High-wage earners have continued to pull away from everyone else in the 2000s: Cumulative percent change in real hourly wages, by wage percentile, 2000–2016
| Year | 10th | 30th | 50th | 70th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 2.9% | 3.0% | 2.6% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 1.8% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | 4.7% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 5.9% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | 3.3% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | 1.1% | 4.3% | 3.1% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| 2005 | -0.7% | -1.6% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 5.1% | 5.7% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 4.1% | 1.5% | 6.3% | 6.4% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | 1.0% | 2.3% | 3.4% | 6.9% | 8.6% |
| 2008 | 0.4% | 1.6% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 7.3% | 9.2% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | 2.5% | 4.9% | 6.2% | 10.5% | 11.2% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | 0.9% | 3.4% | 5.7% | 10.8% | 10.1% |
| 2011 | -2.4% | -0.9% | 0.6% | 3.0% | 8.3% | 9.2% |
| 2012 | -3.5% | -1.5% | 0.0% | 3.1% | 9.1% | 10.6% |
| 2013 | -2.4% | -2.4% | 0.8% | 3.5% | 9.8% | 12.2% |
| 2014 | -1.8% | -3.3% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 8.8% | 11.3% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | -0.6% | 1.7% | 5.8% | 13.1% | 17.7% |
| 2016 | 5.0% | 2.2% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 15.7% | 19.8% |
Note: Sample based on all workers age 18–64. The xth-percentile wage is the wage at which x% of wage earners earn less and (100 - x)% earn more.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata