Growth in work hours and real wages, by race, gender and wage group, 1979–2015
| Annual Hours | Change, 1979-2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 2015 | Annual hours | Weeks worked | Weekly hours | |
| White men by wage group | |||||
| All | 1,946 | 2,024 | 4.0% | 3.9% | 0.1% |
| Bottom Fifth | 1,553 | 1,602 | 3.2% | 11.9% | -7.8% |
| Second fifth | 1,948 | 2,008 | 3.1% | 5.1% | -1.9% |
| Middle fifth | 2,033 | 2,109 | 3.7% | 3.1% | 0.6% |
| Fourth fifth | 2,089 | 2,161 | 3.4% | 1.0% | 2.4% |
| Top fifth | 2,044 | 2,155 | 5.4% | 0.9% | 4.4% |
| White women by wage group | |||||
| All | 1,432 | 1,747 | 22.0% | 14.0% | 7.0% |
| Bottom Fifth | 1,086 | 1,386 | 27.6% | 26.9% | 0.5% |
| Second fifth | 1,347 | 1,672 | 24.1% | 17.1% | 6.0% |
| Middle fifth | 1,526 | 1,843 | 20.8% | 11.3% | 8.5% |
| Fourth fifth | 1,646 | 1,915 | 16.4% | 9.4% | 6.4% |
| Top fifth | 1,531 | 1,852 | 21.0% | 9.0% | 11.0% |
| Black men by wage group | |||||
| All | 1,731 | 1,860 | 7.4% | 7.5% | -0.1% |
| Bottom Fifth | 1,464 | 1,575 | 7.5% | 12.0% | -4.0% |
| Second fifth | 1,860 | 1,955 | 5.1% | 6.1% | -1.0% |
| Middle fifth | 1,873 | 2,016 | 7.6% | 4.8% | 2.7% |
| Fourth fifth | 1,944 | 2,049 | 5.4% | 3.0% | 2.4% |
| Top fifth | 1,765 | 1,920 | 8.8% | 6.0% | 2.6% |
| Black women by wage group | |||||
| All | 1,486 | 1,759 | 18.4% | 13.2% | 4.6% |
| Bottom Fifth | 1,162 | 1,511 | 30.1% | 23.1% | 5.7% |
| Second fifth | 1,419 | 1,776 | 25.2% | 16.0% | 8.0% |
| Middle fifth | 1,591 | 1,870 | 17.6% | 12.8% | 4.2% |
| Fourth fifth | 1,747 | 1,938 | 10.9% | 7.8% | 2.8% |
| Top fifth | 1,684 | 1,788 | 6.2% | 4.3% | 1.8% |
*Annual hours based on weeks worked multiplied by usual weekly hours
**Based on hourly wage distribution of all workers 18-64 years old
Source: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata