The wage gap between black and white Americans is wider now than it was in 1979

A new report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) out Tuesday revealed that the wage gap between black and white Americans isn't shrinking — it's widening. "The finding that stands out the most, our major result, is that the racial wage gaps were larger in 2015 than they were in 1979. That's huge because the impression people have, in general, is we know there's still racism in this country, but we think or at least believe that it's getting better," said Valerie Wilson, a report author and director of the EPI's program on race, ethnicity, and the economy.
In the last 36 years, black men and women have continually made lower and lower wages than their white counterparts. In 1979, black men's hourly wages were 22.2 percent lower than white men's; as of 2015, black men's average hourly wages were 31.0 percent lower. Among women, the wage gap increased from 6 percent in 1979 to 19 percent in 2015.
The report mainly attributed this growing gap to a discrepancy in starting salaries for white college graduates and black college graduates. The EPI reported that black male college graduates "started the 1980s with less than 10 percent disadvantage relative to white male college graduates but by 2014 similarly educated new entrants were at a roughly 18 percent disadvantage."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
An ingredient in Coca-Cola may be funding Sudan's war
Under the Radar Global trade in gum arabic centres on the African nation – and proceeds bankroll conflict between the army and paramilitary rebels
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Homes for multi-generational families
Feature Featuring a 1900 Jacobean-style mansion in Massachusetts and a 22.5-acre compound in California
By The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Foot PSA
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published