Until 1979, workers produced more and earned more. Then the deal broke.
+93.7%
Growth in what an hour of work produces, end of 1979 to mid‑2026
+32.7%
Growth in a typical worker's hourly pay, same years
2.9×
Since 1979, what work produces has grown 2.9 times as much as what it pays
Source: Economic Policy Institute, The Productivity–Pay Gap, updated September 14, 2026, with data through the middle of 2026. The top line is net productivity: everything the economy produces, minus wear on equipment, per hour worked. The bottom line is the hourly pay, wages plus benefits, of production and nonsupervisory workers (people who do not supervise others) in the private sector. Both are adjusted for inflation the same way and start at 100 in 1948, so their growth can be compared directly. The dotted line marks the end of 1979, when the two began to split. The shaded area is wealth that went somewhere other than workers' paychecks.