Most NYC workers’ wages lagged behind productivity growth since 2001

Cumulative growth in average hourly productivity and real hourly wages by wage quintile, 2001–2024

Note: Each series shows cumulative growth relative to its 2001 level. Average hourly productivity is estimated as New York City real GDP, measured in chained 2017 dollars, divided by average annual hours worked by New Yorkers. Real hourly wages are adjusted for inflation using the CPI-U-RS. Because each line is measured relative to its own 2001 level, the figure shows how much each series has grown since 2001, not the dollar level of wages or productivity.
Source: CNYCA analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotating Group microdata. Economic Policy Institute. 2026. Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.4.13; And Bureau of Economic Analysis GDP by county-level database.