Indeed, the annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report appears to show the pandemic was a trend-hastening event rather than a trend disrupter. A larger share of jobs reshuffled across occupations from 2016 to 2019 than was the case between 2019 and 2022, as the economy emerged from the pandemic. The highest rates of increased wages occurred in the lowest-paying jobs after the pandemic struck. The smallest median pay increases in that span came for management occupations, where the median wage rose by just 2.6% versus 8.6% in the three years before the pandemic. Some of the big occupation gainers reflect changes driven by the pandemic and other issues, such as the growth of the non-fossil fuel energy sector.

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