Tight labor markets are critical to reducing the share of workers earning poverty-level wages: Share of workers earning poverty-level wages, overall and by gender, 1986–2017
| Year | Overall | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 17.3% | 12.3% | 23.2% |
| 1987 | 16.5% | 11.7% | 22.1% |
| 1988 | 16.3% | 11.6% | 21.6% |
| 1989 | 15.4% | 11.1% | 20.3% |
| 1990 | 16.9% | 12.7% | 21.6% |
| 1991 | 16.9% | 13.0% | 21.3% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | 13.5% | 21.1% |
| 1993 | 17.0% | 13.6% | 20.8% |
| 1994 | 17.5% | 13.9% | 21.6% |
| 1995 | 17.6% | 13.7% | 22.0% |
| 1996 | 16.8% | 13.4% | 20.7% |
| 1997 | 17.1% | 13.6% | 21.1% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | 12.1% | 19.3% |
| 1999 | 14.9% | 11.4% | 18.6% |
| 2000 | 13.8% | 10.9% | 17.0% |
| 2001 | 13.3% | 10.4% | 16.5% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | 10.6% | 16.0% |
| 2003 | 12.7% | 10.3% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 13.5% | 11.1% | 16.2% |
| 2005 | 13.2% | 10.7% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | 10.1% | 15.2% |
| 2007 | 12.7% | 10.1% | 15.6% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | 10.3% | 15.3% |
| 2009 | 13.8% | 11.6% | 16.2% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | 11.6% | 15.6% |
| 2011 | 13.5% | 11.7% | 15.5% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | 12.4% | 17.0% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | 12.4% | 16.5% |
| 2014 | 14.4% | 12.2% | 16.9% |
| 2015 | 14.2% | 12.0% | 16.5% |
| 2016 | 12.5% | 10.7% | 14.5% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | 9.6% | 13.5% |
Notes: A “poverty-level wage” is a wage that would leave a full-time, year-round worker below the federal poverty guideline for their family size if they are the sole earner in the family. Poverty wage thresholds are specific to each family size, and family sizes are calculated using the total number of people in each family or subfamily within the CPS data.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata