Wage Stagnation vs. Living Wages for U.S. Workers Today

This article is part of the series, “Left Hook Economics: The Dollars & Sense Policy Forum.”

PERI Co-Director Robert Pollin argues that far from earning living wages, most U.S. workers have experienced wage stagnation since the 1970s — a trend that continues under the Trump administration.

“In 1973, the average nonsupervisory employee earned $29.15 an hour (in 2024 dollars). As of 2024, that average wage was $30.13. Over the same time period, the average productivity of U.S. workers—the average value of what they produce when they show up at work—rose by 150%. If these workers had received raises every year between 1973 and 2024 just equal to their increased productivity, but not a penny more, their average hourly pay today would be $72.88 an hour.”