Cumulative change in real hourly wages of all workers, by wage group, 1979–2013
| Very high wage | Middle wage | Low wage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1980 | -1.9% | -1.0% | -5.5% |
| 1981 | -1.7% | -3.6% | -4.0% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | -2.2% | -7.7% |
| 1983 | 3.4% | -2.7% | -10.5% |
| 1984 | 4.2% | -2.2% | -12.7% |
| 1985 | 6.0% | -1.3% | -14.1% |
| 1986 | 7.6% | 0.5% | -14.3% |
| 1987 | 7.4% | 0.6% | -14.5% |
| 1988 | 10.1% | 0.0% | -14.5% |
| 1989 | 7.5% | -0.6% | -14.6% |
| 1990 | 9.6% | -0.6% | -13.1% |
| 1991 | 10.3% | 0.0% | -11.5% |
| 1992 | 8.5% | 0.8% | -11.7% |
| 1993 | 7.6% | 0.1% | -12.0% |
| 1994 | 13.1% | -1.6% | -12.9% |
| 1995 | 13.2% | -2.4% | -13.1% |
| 1996 | 13.8% | -2.8% | -13.5% |
| 1997 | 15.2% | -0.5% | -10.6% |
| 1998 | 18.0% | 2.3% | -5.7% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | 5.4% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 25.2% | 5.1% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 27.7% | 7.4% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 32.0% | 8.3% | 0.7% |
| 2003 | 30.3% | 9.6% | 0.3% |
| 2004 | 31.6% | 9.6% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 32.5% | 8.3% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 33.2% | 8.7% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 36.1% | 7.8% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 37.6% | 8.3% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 39.0% | 10.1% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 38.7% | 8.6% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 37.1% | 5.7% | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 39.0% | 5.0% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 40.6% | 6.1% | -5.3% |
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata
Reproduced from Figure F in Why America’s Workers Need Faster Wage Growth—And What We Can Do About It
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata from the CPS survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics [machine-readable microdata file]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau
Reproduced from Figure F in Why America’s Workers Need Faster Wage Growth—And What We Can Do About It, by Elise Gould, Economic Policy Institute, 2014