The Illusion of Wage Growth

Crust, Erin E.; Daly, Mary C.; Hobijn, Bart

Journal Article

The Illusion of Wage Growth

Abstract: Despite a sharp spike in unemployment since March 2020, aggregate wage growth has accelerated. This acceleration has been almost entirely attributable to job losses among low-wage workers. Wage growth for those who remain employed has been flat. This pattern is not unique to COVID-19 but is more profound now than in previous recessions. This means that, in the wake of the virus, evaluations of the labor market must rely on a dashboard of indicators, rather than any single measure, to paint a complete picture of the losses and the recovery.

Keywords: Covid-19; Unemployment; Wages;