Figure A
Neither white nor Black wages has kept up with productivity growth since the 1980s: Year-to-year change in median Black and white wages and net productivity growth, 1980–2024
| Year | Median Black wage growth | Median white wage growth | Net productivity growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | -1.4% | -0.5% | -2.6% |
| 1981 | -3.3% | -2.3% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | -4.2% | -1.4% | -1.9% |
| 1983 | -3.9% | -1.9% | 1.2% |
| 1984 | -4.2% | -1.2% | 3.6% |
| 1985 | -3.9% | -0.2% | 5.3% |
| 1986 | -1.4% | 2.0% | 7.8% |
| 1987 | -1.1% | 2.5% | 7.3% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | 2.3% | 8.7% |
| 1989 | -2.1% | 2.1% | 9.4% |
| 1990 | -1.9% | 2.5% | 9.9% |
| 1991 | -2.3% | 2.7% | 10.6% |
| 1992 | -2.7% | 2.2% | 14.8% |
| 1993 | -2.4% | 1.7% | 15.3% |
| 1994 | -3.7% | 1.1% | 16.2% |
| 1995 | -3.6% | 1.5% | 16.4% |
| 1996 | -4.1% | 2.1% | 17.9% |
| 1997 | -2.1% | 4.4% | 19.7% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | 7.5% | 22.2% |
| 1999 | 5.4% | 9.6% | 24.9% |
| 2000 | 5.9% | 10.9% | 26.4% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | 14.6% | 28.4% |
| 2002 | 10.5% | 16.8% | 32.8% |
| 2003 | 12.4% | 17.0% | 37.2% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | 17.2% | 41.3% |
| 2005 | 8.4% | 16.6% | 44.1% |
| 2006 | 10.6% | 16.5% | 45.1% |
| 2007 | 9.3% | 17.7% | 46.7% |
| 2008 | 9.0% | 17.9% | 45.5% |
| 2009 | 13.9% | 20.6% | 51.3% |
| 2010 | 12.8% | 20.4% | 55.9% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | 18.1% | 54.5% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | 18.4% | 55.1% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | 18.7% | 56.9% |
| 2014 | 7.2% | 18.8% | 58.1% |
| 2015 | 9.2% | 21.6% | 61.0% |
| 2016 | 12.9% | 24.0% | 62.0% |
| 2017 | 12.0% | 25.8% | 64.0% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | 27.2% | 66.3% |
| 2019 | 18.2% | 29.4% | 68.8% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | 38.1% | 75.7% |
| 2021 | 24.2% | 35.3% | 80.2% |
| 2022 | 25.2% | 33.0% | 77.7% |
| 2023 | 25.5% | 33.9% | 80.4% |
| 2024 | 28.5% | 36.7% | 84.1% |
Sources: Author's analysis of Economic Policy Institute, State of Working America Data Library, “Hourly wage, median—Median real hourly wage (2025$),” and “Productivity and pay indexes—Productivity and pay real index, base = 1948,” 2026.
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