Real Wages under Ronald Reagan
Real Wages went from −2.2% in Ronald Reagan's first month to 1.3% at month 48: a change of +3.5 pts. At that point in office it ranks #3 of 8 administrations since 1969. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
All administrations at month 48
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 48 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Donald Trump (first term) | 3.9% | +2.1 pts | 3.9% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #2 | Joe Biden | 1.4% | −0.3 pts | 1.4% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #3 | Ronald Reagan | 1.3% | +3.5 pts | 1.3% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #4 | Bill Clinton | 0.0% | 0.0 pts | 0.0% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #5 | George W. Bush | 0.0% | +0.3 pts | 0.0% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #6 | George H. W. Bush | −0.3% | +1.5 pts | −0.3% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #7 | Barack Obama | −0.6% | −3.6 pts | −0.6% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
| #8 | Jimmy Carter | −3.4% | — | −3.4% (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · LES1252881600Q |
Methodology and source verification
Year-over-year % change in median usual weekly earnings of full-time workers in constant dollars (BLS, quarterly).
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series LES1252881600Q, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-07-01, first published 2026-10-21. Full methods: methodology.