Earnings inequality continues to grow in the pandemic labor market: Cumulative percent change in real annual wages, by wage group, 1979–2021
Year | Bottom 90% | 90th–95th percentile | 95th–99th percentile | Top 1% |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
1980 | -2.3% | -1.6% | -0.8% | 3.8% |
1981 | -2.2% | -1.4% | 0.3% | 4.1% |
1982 | -3.0% | -0.1% | 3.0% | 11.2% |
1983 | -2.2% | 2.3% | 5.4% | 15.6% |
1984 | 0.3% | 4.3% | 8.5% | 23.2% |
1985 | 0.8% | 5.2% | 10.3% | 25.7% |
1986 | 2.8% | 8.0% | 14.1% | 34.9% |
1987 | 2.8% | 7.7% | 15.9% | 54.8% |
1988 | 2.4% | 7.8% | 18.0% | 70.0% |
1989 | 3.1% | 9.3% | 19.5% | 66.3% |
1990 | 2.3% | 7.5% | 17.7% | 68.1% |
1991 | 1.1% | 16.3% | 21.4% | 49.9% |
1992 | 2.2% | 19.2% | 24.0% | 68.2% |
1993 | 1.4% | 19.2% | 25.8% | 63.1% |
1994 | 3.4% | 22.3% | 29.2% | 61.1% |
1995 | 4.5% | 24.1% | 32.4% | 72.5% |
1996 | 4.9% | 24.9% | 34.3% | 79.9% |
1997 | 7.5% | 27.7% | 39.4% | 95.8% |
1998 | 11.9% | 33.5% | 46.6% | 112.4% |
1999 | 14.4% | 36.7% | 51.5% | 130.2% |
2000 | 15.3% | 39.1% | 55.8% | 147.7% |
2001 | 15.7% | 39.4% | 54.9% | 125.6% |
2002 | 15.9% | 40.3% | 53.6% | 110.2% |
2003 | 16.4% | 41.4% | 55.5% | 112.0% |
2004 | 17.2% | 43.3% | 57.9% | 128.8% |
2005 | 16.7% | 43.6% | 59.9% | 137.7% |
2006 | 18.1% | 46.2% | 64.4% | 147.3% |
2007 | 19.0% | 47.9% | 67.8% | 160.3% |
2008 | 18.3% | 47.8% | 66.0% | 140.8% |
2009 | 18.1% | 48.7% | 65.4% | 118.5% |
2010 | 17.6% | 49.6% | 68.1% | 134.3% |
2011 | 16.7% | 49.8% | 69.1% | 137.2% |
2012 | 17.1% | 50.3% | 71.0% | 152.6% |
2013 | 17.3% | 50.9% | 71.8% | 140.8% |
2014 | 19.0% | 53.0% | 75.3% | 153.1% |
2015 | 22.9% | 57.7% | 81.1% | 160.1% |
2016 | 23.5% | 58.2% | 81.5% | 152.0% |
2017 | 24.9% | 59.1% | 82.9% | 161.7% |
2018 | 26.5% | 60.7% | 84.9% | 161.8% |
2019 | 29.0% | 63.3% | 88.7% | 163.9% |
2020 | 29.0% | 67.3% | 94.7% | 179.9% |
2021 | 28.7% | 63.9% | 94.0% | 206.3% |
Source: EPI analysis of Kopczuk, Saez, and Song, “Uncovering the American Dream: Inequality and Mobility in Social Security Earnings Data Since 1937” (2007) and Social Security Administration wage statistics.