Figure
Low-wage workers have experienced stronger-than-usual wage growth in the pandemic business cycle: Real wage changes at the 10th percentile, three years from prior peak, in current and last four business cycles, 1979–2022
| Business cycle | 10th percentile |
|---|---|
| 1979–1982 | -11.8% |
| 1989–1992 | 3.1% |
| 2001–2004 | 0.8% |
| 2007–2010 | 1.1% |
| 2019–2022 | 9.0% |
Source: EPI analysis of the Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.37 (2023), https://microdata.epi.org.
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