Real annual earnings of the bottom 90% saw consistent gains only when the labor market was the tightest: Cumulative change in real annual earnings of the bottom 90%, 1979–2018, and annualized change over specified periods
| Year | Bottom 90% | Bottom 90% | Bottom 90% | Bottom 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | |||
| 1980 | -2.2% | |||
| 1981 | -2.6% | |||
| 1982 | -3.9% | |||
| 1983 | -3.7% | |||
| 1984 | -1.8% | |||
| 1985 | -1.0% | |||
| 1986 | 1.1% | |||
| 1987 | 2.1% | |||
| 1988 | 2.2% | |||
| 1989 | 1.8% | |||
| 1990 | 1.1% | |||
| 1991 | 0.0% | |||
| 1992 | 1.5% | |||
| 1993 | 0.9% | |||
| 1994 | 2.0% | |||
| 1995 | 2.8% | 2.8% | ||
| 1996 | 4.1% | |||
| 1997 | 7.0% | |||
| 1998 | 11.0% | |||
| 1999 | 13.2% | |||
| 2000 | 15.3% | 15.3% | ||
| 2001 | 15.7% | |||
| 2002 | 15.6% | |||
| 2003 | 15.7% | |||
| 2004 | 15.6% | |||
| 2005 | 15.0% | |||
| 2006 | 15.7% | |||
| 2007 | 16.7% | |||
| 2008 | 16.0% | |||
| 2009 | 16.0% | |||
| 2010 | 15.2% | |||
| 2011 | 14.5% | |||
| 2012 | 14.6% | |||
| 2013 | 15.1% | |||
| 2014 | 16.6% | 16.6% | ||
| 2015 | 20.5% | |||
| 2016 | 21.0% | |||
| 2017 | 22.2% | |||
| 2018 | 23.9% |
| Years | Annual growth rate |
|---|---|
| 1979-1995 | 0.2% |
| 1995-2000 | 2.3% |
| 2000-2014 | 0.1% |
| 2014-2018 | 1.5% |
Note: Shaded areas denote recessions.
Source: EPI analysis of Kopczuk, Saez, and Song, Earnings Inequality and Mobility in the United States: Evidence from Social Security Data Since 1937 (2010), Table A3, and Social Security Administration wage statistics, as constructed by Mishel and Kassa; see “Top 1.0% of Earners See Wages Up 157.8% Since 1979” (December 2019)