The Rational ModerateSearch

Real hourly pay, past year compared with hourly pay compared with a year earlier (before inflation)

Percent change in average hourly earnings of private employees after inflation (deflated by the CPI), from the same month a year earlier. Monthly.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED, Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private (CES0500000003), deflated by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL). Series: CES0500000003, CPIAUCSL.

-0.23%

· Current, as of

Real hourly pay, past year and Hourly pay compared with a year earlier (before inflation)

No inflation-adjusted figure for October 2025: these columns divide hourly pay by the consumer price index, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics could not collect prices during the federal government shutdown (Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025) and published no October 2025 index for most consumer price series. Source: BLS, 2025 federal government shutdown impact on the Consumer Price Index. The line connects the readings on either side, and the data table marks the gap “not published.”

From Aug. 2025 to Aug. 2026, the periods both series have.

-1%0%1%2%3%4%Sept. 2025Nov. 2025Jan. 2026March 2026May 2026July 2026

From Aug. 2016 to Aug. 2026, the periods both series have.

-5%0%5%10%20182020202220242026

From Jan. 2008 to Aug. 2026, the periods both series have.

-5%0%5%10%2010201520202025

From Aug. 2021 to Aug. 2026, the periods both series have.

-4%-2%0%2%4%6%20222023202420252026

Both lines are percentages on the same scale. A month of monthly data is one or two numbers, so the shortest range is a year.

Data table
DateReal hourly pay, past yearHourly pay compared with a year earlier (before inflation)
2026-08-01-0.23%3.11%
2026-07-01-0.09%3.21%
2026-06-01-0.08%3.38%
2026-05-01-0.80%3.34%
2026-04-01-0.20%3.57%
2026-03-01+0.14%3.43%
2026-02-01+1.24%3.70%
2026-01-01+1.23%3.66%
2025-12-01+1.04%3.73%
2025-11-01+1.20%3.93%
2025-10-01not published3.92%
2025-09-01+0.80%3.85%
2025-08-01+1.01%3.98%
2025-07-01+1.19%3.96%
2025-06-01+1.15%3.86%
2025-05-01+1.57%3.98%
2025-04-01+1.55%3.91%
2025-03-01+1.79%4.21%
2025-02-01+1.28%4.11%
2025-01-01+0.96%3.97%
2024-12-01+1.18%4.08%
2024-11-01+1.43%4.18%
2024-10-01+1.43%4.05%
2024-09-01+1.45%3.91%
2024-08-01+1.28%3.92%
2024-07-01+0.67%3.63%
2024-06-01+0.92%3.92%
2024-05-01+0.88%4.15%
2024-04-01+0.60%3.98%
2024-03-01+0.64%4.15%
2024-02-01+0.95%4.13%
2024-01-01+1.26%4.39%
2023-12-01+0.76%4.10%
2023-11-01+0.95%4.11%
2023-10-01+0.94%4.22%
2023-09-01+0.71%4.42%
2023-08-01+0.72%4.47%
2023-07-01+1.34%4.67%
2023-06-01+1.54%4.66%
2023-05-01+0.22%4.36%
2023-04-01-0.33%4.60%
2023-03-01-0.28%4.62%
2023-02-01-1.12%4.77%
2023-01-01-1.72%4.49%
2022-12-01-1.38%4.94%
2022-11-01-1.90%5.09%
2022-10-01-2.55%5.01%
2022-09-01-2.83%5.13%
2022-08-01-2.61%5.39%
2022-07-01-2.75%5.48%
2022-06-01-3.28%5.40%
2022-05-01-2.75%5.56%
2022-04-01-2.29%5.76%
2022-03-01-2.47%5.89%
2022-02-01-2.45%5.29%
2022-01-01-1.84%5.58%
2021-12-01-2.08%4.95%
2021-11-01-1.44%5.36%
2021-10-01-0.77%5.42%
2021-09-01-0.35%4.98%
2021-08-01-0.74%4.37%
2021-07-01-0.88%4.32%
2021-06-01-1.28%3.95%
2021-05-01-2.48%2.32%
2021-04-01-3.39%0.60%
2021-03-01+1.81%4.52%
2021-02-01+3.56%5.29%
2021-01-01+3.85%5.28%
2020-12-01+4.02%5.39%
2020-11-01+3.37%4.59%
2020-10-01+3.33%4.60%
2020-09-01+3.36%4.79%
2020-08-01+3.47%4.80%
2020-07-01+3.82%4.85%
2020-06-01+4.29%5.04%
2020-05-01+6.39%6.60%
2020-04-01+7.76%8.10%
2020-03-01+1.93%3.46%
2020-02-01+0.71%3.07%
2020-01-01+0.43%3.04%
2019-12-01+0.64%2.98%
2019-11-01+1.16%3.28%
2019-10-01+1.42%3.18%
2019-09-01+1.37%3.07%
2019-08-01+1.65%3.42%
2019-07-01+1.58%3.43%
2019-06-01+1.78%3.48%
2019-05-01+1.51%3.34%
2019-04-01+1.25%3.27%
2019-03-01+1.52%3.43%
2019-02-01+2.00%3.55%
2019-01-01+1.74%3.26%
2018-12-01+1.46%3.49%
2018-11-01+1.22%3.39%
2018-10-01+0.77%3.28%
2018-09-01+0.78%3.13%
2018-08-01+0.53%3.19%
2018-07-01-0.01%2.85%
2018-06-01+0.12%2.93%
2018-05-01+0.15%2.94%
2018-04-01+0.31%2.79%
2018-03-01+0.49%2.83%
2018-02-01+0.30%2.57%
2018-01-01+0.61%2.77%
2017-12-01+0.56%2.70%
2017-11-01+0.29%2.47%
2017-10-01+0.29%2.32%
2017-09-01+0.60%2.79%
2017-08-01+0.63%2.57%
2017-07-01+0.83%2.57%
2017-06-01+0.84%2.50%
2017-05-01+0.60%2.46%
2017-04-01+0.36%2.55%
2017-03-01+0.15%2.59%
2017-02-01-0.09%2.72%
2017-01-01-0.03%2.48%
2016-12-01+0.63%2.69%
2016-11-01+0.87%2.57%
2016-10-01+1.07%2.78%
2016-09-01+1.06%2.63%
2016-08-01+1.36%2.43%
2016-07-01+1.83%2.72%
2016-06-01+1.51%2.60%
2016-05-01+1.35%2.44%
2016-04-01+1.38%2.57%
2016-03-01+1.51%2.41%
2016-02-01+1.52%2.38%
2016-01-01+1.29%2.55%
2015-12-01+1.87%2.52%
2015-11-01+1.95%2.39%
2015-10-01+2.35%2.48%
2015-09-01+2.23%2.24%
2015-08-01+2.04%2.28%
2015-07-01+1.93%2.17%
2015-06-01+1.90%2.09%
2015-05-01+2.30%2.34%
2015-04-01+2.37%2.26%
2015-03-01+2.24%2.22%
2015-02-01+1.98%1.89%
2015-01-01+2.38%2.15%
2014-12-01+1.20%1.86%
2014-11-01+0.83%2.07%
2014-10-01+0.46%2.08%
2014-09-01+0.39%2.08%
2014-08-01+0.44%2.16%
2014-07-01+0.11%2.09%
2014-06-01+0.03%2.09%
2014-05-01-0.03%2.13%
2014-04-01-0.05%1.97%
2014-03-01+0.52%2.14%
2014-02-01+1.18%2.31%
2014-01-01+0.46%2.02%
2013-12-01+0.42%1.94%
2013-11-01+1.00%2.24%
2013-10-01+1.36%2.25%
2013-09-01+0.97%2.08%
2013-08-01+0.75%2.30%
2013-07-01+0.20%2.09%
2013-06-01+0.41%2.13%
2013-05-01+0.65%2.05%
2013-04-01+0.90%2.05%
2013-03-01+0.36%1.88%
2013-02-01+0.13%2.15%
2013-01-01+0.37%2.06%
2012-12-01+0.39%2.15%
2012-11-01+0.10%1.90%
2012-10-01-0.51%1.64%
2012-09-01+0.04%1.99%
2012-08-01+0.13%1.82%
2012-07-01+0.22%1.64%
2012-06-01+0.34%2.00%
2012-05-01+0.17%1.92%
2012-04-01-0.17%2.10%
2012-03-01-0.43%2.14%
2012-02-01-1.07%1.79%
2012-01-01-1.27%1.71%
2011-12-01-1.01%2.02%
2011-11-01-1.38%2.02%
2011-10-01-1.49%1.98%
2011-09-01-1.80%1.94%
2011-08-01-1.74%1.95%
2011-07-01-1.23%2.30%
2011-06-01-1.37%2.09%
2011-05-01-1.37%2.04%
2011-04-01-1.17%1.87%
2011-03-01-0.77%1.83%
2011-02-01-0.29%1.83%
2011-01-01+0.39%2.10%
2010-12-01+0.30%1.74%
2010-11-01+0.65%1.75%
2010-10-01+0.71%1.88%
2010-09-01+0.67%1.80%
2010-08-01+0.60%1.75%
2010-07-01+0.50%1.85%
2010-06-01+0.63%1.76%
2010-05-01-0.24%1.76%
2010-04-01-0.43%1.76%
2010-03-01-0.42%1.86%
2010-02-01+0.03%2.18%
2010-01-01-0.60%2.00%
2009-12-01-0.88%1.91%
2009-11-01+0.28%2.20%
2009-10-01+2.76%2.53%
2009-09-01+3.92%2.49%
2009-08-01+3.99%2.44%
2009-07-01+4.74%2.69%
2009-06-01+4.16%2.88%
2009-05-01+4.08%3.03%
2009-04-01+3.97%3.37%
2009-03-01+3.69%3.23%
2009-02-01+3.33%3.34%
2009-01-01+3.75%3.63%
2008-12-01+3.76%3.73%
2008-11-01+2.38%3.50%
2008-10-01-0.39%3.32%
2008-09-01-1.59%3.28%
2008-08-01-1.87%3.33%
2008-07-01-2.22%3.15%
2008-06-01-2.11%2.72%
2008-05-01-1.02%3.02%
2008-04-01-1.03%2.84%
2008-03-01-0.85%3.09%
2008-02-01-1.24%2.85%
2008-01-01-1.32%2.91%

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED: Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private (CES0500000003), deflated by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL). CES0500000003, CPIAUCSL · retrieved Oct. 5, 2026 · 246 rows · as of August 2026 · monthly. Series: CES0500000003, CPIAUCSL. Compared with: Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private (CES0500000003), change from a year earlier, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED, CES0500000003, CPIAUCSL · retrieved Oct. 5, 2026 · 224 rows · as of August 2026 · monthly. CSV of Hourly pay compared with a year earlier (before inflation). Download CSV