Figure R
The college wage premium cannot explain growing wage inequality since 2000: Average annual percentage-point changes in wage gaps, 1979–2000 and 2000–2020
| Log 95/50 ratio | College wage premium | |
|---|---|---|
| 1979–2000 | 0.76 | 1.00 |
| 2000–2020 | 1.32 | 0.14 |

Notes: The college wage premium is the percent by which hourly wages of four-year college graduates exceed those of otherwise equivalent high school graduates. This regression-based gap is based on average wages and controls for gender, race and ethnicity, education, age, and geographic division; the log of the hourly wage is the dependent variable. The 95/50 wage ratio is a representation of the level of inequality within the hourly wage distribution. It is logged for comparability with the college wage premium.
Source: Economic Policy Institute Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.15, (2021), https://microdata.epi.org.
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