How do I love thee, Economic Policy Institute? I would count the ways, but since that would bore most readers, I’ll just make a chart based on their data. (Hey, I’m a romantic like that.)

This is US workers’ hourly wages, from 1973 to 2005, adjusted for inflation into 2005 dollars. You’re seeing the median hourly wage, plus the wage at the 10th and 90th percentiles.

wage data_270

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is all workers, mind you, not just workers who are paid by the hour. Kinda funny, I think, how the trend for the median wage mirrors the trend for the bottom 10 percent. But the top 10 percent? They’re having a much nicer ride.