Figure
Black–white wage gaps are wider now than 43 years ago and largely unexplained by factors associated with individual productivity: Average and regression-adjusted Black–white wage gaps, 1979–2022
| Black–white gap (average) | Black–white gap (regression-based) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 17.30% | 8.60% |
| 1980 | 17.40% | 8.60% |
| 1981 | 17.40% | 8.20% |
| 1982 | 19.10% | 9.90% |
| 1983 | 18.20% | 9.30% |
| 1984 | 19.00% | 10.20% |
| 1985 | 20.00% | 10.60% |
| 1986 | 20.30% | 10.40% |
| 1987 | 20.20% | 10.50% |
| 1988 | 19.70% | 9.80% |
| 1989 | 20.50% | 10.70% |
| 1990 | 21.20% | 10.90% |
| 1991 | 20.60% | 10.80% |
| 1992 | 20.40% | 10.80% |
| 1993 | 20.00% | 10.80% |
| 1994 | 20.00% | 10.70% |
| 1995 | 20.90% | 10.70% |
| 1996 | 23.00% | 12.90% |
| 1997 | 22.80% | 12.10% |
| 1998 | 21.80% | 10.50% |
| 1999 | 22.10% | 10.70% |
| 2000 | 21.80% | 10.20% |
| 2001 | 23.10% | 11.50% |
| 2002 | 23.20% | 11.30% |
| 2003 | 22.00% | 10.70% |
| 2004 | 22.10% | 10.50% |
| 2005 | 23.50% | 12.30% |
| 2006 | 22.10% | 11.40% |
| 2007 | 23.50% | 12.20% |
| 2008 | 24.10% | 12.60% |
| 2009 | 24.00% | 11.70% |
| 2010 | 23.90% | 11.90% |
| 2011 | 23.70% | 12.40% |
| 2012 | 24.60% | 12.70% |
| 2013 | 24.80% | 13.10% |
| 2014 | 24.80% | 13.90% |
| 2015 | 26.10% | 14.50% |
| 2016 | 26.20% | 13.60% |
| 2017 | 27.50% | 15.50% |
| 2018 | 27.50% | 16.20% |
| 2019 | 26.50% | 14.90% |
| 2020 | 25.30% | 14.2% |
| 2021 | 26.4%% | 14.6% |
| 2022 | 25.70% | 13.2% |
Note: Race and ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (i.e., white non-Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic).
Source: Economic Policy Institute, State of Working America Data Library, [Black-white wage gap], 2023.
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