Figure
Wages of the bottom 60 percent of college graduates are lower today than in 2000: Cumulative percent change in real hourly wages of workers with a college degree, by wage percentile, 2000–2018
| year | 10th | 20th | 30th | 40th | 50th | 60th | 70th | 80th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | -0.2% | 1.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 3.6% |
| 2002 | -0.3% | 0.7% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 2.4% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -0.9% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 3.3% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -3.3% | -0.1% | -0.6% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| 2005 | -1.4% | -3.4% | -2.3% | -1.0% | -1.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 5.5% |
| 2006 | -3.7% | -2.6% | -2.2% | -1.0% | -1.0% | 0.4% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 4.5% |
| 2007 | -5.2% | -2.5% | -1.8% | 0.5% | -0.3% | -0.3% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 6.4% |
| 2008 | -2.1% | -1.5% | -1.7% | -1.8% | -1.1% | -1.1% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 5.9% |
| 2009 | -5.5% | -2.3% | -1.6% | -1.5% | -0.6% | -0.1% | 1.2% | 2.8% | 6.6% |
| 2010 | -7.3% | -3.7% | -2.9% | -2.9% | -1.3% | -0.8% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 5.3% |
| 2011 | -8.1% | -5.4% | -4.7% | -3.4% | -3.1% | -2.6% | -0.7% | 0.6% | 2.0% |
| 2012 | -10.0% | -8.0% | -7.2% | -5.1% | -4.5% | -3.0% | -0.5% | 0.6% | 3.9% |
| 2013 | -9.2% | -7.5% | -6.5% | -5.9% | -2.9% | -1.4% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 4.7% |
| 2014 | -10.4% | -7.8% | -8.3% | -7.4% | -4.5% | -3.1% | -1.1% | 0.0% | 3.9% |
| 2015 | -6.0% | -4.9% | -4.6% | -3.6% | -3.1% | -0.2% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 8.2% |
| 2016 | -4.2% | -5.7% | -4.6% | -2.7% | -1.7% | -0.5% | 3.9% | 5.7% | 14.5% |
| 2017 | -5.5% | -5.3% | -3.7% | -2.8% | -3.2% | 0.7% | 3.3% | 5.7% | 12.2% |
| 2018 | -4.5% | -5.1% | -3.7% | -4.0% | -2.4% | -1.2% | 2.5% | 5.3% | 9.8% |
Note: Sample based on all workers ages 16 and older. Education groups are mutually exclusive, so "college" here refers to those with only a four-year college degree.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata from the U.S. Census Bureau
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