The gap between productivity and a typical worker’s compensation has increased dramatically since 1979: Productivity growth and hourly compensation growth, 1948–2024
| Year | Productivity | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1948q1 | 100 | 100 |
| 1948q2 | 101.2224 | 100.7585 |
| 1948q3 | 100.7825 | 100.859 |
| 1948q4 | 102.1177 | 102.478 |
| 1949q1 | 102.2019 | 105.3803 |
| 1949q2 | 101.3389 | 106.6297 |
| 1949q3 | 104.7471 | 109.0284 |
| 1949q4 | 104.7364 | 110.3131 |
| 1950q1 | 108.8723 | 111.8143 |
| 1950q2 | 110.1335 | 112.3882 |
| 1950q3 | 112.1586 | 111.6846 |
| 1950q4 | 112.8913 | 112.1322 |
| 1951q1 | 111.5826 | 110.2063 |
| 1951q2 | 111.6458 | 111.2497 |
| 1951q3 | 114.4287 | 113.5507 |
| 1951q4 | 114.3274 | 113.8062 |
| 1952q1 | 114.3807 | 114.4272 |
| 1952q2 | 115.0211 | 115.8473 |
| 1952q3 | 115.3531 | 115.8715 |
| 1952q4 | 117.5749 | 117.4075 |
| 1953q1 | 120.0173 | 119.7173 |
| 1953q2 | 120.5348 | 120.7118 |
| 1953q3 | 120.2853 | 121.8617 |
| 1953q4 | 119.7519 | 122.7065 |
| 1954q1 | 120.3647 | 123.7449 |
| 1954q2 | 121.8411 | 124.5355 |
| 1954q3 | 123.7844 | 125.3718 |
| 1954q4 | 126.1801 | 127.1677 |
| 1955q1 | 128.206 | 127.8147 |
| 1955q2 | 130.5995 | 129.5961 |
| 1955q3 | 131.4314 | 130.7226 |
| 1955q4 | 131.8896 | 132.3935 |
| 1956q1 | 132.5184 | 134.2646 |
| 1956q2 | 132.3767 | 134.5564 |
| 1956q3 | 132.4324 | 134.9433 |
| 1956q4 | 134.4478 | 135.9284 |
| 1957q1 | 135.9806 | 136.5261 |
| 1957q2 | 135.4518 | 136.9394 |
| 1957q3 | 135.7934 | 137.2891 |
| 1957q4 | 136.6831 | 138.6305 |
| 1958q1 | 135.1496 | 137.6791 |
| 1958q2 | 136.422 | 138.1341 |
| 1958q3 | 139.7677 | 138.9453 |
| 1958q4 | 142.0154 | 140.1919 |
| 1959q1 | 143.5943 | 142.1337 |
| 1959q2 | 144.3773 | 143.1391 |
| 1959q3 | 144.6854 | 142.9913 |
| 1959q4 | 144.6406 | 143.4921 |
| 1960q1 | 148.9546 | 145.2161 |
| 1960q2 | 146.0806 | 145.7559 |
| 1960q3 | 146.3742 | 146.375 |
| 1960q4 | 145.1088 | 146.6526 |
| 1961q1 | 146.7386 | 147.7571 |
| 1961q2 | 151.2943 | 148.604 |
| 1961q3 | 152.9593 | 148.6978 |
| 1961q4 | 154.7853 | 149.9996 |
| 1962q1 | 155.8676 | 151.192 |
| 1962q2 | 155.7629 | 151.7841 |
| 1962q3 | 158.4039 | 153.2191 |
| 1962q4 | 159.1433 | 153.5229 |
| 1963q1 | 160.1264 | 154.2017 |
| 1963q2 | 161.2386 | 155.2373 |
| 1963q3 | 164.0396 | 155.5606 |
| 1963q4 | 164.8935 | 156.7498 |
| 1964q1 | 167.6906 | 158.5101 |
| 1964q2 | 167.2588 | 159.062 |
| 1964q3 | 169.84 | 160.773 |
| 1964q4 | 168.174 | 160.1893 |
| 1965q1 | 170.5501 | 161.3186 |
| 1965q2 | 170.8476 | 162.1148 |
| 1965q3 | 175.3211 | 163.6557 |
| 1965q4 | 177.9659 | 164.5323 |
| 1966q1 | 178.8131 | 164.8556 |
| 1966q2 | 178.4471 | 165.9094 |
| 1966q3 | 178.9881 | 166.1527 |
| 1966q4 | 179.7122 | 166.2315 |
| 1967q1 | 180.3977 | 167.3538 |
| 1967q2 | 181.2156 | 168.3047 |
| 1967q3 | 181.8779 | 169.2548 |
| 1967q4 | 182.6768 | 169.8076 |
| 1968q1 | 186.6931 | 171.2016 |
| 1968q2 | 188.7502 | 172.4089 |
| 1968q3 | 188.2602 | 172.8439 |
| 1968q4 | 189.137 | 174.2238 |
| 1969q1 | 190.1281 | 175.703 |
| 1969q2 | 189.1847 | 175.8024 |
| 1969q3 | 190.774 | 176.8568 |
| 1969q4 | 189.2837 | 177.1482 |
| 1970q1 | 190.5522 | 177.0935 |
| 1970q2 | 192.3818 | 177.5397 |
| 1970q3 | 195.7578 | 179.2568 |
| 1970q4 | 194.3567 | 179.5898 |
| 1971q1 | 200.5013 | 181.8354 |
| 1971q2 | 201.3067 | 182.8491 |
| 1971q3 | 203.7236 | 184.2475 |
| 1971q4 | 203.0908 | 185.6951 |
| 1972q1 | 205.1834 | 190.3615 |
| 1972q2 | 209.7812 | 192.4523 |
| 1972q3 | 211.5681 | 193.9578 |
| 1972q4 | 213.4589 | 194.0056 |
| 1973q1 | 215.3432 | 194.6084 |
| 1973q2 | 214.4144 | 192.921 |
| 1973q3 | 211.9744 | 192.4998 |
| 1973q4 | 212.3932 | 190.784 |
| 1974q1 | 207.2693 | 188.3682 |
| 1974q2 | 207.7652 | 187.9351 |
| 1974q3 | 206.6166 | 188.3849 |
| 1974q4 | 207.6962 | 187.493 |
| 1975q1 | 209.3333 | 187.2972 |
| 1975q2 | 212.9105 | 188.4237 |
| 1975q3 | 215.0174 | 187.8178 |
| 1975q4 | 215.4609 | 187.5831 |
| 1976q1 | 217.304 | 188.2701 |
| 1976q2 | 218.8501 | 189.7046 |
| 1976q3 | 218.2819 | 190.3936 |
| 1976q4 | 218.8123 | 191.1914 |
| 1977q1 | 219.5919 | 191.9768 |
| 1977q2 | 219.4248 | 192.7663 |
| 1977q3 | 221.3454 | 193.6298 |
| 1977q4 | 221.118 | 194.5295 |
| 1978q1 | 220.3615 | 196.0737 |
| 1978q2 | 223.5137 | 196.0318 |
| 1978q3 | 223.3659 | 195.9118 |
| 1978q4 | 224.8815 | 196.4933 |
| 1979q1 | 222.5492 | 196.1878 |
| 1979q2 | 221.5493 | 194.0663 |
| 1979q3 | 219.8124 | 193.3174 |
| 1979q4 | 217.7292 | 191.7634 |
| 1980q1 | 216.6058 | 189.3787 |
| 1980q2 | 213.3814 | 188.9364 |
| 1980q3 | 213.2651 | 188.5993 |
| 1980q4 | 215.2463 | 188.4181 |
| 1981q1 | 218.8552 | 187.8761 |
| 1981q2 | 217.3573 | 188.0737 |
| 1981q3 | 219.7654 | 187.9574 |
| 1981q4 | 216.5601 | 187.2807 |
| 1982q1 | 216.0183 | 188.1088 |
| 1982q2 | 215.7346 | 188.6548 |
| 1982q3 | 215.4963 | 188.3419 |
| 1982q4 | 216.5423 | 187.8983 |
| 1983q1 | 219.368 | 190.0454 |
| 1983q2 | 221.9851 | 189.4936 |
| 1983q3 | 223.6938 | 189.4451 |
| 1983q4 | 225.8788 | 189.3539 |
| 1984q1 | 226.15 | 188.8803 |
| 1984q2 | 227.6229 | 188.5421 |
| 1984q3 | 228.9141 | 188.4745 |
| 1984q4 | 229.4068 | 188.3055 |
| 1985q1 | 230.6319 | 188.1152 |
| 1985q2 | 230.6769 | 188.1922 |
| 1985q3 | 233.286 | 188.4558 |
| 1985q4 | 233.0346 | 188.1202 |
| 1986q1 | 234.9234 | 188.3092 |
| 1986q2 | 237.875 | 190.2938 |
| 1986q3 | 238.3172 | 189.9818 |
| 1986q4 | 237.4557 | 190.2002 |
| 1987q1 | 235.2406 | 188.7349 |
| 1987q2 | 235.6077 | 187.6395 |
| 1987q3 | 235.8354 | 187.2748 |
| 1987q4 | 237.7856 | 187.3136 |
| 1988q1 | 238.4391 | 187.2439 |
| 1988q2 | 238.4714 | 187.03 |
| 1988q3 | 239.4969 | 186.7535 |
| 1988q4 | 240.3885 | 187.5959 |
| 1989q1 | 240.5406 | 187.7474 |
| 1989q2 | 240.6685 | 186.9796 |
| 1989q3 | 241.6523 | 187.5564 |
| 1989q4 | 241.2308 | 188.0957 |
| 1990q1 | 242.147 | 187.4809 |
| 1990q2 | 244.0834 | 187.3034 |
| 1990q3 | 242.6241 | 185.8919 |
| 1990q4 | 238.6094 | 184.7695 |
| 1991q1 | 239.516 | 185.2578 |
| 1991q2 | 243.2864 | 186.3642 |
| 1991q3 | 245.2206 | 187.2 |
| 1991q4 | 246.0497 | 187.3464 |
| 1992q1 | 249.9206 | 187.8119 |
| 1992q2 | 251.6125 | 188.1735 |
| 1992q3 | 254.1083 | 188.4343 |
| 1992q4 | 255.623 | 187.9503 |
| 1993q1 | 254.0963 | 189.0897 |
| 1993q2 | 252.7075 | 188.2978 |
| 1993q3 | 253.441 | 188.4688 |
| 1993q4 | 255.1901 | 188.6102 |
| 1994q1 | 256.5796 | 189.8571 |
| 1994q2 | 256.1244 | 189.2323 |
| 1994q3 | 254.8452 | 188.9591 |
| 1994q4 | 257.284 | 189.1304 |
| 1995q1 | 255.981 | 188.5205 |
| 1995q2 | 256.0143 | 188.251 |
| 1995q3 | 255.7288 | 188.3237 |
| 1995q4 | 257.5326 | 188.6312 |
| 1996q1 | 259.1014 | 188.4575 |
| 1996q2 | 259.8923 | 188.263 |
| 1996q3 | 259.7266 | 188.8626 |
| 1996q4 | 259.6332 | 188.6513 |
| 1997q1 | 259.8197 | 188.9004 |
| 1997q2 | 263.016 | 190.1508 |
| 1997q3 | 264.9808 | 191.0714 |
| 1997q4 | 265.685 | 192.413 |
| 1998q1 | 266.4552 | 193.7973 |
| 1998q2 | 267.161 | 195.1811 |
| 1998q3 | 270.3272 | 195.8496 |
| 1998q4 | 271.7016 | 196.6668 |
| 1999q1 | 274.6505 | 197.8043 |
| 1999q2 | 273.2147 | 198.0771 |
| 1999q3 | 274.6204 | 198.6224 |
| 1999q4 | 276.8704 | 198.66 |
| 2000q1 | 274.9271 | 198.4793 |
| 2000q2 | 279.5904 | 199.5756 |
| 2000q3 | 279.5187 | 199.9269 |
| 2000q4 | 282.4208 | 201.4682 |
| 2001q1 | 280.1394 | 201.9444 |
| 2001q2 | 283.4774 | 203.1679 |
| 2001q3 | 283.9923 | 204.4302 |
| 2001q4 | 287.5201 | 206.543 |
| 2002q1 | 292.5072 | 207.7645 |
| 2002q2 | 292.2707 | 207.8738 |
| 2002q3 | 293.8224 | 209.065 |
| 2002q4 | 294.1808 | 210.6484 |
| 2003q1 | 295.9907 | 210.7718 |
| 2003q2 | 301.746 | 212.1644 |
| 2003q3 | 305.8693 | 211.9317 |
| 2003q4 | 309.1752 | 211.6063 |
| 2004q1 | 309.1799 | 211.5796 |
| 2004q2 | 311.7492 | 211.3924 |
| 2004q3 | 313.4896 | 211.5273 |
| 2004q4 | 314.7269 | 210.848 |
| 2005q1 | 318.1473 | 211.7963 |
| 2005q2 | 318.6223 | 212.1476 |
| 2005q3 | 317.9135 | 210.6053 |
| 2005q4 | 318.5955 | 210.6313 |
| 2006q1 | 321.1005 | 211.0853 |
| 2006q2 | 320.3473 | 211.6171 |
| 2006q3 | 318.5199 | 211.573 |
| 2006q4 | 321.7783 | 214.2278 |
| 2007q1 | 323.3931 | 214.0092 |
| 2007q2 | 323.2545 | 214.5643 |
| 2007q3 | 325.1677 | 215.287 |
| 2007q4 | 324.6322 | 214.3371 |
| 2008q1 | 321.1595 | 214.1922 |
| 2008q2 | 321.2409 | 213.7276 |
| 2008q3 | 318.8241 | 212.5401 |
| 2008q4 | 323.8696 | 219.1567 |
| 2009q1 | 329.3948 | 224.0722 |
| 2009q2 | 333.0931 | 224.173 |
| 2009q3 | 335.7491 | 223.7632 |
| 2009q4 | 339.1306 | 223.7858 |
| 2010q1 | 340.7556 | 225.6749 |
| 2010q2 | 342.6806 | 226.5948 |
| 2010q3 | 346.6712 | 226.931 |
| 2010q4 | 346.7416 | 226.4612 |
| 2011q1 | 343.0123 | 225.4128 |
| 2011q2 | 341.196 | 223.7981 |
| 2011q3 | 340.1887 | 222.9265 |
| 2011q4 | 340.6023 | 223.1113 |
| 2012q1 | 342.1459 | 221.6012 |
| 2012q2 | 343.9474 | 222.1198 |
| 2012q3 | 341.9148 | 222.2 |
| 2012q4 | 341.6058 | 221.5144 |
| 2013q1 | 344.4001 | 223.0594 |
| 2013q2 | 345.5619 | 224.7863 |
| 2013q3 | 346.9207 | 225.221 |
| 2013q4 | 349.0968 | 225.711 |
| 2014q1 | 346.2669 | 225.4386 |
| 2014q2 | 348.0385 | 225.2024 |
| 2014q3 | 351.0635 | 225.6106 |
| 2014q4 | 350.6203 | 226.9267 |
| 2015q1 | 354.2249 | 229.7838 |
| 2015q2 | 355.8439 | 229.4826 |
| 2015q3 | 356.8215 | 229.8854 |
| 2015q4 | 355.7143 | 231.6308 |
| 2016q1 | 356.702 | 233.2616 |
| 2016q2 | 356.4604 | 232.8107 |
| 2016q3 | 357.4862 | 233.3005 |
| 2016q4 | 359.9804 | 233.1388 |
| 2017q1 | 359.9192 | 232.9396 |
| 2017q2 | 360.0144 | 234.1445 |
| 2017q3 | 363.5001 | 235.0553 |
| 2017q4 | 364.8114 | 234.5054 |
| 2018q1 | 366.2557 | 235.0642 |
| 2018q2 | 366.7028 | 235.7902 |
| 2018q3 | 367.7332 | 236.9186 |
| 2018q4 | 367.5066 | 238.5109 |
| 2019q1 | 369.4537 | 239.6746 |
| 2019q2 | 370.7367 | 240.0619 |
| 2019q3 | 373.9044 | 241.6013 |
| 2019q4 | 375.7408 | 241.8278 |
| 2020q1 | 375.401 | 243.091 |
| 2020q2 | 387.6417 | 255.7427 |
| 2020q3 | 393.6397 | 250.122 |
| 2020q4 | 391.0226 | 249.9645 |
| 2021q1 | 395.5453 | 250.3091 |
| 2021q2 | 395.76 | 249.1343 |
| 2021q3 | 394.0284 | 249.0241 |
| 2021q4 | 395.3104 | 248.0879 |
| 2022q1 | 389.8198 | 246.2414 |
| 2022q2 | 386.0947 | 243.8393 |
| 2022q3 | 384.7867 | 243.7039 |
| 2022q4 | 386.6525 | 244.4187 |
| 2023q1 | 386.7251 | 244.9451 |
| 2023q2 | 387.4294 | 246.1366 |
| 2023q3 | 391.6656 | 246.7619 |
| 2023q4 | 393.3331 | 247.9148 |
| 2024q1 | 393.8268 | 248.1665 |
Notes: Data are for compensation (wages and benefits) of production/nonsupervisory workers in the private sector and net productivity of the total economy. “Net productivity” is the growth of output of goods and services less depreciation per hour worked.
Source: EPI analysis of unpublished Total Economy Productivity data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Labor Productivity and Costs program, wage data from the BLS Current Employment Statistics, BLS Employment Cost Trends, BLS Consumer Price Index, and Bureau of Economic Analysis National Income and Product Accounts.