Mind the wage gap: Cumulative nominal average hourly earnings, actual and hypothetical if they had grown at 3.5% since the recession began, 2007–2022
| Date | Average hourly earnings of all private employees | Hypothetical, assuming 3.5% growth* | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-2007 | $20.60 | ||
| Feb-2007 | $20.68 | ||
| Mar-2007 | $20.72 | ||
| Apr-2007 | $20.79 | ||
| May-2007 | $20.84 | ||
| Jun-2007 | $20.95 | ||
| Jul-2007 | $20.95 | ||
| Aug-2007 | $21.00 | ||
| Sep-2007 | $21.04 | ||
| Oct-2007 | $21.06 | ||
| Nov-2007 | $21.12 | ||
| Dec-2007 | $21.18 | $21.18 | $0.00 |
| Jan-2008 | $21.19 | $21.24 | $0.05 |
| Feb-2008 | $21.26 | $21.30 | $0.04 |
| Mar-2008 | $21.36 | $21.36 | $0.00 |
| Apr-2008 | $21.38 | $21.42 | $0.04 |
| May-2008 | $21.47 | $21.49 | $0.02 |
| Jun-2008 | $21.52 | $21.55 | $0.03 |
| Jul-2008 | $21.59 | $21.61 | $0.02 |
| Aug-2008 | $21.70 | $21.67 | -$0.03 |
| Sep-2008 | $21.72 | $21.73 | $0.01 |
| Oct-2008 | $21.76 | $21.80 | $0.04 |
| Nov-2008 | $21.88 | $21.86 | -$0.02 |
| Dec-2008 | $21.94 | $21.92 | -$0.02 |
| Jan-2009 | $21.97 | $21.98 | $0.01 |
| Feb-2009 | $21.99 | $22.05 | $0.06 |
| Mar-2009 | $22.06 | $22.11 | $0.05 |
| Apr-2009 | $22.09 | $22.17 | $0.08 |
| May-2009 | $22.10 | $22.24 | $0.14 |
| Jun-2009 | $22.13 | $22.30 | $0.17 |
| Jul-2009 | $22.18 | $22.37 | $0.19 |
| Aug-2009 | $22.23 | $22.43 | $0.20 |
| Sep-2009 | $22.26 | $22.49 | $0.23 |
| Oct-2009 | $22.30 | $22.56 | $0.26 |
| Nov-2009 | $22.36 | $22.62 | $0.26 |
| Dec-2009 | $22.36 | $22.69 | $0.33 |
| Jan-2010 | $22.41 | $22.75 | $0.34 |
| Feb-2010 | $22.45 | $22.82 | $0.37 |
| Mar-2010 | $22.45 | $22.88 | $0.43 |
| Apr-2010 | $22.49 | $22.95 | $0.46 |
| May-2010 | $22.53 | $23.02 | $0.49 |
| Jun-2010 | $22.53 | $23.08 | $0.55 |
| Jul-2010 | $22.59 | $23.15 | $0.56 |
| Aug-2010 | $22.62 | $23.21 | $0.59 |
| Sep-2010 | $22.67 | $23.28 | $0.61 |
| Oct-2010 | $22.74 | $23.35 | $0.61 |
| Nov-2010 | $22.73 | $23.42 | $0.69 |
| Dec-2010 | $22.76 | $23.48 | $0.72 |
| Jan-2011 | $22.85 | $23.55 | $0.70 |
| Feb-2011 | $22.87 | $23.62 | $0.75 |
| Mar-2011 | $22.87 | $23.69 | $0.82 |
| Apr-2011 | $22.92 | $23.75 | $0.83 |
| May-2011 | $22.99 | $23.82 | $0.83 |
| Jun-2011 | $23.01 | $23.89 | $0.88 |
| Jul-2011 | $23.10 | $23.96 | $0.86 |
| Aug-2011 | $23.07 | $24.03 | $0.96 |
| Sep-2011 | $23.11 | $24.10 | $0.99 |
| Oct-2011 | $23.20 | $24.17 | $0.97 |
| Nov-2011 | $23.19 | $24.23 | $1.04 |
| Dec-2011 | $23.21 | $24.30 | $1.09 |
| Jan-2012 | $23.24 | $24.37 | $1.13 |
| Feb-2012 | $23.27 | $24.44 | $1.17 |
| Mar-2012 | $23.36 | $24.51 | $1.15 |
| Apr-2012 | $23.39 | $24.58 | $1.19 |
| May-2012 | $23.39 | $24.66 | $1.27 |
| Jun-2012 | $23.46 | $24.73 | $1.27 |
| Jul-2012 | $23.51 | $24.80 | $1.29 |
| Aug-2012 | $23.49 | $24.87 | $1.38 |
| Sep-2012 | $23.57 | $24.94 | $1.37 |
| Oct-2012 | $23.56 | $25.01 | $1.45 |
| Nov-2012 | $23.63 | $25.08 | $1.45 |
| Dec-2012 | $23.73 | $25.16 | $1.43 |
| Jan-2013 | $23.76 | $25.23 | $1.47 |
| Feb-2013 | $23.77 | $25.30 | $1.53 |
| Mar-2013 | $23.81 | $25.37 | $1.56 |
| Apr-2013 | $23.87 | $25.45 | $1.58 |
| May-2013 | $23.89 | $25.52 | $1.63 |
| Jun-2013 | $23.97 | $25.59 | $1.62 |
| Jul-2013 | $23.98 | $25.67 | $1.69 |
| Aug-2013 | $24.03 | $25.74 | $1.71 |
| Sep-2013 | $24.06 | $25.81 | $1.75 |
| Oct-2013 | $24.09 | $25.89 | $1.80 |
| Nov-2013 | $24.16 | $25.96 | $1.80 |
| Dec-2013 | $24.17 | $26.04 | $1.87 |
| Jan-2014 | $24.21 | $26.11 | $1.90 |
| Feb-2014 | $24.32 | $26.19 | $1.87 |
| Mar-2014 | $24.31 | $26.26 | $1.95 |
| Apr-2014 | $24.34 | $26.34 | $2.00 |
| May-2014 | $24.40 | $26.41 | $2.01 |
| Jun-2014 | $24.45 | $26.49 | $2.04 |
| Jul-2014 | $24.48 | $26.56 | $2.08 |
| Aug-2014 | $24.56 | $26.64 | $2.08 |
| Sep-2014 | $24.56 | $26.72 | $2.16 |
| Oct-2014 | $24.58 | $26.79 | $2.21 |
| Nov-2014 | $24.65 | $26.87 | $2.22 |
| Dec-2014 | $24.65 | $26.95 | $2.30 |
| Jan-2015 | $24.73 | $27.02 | $2.29 |
| Feb-2015 | $24.78 | $27.10 | $2.32 |
| Mar-2015 | $24.84 | $27.18 | $2.34 |
| Apr-2015 | $24.89 | $27.26 | $2.37 |
| May-2015 | $24.96 | $27.34 | $2.38 |
| Jun-2015 | $24.98 | $27.41 | $2.43 |
| Jul-2015 | $25.01 | $27.49 | $2.48 |
| Aug-2015 | $25.10 | $27.57 | $2.47 |
| Sep-2015 | $25.11 | $27.65 | $2.54 |
| Oct-2015 | $25.20 | $27.73 | $2.53 |
| Nov-2015 | $25.24 | $27.81 | $2.57 |
| Dec-2015 | $25.27 | $27.89 | $2.62 |
| Jan-2016 | $25.36 | $27.97 | $2.61 |
| Feb-2016 | $25.39 | $28.05 | $2.66 |
| Mar-2016 | $25.45 | $28.13 | $2.68 |
| Apr-2016 | $25.53 | $28.21 | $2.68 |
| May-2016 | $25.57 | $28.29 | $2.72 |
| Jun-2016 | $25.63 | $28.37 | $2.74 |
| Jul-2016 | $25.69 | $28.46 | $2.77 |
| Aug-2016 | $25.72 | $28.54 | $2.82 |
| Sep-2016 | $25.77 | $28.62 | $2.85 |
| Oct-2016 | $25.88 | $28.70 | $2.82 |
| Nov-2016 | $25.91 | $28.78 | $2.87 |
| Dec-2016 | $25.94 | $28.87 | $2.93 |
| Jan-2017 | $26.03 | $28.95 | $2.92 |
| Feb-2017 | $26.08 | $29.03 | $2.95 |
| Mar-2017 | $26.11 | $29.12 | $3.01 |
| Apr-2017 | $26.17 | $29.20 | $3.03 |
| May-2017 | $26.21 | $29.28 | $3.07 |
| Jun-2017 | $26.26 | $29.37 | $3.11 |
| Jul-2017 | $26.35 | $29.45 | $3.10 |
| Aug-2017 | $26.37 | $29.54 | $3.17 |
| Sep-2017 | $26.49 | $29.62 | $3.13 |
| Oct-2017 | $26.49 | $29.71 | $3.22 |
| Nov-2017 | $26.54 | $29.79 | $3.25 |
| Dec-2017 | $26.65 | $29.88 | $3.23 |
| Jan-2018 | $26.73 | $29.96 | $3.23 |
| Feb-2018 | $26.75 | $30.05 | $3.30 |
| Mar-2018 | $26.85 | $30.13 | $3.28 |
| Apr-2018 | $26.89 | $30.22 | $3.33 |
| May-2018 | $26.97 | $30.31 | $3.34 |
| Jun-2018 | $27.03 | $30.39 | $3.36 |
| Jul-2018 | $27.10 | $30.48 | $3.38 |
| Aug-2018 | $27.21 | $30.57 | $3.36 |
| Sep-2018 | $27.31 | $30.66 | $3.35 |
| Oct-2018 | $27.36 | $30.75 | $3.39 |
| Nov-2018 | $27.43 | $30.83 | $3.40 |
| Dec-2018 | $27.56 | $30.92 | $3.36 |
| Jan-2019 | $27.60 | $31.01 | $3.41 |
| Feb-2019 | $27.70 | $31.10 | $3.40 |
| Mar-2019 | $27.80 | $31.19 | $3.39 |
| Apr-2019 | $27.78 | $31.28 | $3.50 |
| May-2019 | $27.85 | $31.37 | $3.52 |
| Jun-2019 | $27.94 | $31.46 | $3.52 |
| Jul-2019 | $28.03 | $31.55 | $3.52 |
| Aug-2019 | $28.13 | $31.64 | $3.51 |
| Sep-2019 | $28.15 | $31.73 | $3.58 |
| Oct-2019 | $28.23 | $31.82 | $3.59 |
| Nov-2019 | $28.35 | $31.91 | $3.56 |
| Dec-2019 | $28.37 | $32.00 | $3.63 |
| Jan-2020 | $28.43 | $32.10 | $3.67 |
| Feb-2020 | $28.56 | $32.19 | $3.63 |
| Mar-2020 | $28.79 | $32.28 | $3.49 |
| Apr-2020 | $30.01 | $32.37 | $2.36 |
| May-2020 | $29.71 | $32.47 | $2.76 |
| Jun-2020 | $29.36 | $32.56 | $3.20 |
| Jul-2020 | $29.41 | $32.65 | $3.24 |
| Aug-2020 | $29.48 | $32.75 | $3.27 |
| Sep-2020 | $29.51 | $32.84 | $3.33 |
| Oct-2020 | $29.53 | $32.94 | $3.41 |
| Nov-2020 | $29.65 | $33.03 | $3.38 |
| Dec-2020 | $29.92 | $33.12 | $3.20 |
| Jan-2021 | $29.93 | $33.22 | $3.29 |
| Feb-2021 | $30.04 | $33.32 | $3.28 |
| Mar-2021 | $30.06 | $33.41 | $3.35 |
| Apr-2021 | $30.20 | $33.51 | $3.31 |
| May-2021 | $30.36 | $33.60 | $3.24 |
| Jun-2021 | $30.52 | $33.70 | $3.18 |
| Jul-2021 | $30.67 | $33.80 | $3.13 |
| Aug-2021 | $30.76 | $33.89 | $3.13 |
| Sep-2021 | $30.92 | $33.99 | $3.07 |
| Oct-2021 | $31.11 | $34.09 | $2.98 |
| Nov-2021 | $31.23 | $34.19 | $2.96 |
| Dec-2021 | $31.38 | $34.28 | $2.90 |
| Jan-2022 | $31.56 | $34.38 | $2.82 |
| Feb-2022 | $31.60 | $34.48 | $2.88 |
| Mar-2022 | $31.75 | $34.58 | $2.83 |
| Apr-2022 | $31.86 | $34.68 | $2.82 |
| May-2022 | $31.98 | $34.78 | $2.80 |
| Jun-2022 | $32.11 | $34.88 | $2.77 |
| Jul-2022 | $32.26 | $34.98 | $2.72 |
| Aug-2022 | $32.36 | $35.08 | $2.72 |
* Nominal wage growth consistent with the Federal Reserve Board’s 2 percent inflation target, 1.5 percent productivity growth, and a stable labor share of income
Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics public data series