Figure A v2
Insurance premiums and workers contributions toward premiums are rising much faster than wages: Growth rates of average annual earnings for the bottom 90 percent, employer-sponsored insurance premiums, and worker contributions, 1999–2016
| Year | Average earnings of bottom 90% | Single premiums | Family premiums | Single contributions to premium | Family contributions to premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | 12.5% | 11.2% | 5.0% | 4.9% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | 22.4% | 21.9% | 11.6% | 15.8% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | 40.4% | 38.2% | 46.5% | 38.5% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | 54.1% | 56.6% | 59.7% | 56.3% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | 68.3% | 71.8% | 75.5% | 72.5% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | 83.2% | 87.9% | 91.8% | 75.8% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | 93.2% | 98.2% | 97.2% | 92.7% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | 104.0% | 109.0% | 118.2% | 112.6% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | 114.2% | 119.0% | 126.7% | 117.4% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | 119.7% | 131.0% | 145.0% | 127.8% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | 129.9% | 137.8% | 182.7% | 159.0% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | 147.2% | 160.3% | 189.6% | 167.6% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | 155.7% | 171.9% | 199.1% | 179.7% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | 167.9% | 182.4% | 214.2% | 195.9% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | 174.4% | 190.7% | 239.9% | 212.6% |
| 2015 | 6.7% | 184.7% | 203.0% | 236.8% | 221.1% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | 193.0% | 213.3% | 255.0% | 242.0% |

Sources: Data on ESI premiums comes from the Kaiser Family Foundation (2017) Employer Benefits Survey. Data on average annual earnings for the bottom 90 percent are author’s analysis of data from the Social Security Administration 2017, updated using the methods of Mishel and Kroeger 2016.
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