All workers’ wages—regardless of gender or race—have failed to rise in tandem with productivity: Hourly median wage growth by gender, race, and ethnicity, compared with economy-wide productivity growth, 1979–2014
| Year | White men | White women | Black men | Black women | Productivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1980 | -2.1% | -0.2% | -2.0% | -1.9% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | -3.8% | -1.6% | -3.3% | 0.0% | 1.4% |
| 1982 | -3.9% | -0.6% | -7.1% | -0.8% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | -5.1% | 0.5% | -6.6% | -1.2% | 2.9% |
| 1984 | -5.5% | 1.0% | -5.9% | -1.2% | 5.6% |
| 1985 | -2.6% | 1.5% | -8.2% | 1.4% | 7.3% |
| 1986 | -2.4% | 5.4% | -4.5% | 3.0% | 9.5% |
| 1987 | -4.1% | 7.8% | -5.6% | 3.0% | 10.1% |
| 1988 | -4.5% | 8.8% | -5.0% | 4.0% | 11.4% |
| 1989 | -5.3% | 9.0% | -8.9% | 6.0% | 12.3% |
| 1990 | -7.0% | 8.9% | -9.9% | 4.8% | 13.9% |
| 1991 | -6.6% | 9.4% | -11.2% | 5.3% | 14.8% |
| 1992 | -7.2% | 10.7% | -11.8% | 5.8% | 18.9% |
| 1993 | -8.0% | 12.1% | -11.6% | 7.0% | 19.3% |
| 1994 | -9.0% | 12.0% | -11.6% | 5.2% | 20.5% |
| 1995 | -8.8% | 11.7% | -11.3% | 4.5% | 20.5% |
| 1996 | -8.5% | 13.9% | -12.4% | 4.5% | 23.4% |
| 1997 | -6.3% | 14.7% | -9.8% | 5.6% | 25.2% |
| 1998 | -3.2% | 17.7% | -6.9% | 11.2% | 27.7% |
| 1999 | -0.8% | 21.2% | -3.0% | 11.4% | 30.7% |
| 2000 | -1.1% | 21.9% | -3.4% | 16.1% | 33.8% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | 25.6% | -0.5% | 15.1% | 35.9% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | 28.4% | -0.3% | 18.0% | 39.7% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | 29.6% | -0.9% | 21.4% | 44.2% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | 29.3% | 1.0% | 22.9% | 48.1% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | 30.0% | -4.7% | 15.4% | 50.7% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | 30.0% | -1.9% | 19.6% | 51.6% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | 30.5% | -3.0% | 18.2% | 52.7% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | 29.6% | -3.1% | 16.0% | 53.0% |
| 2009 | 3.6% | 31.5% | 0.0% | 20.8% | 56.1% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | 31.6% | -1.9% | 20.2% | 60.7% |
| 2011 | -1.4% | 30.3% | -5.5% | 16.9% | 60.9% |
| 2012 | -2.2% | 29.2% | -5.9% | 14.0% | 61.7% |
| 2013 | -3.1% | 30.6% | -4.9% | 15.9% | 61.9% |
| 2014 | -3.1% | 30.2% | -7.2% | 12.8% | 62.7% |
Note: Race/ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (i.e., white non-Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, and Hispanic any race).
Source: EPI analysis of unpublished Total Economy Productivity data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Productivity and Costs program, and Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata