Pay Has Gone Up, Even After Inflation

Average hourly pay, in 1982 dollars, has risen in the last year, and since the beginning of the pandemic. It's lower than the height of the pandemic, when low-earning workers were laid off, distorting the data. (To see a specific data point, tap or hover over that area of the chart.)

Chart: Investopedia / Diccon Hyatt Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Investopedia