Pay for the bottom 90 percent loses ground: Labor income of the bottom 90 percent as share of total personal income, 1979–2015
| Year | Bottom 90 percent labor share |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 58.0% |
| 1980 | 57.6% |
| 1981 | 57.5% |
| 1982 | 56.8% |
| 1983 | 55.5% |
| 1984 | 54.7% |
| 1985 | 54.3% |
| 1986 | 51.8% |
| 1987 | 54.1% |
| 1988 | 51.7% |
| 1989 | 52.3% |
| 1990 | 52.9% |
| 1991 | 53.6% |
| 1992 | 52.6% |
| 1993 | 53.4% |
| 1994 | 53.4% |
| 1995 | 52.5% |
| 1996 | 51.1% |
| 1997 | 50.2% |
| 1998 | 49.6% |
| 1999 | 48.1% |
| 2000 | 47.1% |
| 2001 | 50.3% |
| 2002 | 51.6% |
| 2003 | 51.1% |
| 2004 | 49.5% |
| 2005 | 47.4% |
| 2006 | 46.5% |
| 2007 | 45.8% |
| 2008 | 49.0% |
| 2009 | 51.1% |
| 2010 | 49.0% |
| 2011 | 48.9% |
| 2012 | 46.1% |
| 2013 | 47.5% |
| 2014 | 46.6% |
| 2015 | 46.6% |
Note: Labor income for the bottom 90 percent includes cash wages, employer-provided benefits, and employer-side payroll taxes, as well as labor’s imputed share of unemployment and corporate taxes.
Source: Authors’ analysis of data from the Congressional Budget Office (2018).