FACT BRIEF

Did real wages increase under Donald Trump more than any other modern president?

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

By Tom Kertscher

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YES

Real wages -- wages adjusted for inflation -- increased 7% during former President Donald Trump’s four years in office, the highest increase over one presidential term since the 1970s.

That's according to a Texas A&M University analysis dating back to Jimmy Carter (1977-81).

The Trump increase was due partly to low-wage workers being laid off disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis said.

Economist Josh Bivens of the liberal Economic Policy Institute said the 7% figure goes back to Richard Nixon's first term in 1969. He called the increase under Trump "artificial" because fewer low-income workers were employed, driving up the average.

Depending on the type of real wages, such as hourly or weekly, the increase under Trump measures 8% or higher.

Republican Eric Hovde made the claim at an April 2, 2024, Trump event in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Hovde is running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the 2024 election.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Texas A&M University Presidents, Inflation, and Real Wages

Google Docs Josh Bivens email 4/5/24

FactCheck.org Trump’s Final Numbers

Forbes Breaking News 'You've Got To Be Kidding Me!': Eric Hovde Torches Tammy Baldwin's Record At Wisconsin Trump Rally

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