Appendix Figure C
Cumulative change in real hourly wages of all workers, by wage percentile, 1979–2017
| 10th percentile | 50th percentile | 95th percentile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1980 | -5.8% | -0.3% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | -7.5% | -3.0% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | -10.7% | -2.5% | 0.8% |
| 1983 | -13.3% | -2.7% | 3.5% |
| 1984 | -15.0% | -2.7% | 4.9% |
| 1985 | -15.4% | -2.1% | 6.6% |
| 1986 | -14.5% | 0.7% | 7.8% |
| 1987 | -14.6% | -0.2% | 7.9% |
| 1988 | -15.4% | -0.3% | 10.6% |
| 1989 | -15.2% | -0.5% | 8.1% |
| 1990 | -14.4% | -1.8% | 9.7% |
| 1991 | -13.4% | -1.3% | 10.7% |
| 1992 | -11.8% | -1.0% | 8.5% |
| 1993 | -13.0% | -0.5% | 6.6% |
| 1994 | -13.9% | -2.2% | 12.4% |
| 1995 | -14.7% | -3.5% | 12.9% |
| 1996 | -15.1% | -3.0% | 13.1% |
| 1997 | -11.6% | -0.6% | 14.9% |
| 1998 | -6.3% | 2.2% | 18.7% |
| 1999 | -5.9% | 5.2% | 21.9% |
| 2000 | -4.1% | 4.3% | 25.0% |
| 2001 | -1.3% | 7.0% | 27.2% |
| 2002 | -0.3% | 7.0% | 32.3% |
| 2003 | -1.4% | 8.7% | 30.0% |
| 2004 | -3.1% | 8.7% | 31.4% |
| 2005 | -4.8% | 7.7% | 31.9% |
| 2006 | -3.8% | 8.4% | 32.9% |
| 2007 | -1.9% | 6.6% | 35.7% |
| 2008 | -3.7% | 7.2% | 36.5% |
| 2009 | -3.1% | 9.3% | 38.9% |
| 2010 | -4.1% | 7.8% | 37.5% |
| 2011 | -6.3% | 4.8% | 36.4% |
| 2012 | -7.5% | 4.2% | 38.2% |
| 2013 | -6.5% | 5.0% | 40.2% |
| 2014 | -5.8% | 4.7% | 39.0% |
| 2015 | -2.2% | 6.0% | 47.0% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | 9.2% | 49.6% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | 9.5% | 51.7% |
Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. 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
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