Figure B
Wage compression in the most recent period is in stark contrast to the prior 40 years: Annualized real wage growth across the distribution, 1979–2019 and 2019–2024
| Wage percentile | Annualized wage change, 1979–2019 | Annualized wage change, 2019–2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | 0.3% | 2.9% |
| 20th | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| 30th | 0.5% | 1.4% |
| 40th | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| 50th | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| 60th | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| 70th | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| 80th | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| 90th | 1.1% | 1.3% |
Source: EPI analysis of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.61 (2025a), https://microdata.epi.org.
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