In the early 2000s, the wage gap between Black and white workers in the U.S. was as large as it had been in 1950. That is a shocking statistic and a sign of the country’s deep racial inequality. Over the past five years, however, the story has changed somewhat: The wage gap, though still enormous, has shrunk. In today’s newsletter — on Juneteenth — I’ll try to explain why the gap has narrowed and what would have to happen for it to narrow more. After all, even with the recent progress, the median Black worker makes 21 percent less than the median white worker.

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Persons: ” Elise Gould, — I’ll Organizations: Economic Policy Institute Locations: U.S