009 $22.23 $22.43 $0.20
Sep-2009 $22.26 $22.49 $0.23
Oct-2009 $22.30 $22.56 $0.26
Nov-2009 $22.36 $22.62 $0.26
Dec-2009 $22.36 $22.69 $0.33
Jan-2010 $22.41 $22.75 $0.34
Feb-2010 $22.45 $22.82 $0.37
Mar-2010 $22.45 $22.88 $0.43
Apr-2010 $22.49 $22.95 $0.46
May-2010 $22.53 $23.02 $0.49
Jun-2010 $22.53 $23.08 $0.55
Jul-2010 $22.59 $23.15 $0.56
Aug-2010 $22.62 $23.21 $0.59
Sep-2010 $22.67 $23.28 $0.61
Oct-2010 $22.74 $23.35 $0.61
Nov-2010 $22.73 $23.42 $0.69
Dec-2010 $22.76 $23.48 $0.72
Jan-2011 $22.85 $23.55 $0.70
Feb-2011 $22.87 $23.62 $0.75
Mar-2011 $22.87 $23.69 $0.82
Apr-2011 $22.92 $23.75 $0.83
May-2011 $22.99 $23.82 $0.83
Jun-2011 $23.01 $23.89 $0.88
Jul-2011 $23.10 $23.96 $0.86
Aug-2011 $23.07 $24.03 $0.96
Sep-2011 $23.11 $24.10 $0.99
Oct-2011 $23.20 $24.17 $0.97
Nov-2011 $23.18 $24.23 $1.05
Dec-2011 $23.21 $24.30 $1.09
Jan-2012 $23.24 $24.37 $1.13
Feb-2012 $23.27 $24.44 $1.17
Mar-2012 $23.36 $24.51 $1.15
Apr-2012 $23.39 $24.58 $1.19
May-2012 $23.39 $24.66 $1.27
Jun-2012 $23.46 $24.73 $1.27
Jul-2012 $23.51 $24.80 $1.29
Aug-2012 $23.49 $24.87 $1.38
Sep-2012 $23.57 $24.94 $1.37
Oct-2012 $23.56 $25.01 $1.45
Nov-2012 $23.63 $25.08 $1.45
Dec-2012 $23.73 $25.16 $1.43
Jan-2013 $23.76 $25.23 $1.47
Feb-2013 $23.77 $25.30 $1.53
Mar-2013 $23.81 $25.37 $1.56
Apr-2013 $23.87 $25.45 $1.58
May-2013 $23.89 $25.52 $1.63
Jun-2013 $23.97 $25.59 $1.62
Jul-2013 $23.98 $25.67 $1.69
Aug-2013 $24.03 $25.74 $1.71
Sep-2013 $24.06 $25.81 $1.75
Oct-2013 $24.09 $25.89 $1.80
Nov-2013 $24.16 $25.96 $1.80
Dec-2013 $24.17 $26.04 $1.87
Jan-2014 $24.21 $26.11 $1.90
Feb-2014 $24.32 $26.19 $1.87
Mar-2014 $24.31 $26.26 $1.95
Apr-2014 $24.34 $26.34 $2.00
May-2014 $24.40 $26.41 $2.01
Jun-2014 $24.45 $26.49 $2.04
Jul-2014 $24.48 $26.56 $2.08
Aug-2014 $24.56 $26.64 $2.08
Sep-2014 $24.56 $26.72 $2.16
Oct-2014 $24.58 $26.79 $2.21
Nov-2014 $24.65 $26.87 $2.22
Dec-2014 $24.65 $26.95 $2.30
Jan-2015 $24.73 $27.02 $2.29
Feb-2015 $24.78 $27.10 $2.32
Mar-2015 $24.84 $27.18 $2.34
Apr-2015 $24.89 $27.26 $2.37
May-2015 $24.96 $27.34 $2.38
Jun-2015 $24.98 $27.41 $2.43
Jul-2015 $25.01 $27.49 $2.48
Aug-2015 $25.10 $27.57 $2.47
Sep-2015 $25.11 $27.65 $2.54
Oct-2015 $25.20 $27.73 $2.53
Nov-2015 $25.24 $27.81 $2.57
Dec-2015 $25.27 $27.89 $2.62
Jan-2016 $25.36 $27.97 $2.61
Feb-2016 $25.39 $28.05 $2.66
Mar-2016 $25.45 $28.13 $2.68
Apr-2016 $25.53 $28.21 $2.68
May-2016 $25.57 $28.29 $2.72
Jun-2016 $25.63 $28.37 $2.74
Jul-2016 $25.69 $28.46 $2.77
Aug-2016 $25.72 $28.54 $2.82
Sep-2016 $25.77 $28.62 $2.85
Oct-2016 $25.88 $28.70 $2.82
Nov-2016 $25.91 $28.78 $2.87
Dec-2016 $25.94 $28.87 $2.93
Jan-2017 $26.02 $28.95 $2.93
Feb-2017 $26.08 $29.03 $2.95
Mar-2017 $26.10 $29.12 $3.02
Apr-2017 $26.18 $29.20 $3.02
May-2017 $26.22 $29.28 $3.06
Jun-2017 $26.27 $29.37 $3.10
Jul-2017 $26.36 $29.45 $3.09
Aug-2017 $26.38 $29.54 $3.16
Sep-2017 $26.50 $29.62 $3.12
Oct-2017 $26.48 $29.71 $3.23
Nov-2017 $26.54 $29.79 $3.25
Dec-2017 $26.64 $29.88 $3.24
Jan-2018 $26.72 $29.96 $3.24
Feb-2018 $26.75 $30.05 $3.30
Mar-2018 $26.83 $30.13 $3.30
Apr-2018 $26.91 $30.22 $3.31
May-2018 $26.99 $30.31 $3.32
Jun-2018 $27.04 $30.39 $3.35
Jul-2018 $27.12 $30.48 $3.36
Aug-2018 $27.22 $30.57 $3.35
Sep-2018 $27.31 $30.66 $3.35
Oct-2018 $27.36 $30.75 $3.39
Nov-2018 $27.43 $30.83 $3.40
Dec-2018 $27.55 $30.92 $3.37
Jan-2019 $27.59 $31.01 $3.42
Feb-2019 $27.68 $31.10 $3.42
Mar-2019 $27.76 $31.19 $3.43
Apr-2019 $27.80 $31.28 $3.48
May-2019 $27.88 $31.37 $3.49
Jun-2019 $27.96 $31.46 $3.50
Jul-2019 $28.04 $31.55 $3.51
Aug-2019 $28.16 $31.64 $3.48
Sep-2019 $28.15 $31.73 $3.58
Oct-2019 $28.24 $31.82 $3.58
Nov-2019 $28.33 $31.91 $3.58
Dec-2019 $28.36 $32.00 $3.64
Jan-2020 $28.43 $32.10 $3.67
Feb-2020 $28.51 $32.19 $3.68
Mar-2020 $28.74 $32.28 $3.54
Apr-2020 $30.07 $32.37 $2.30
May-2020 $29.74 $32.47 $2.73
Jun-2020 $29.35 $32.56 $3.21
Jul-2020 $29.37 $32.65 $3.28
Aug-2020 $29.47 $32.75 $3.28
Sep-2020 $29.50 $32.84 $3.34
Oct-2020 $29.52 $32.94 $3.42
Nov-2020 $29.61 $33.03 $3.42
Dec-2020 $29.91 $33.12 $3.21
Jan-2021 $29.92 $33.22 $3.30
Feb-2021 $30.00 $33.32 $3.32
Mar-2021 $29.97 $33.41 $3.44
Apr-2021 $30.17 $33.51 $3.34
May-2021 $30.30 $33.60 $3.27
Jun-2021 $30.40 $33.70  $3.30

* Nominal wage growth consistent with the Federal Reserve Board’s 2 percent inflation target, 1.5 percent productivity growth, and a stable labor share of income

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics public data series

View the underlying data on epi.org.