Hanauer Reveals Median US Worker Lost $60,000 in Annual Income Since 1975 Due to Policy Shifts

What was said

"The median full-time worker today earns in the range of $60,000 a year. If that person had maintained their same share of the economy since 1975, instead of earning $60,000 a year, they'd earn close to $120,000 a year. That effect, by the way, goes up to the 90th percentile."

Hanauer presented data showing that if American workers had maintained their 1975 share of GDP, the median worker would earn double their current salary. He attributes this massive wealth transfer—trillions of dollars annually—to neoliberal policies that cut taxes for the rich, deregulated corporations, and suppressed wages. The top 1% captured nearly all productivity gains over 50 years.