When it comes to the pace of annual pay increases, the top 1% wages grew 138% since 1979, while wages for the bottom 90% grew 15%. Cumulative change in real annual wages, by wage group, 1979-2013 200% Top 1% 150 Bottom 90% ge since 1979 138% 100 50 owth in annual wa 15% e gr 0 -50 1980 1990 2000 2010 Cumulativ Measuring employment becomes a moot point when 90% of Americans are earning a stagnant wage. Source: EPI analysis of data from Kopczuk, Saez, and Song (2010) and Social Security Administration wage statistics. Reproduced from Figure F in Raising America’s Pay: %y It’s Our Central Economic Policy Challenge. 23