{
  "meta": {
    "slug": "the-median-check",
    "name": "Real Median Weekly Earnings",
    "branded_name": "The Median Check",
    "description": null,
    "source": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data retrieved via FRED",
    "source_credit": null,
    "source_url": "https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q",
    "frequency": "quarterly",
    "units": "dollars",
    "fred_series_id": "LES1252881600Q",
    "fred_edge_series_id": null,
    "bls_series_id": null,
    "series_id": null,
    "measurement_basis": null,
    "door": 5,
    "trend": "falling",
    "trend_suppressed": null,
    "series_breaks": [
      {
        "date": "1994-01-01",
        "reason": "BLS redesigned the Current Population Survey questionnaire in January 1994, letting people report earnings in the time frame easiest for them; in the 1993 parallel survey the full-time median came out somewhat higher under the new questions, so earlier values are not like-for-like.",
        "source_url": "https://www.bls.gov/cps/revisions1994.pdf"
      }
    ],
    "direction": "lower_is_worse",
    "last_updated": "2026-10-21T00:00:00Z",
    "stale": false,
    "stale_reason": null,
    "data_status": "current",
    "page_url": "https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-median-check/",
    "attribution": "American Default (americandefault.org) — Our analysis is free to use with attribution to American Default Research. Source data stays under each publisher's terms; cite the source named here."
  },
  "current": {
    "value": 370,
    "date": "2026-07-01"
  },
  "last_verified": null,
  "data": [
    {
      "date": "1979-01-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "1979-04-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "1979-07-01",
      "value": 330
    },
    {
      "date": "1979-10-01",
      "value": 326
    },
    {
      "date": "1980-01-01",
      "value": 321
    },
    {
      "date": "1980-04-01",
      "value": 315
    },
    {
      "date": "1980-07-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1980-10-01",
      "value": 315
    },
    {
      "date": "1981-01-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1981-04-01",
      "value": 311
    },
    {
      "date": "1981-07-01",
      "value": 309
    },
    {
      "date": "1981-10-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1982-01-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1982-04-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1982-07-01",
      "value": 311
    },
    {
      "date": "1982-10-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1983-01-01",
      "value": 315
    },
    {
      "date": "1983-04-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1983-07-01",
      "value": 315
    },
    {
      "date": "1983-10-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1984-01-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1984-04-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1984-07-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1984-10-01",
      "value": 316
    },
    {
      "date": "1985-01-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1985-04-01",
      "value": 323
    },
    {
      "date": "1985-07-01",
      "value": 320
    },
    {
      "date": "1985-10-01",
      "value": 320
    },
    {
      "date": "1986-01-01",
      "value": 321
    },
    {
      "date": "1986-04-01",
      "value": 328
    },
    {
      "date": "1986-07-01",
      "value": 328
    },
    {
      "date": "1986-10-01",
      "value": 331
    },
    {
      "date": "1987-01-01",
      "value": 328
    },
    {
      "date": "1987-04-01",
      "value": 328
    },
    {
      "date": "1987-07-01",
      "value": 330
    },
    {
      "date": "1987-10-01",
      "value": 328
    },
    {
      "date": "1988-01-01",
      "value": 329
    },
    {
      "date": "1988-04-01",
      "value": 325
    },
    {
      "date": "1988-07-01",
      "value": 325
    },
    {
      "date": "1988-10-01",
      "value": 324
    },
    {
      "date": "1989-01-01",
      "value": 323
    },
    {
      "date": "1989-04-01",
      "value": 322
    },
    {
      "date": "1989-07-01",
      "value": 322
    },
    {
      "date": "1989-10-01",
      "value": 322
    },
    {
      "date": "1990-01-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1990-04-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1990-07-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1990-10-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1991-01-01",
      "value": 316
    },
    {
      "date": "1991-04-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1991-07-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1991-10-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1992-01-01",
      "value": 315
    },
    {
      "date": "1992-04-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1992-07-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1992-10-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1993-01-01",
      "value": 315
    },
    {
      "date": "1993-04-01",
      "value": 317
    },
    {
      "date": "1993-07-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1993-10-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1994-01-01",
      "value": 316
    },
    {
      "date": "1994-04-01",
      "value": 317
    },
    {
      "date": "1994-07-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1994-10-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1995-01-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1995-04-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1995-07-01",
      "value": 317
    },
    {
      "date": "1995-10-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1996-01-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1996-04-01",
      "value": 312
    },
    {
      "date": "1996-07-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1996-10-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1997-01-01",
      "value": 313
    },
    {
      "date": "1997-04-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1997-07-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1997-10-01",
      "value": 314
    },
    {
      "date": "1998-01-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1998-04-01",
      "value": 319
    },
    {
      "date": "1998-07-01",
      "value": 321
    },
    {
      "date": "1998-10-01",
      "value": 328
    },
    {
      "date": "1999-01-01",
      "value": 324
    },
    {
      "date": "1999-04-01",
      "value": 329
    },
    {
      "date": "1999-07-01",
      "value": 330
    },
    {
      "date": "1999-10-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2000-01-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2000-04-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2000-07-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2000-10-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2001-01-01",
      "value": 333
    },
    {
      "date": "2001-04-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2001-07-01",
      "value": 338
    },
    {
      "date": "2001-10-01",
      "value": 340
    },
    {
      "date": "2002-01-01",
      "value": 341
    },
    {
      "date": "2002-04-01",
      "value": 339
    },
    {
      "date": "2002-07-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2002-10-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2003-01-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2003-04-01",
      "value": 338
    },
    {
      "date": "2003-07-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2003-10-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2004-01-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2004-04-01",
      "value": 341
    },
    {
      "date": "2004-07-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2004-10-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2005-01-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2005-04-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2005-07-01",
      "value": 331
    },
    {
      "date": "2005-10-01",
      "value": 332
    },
    {
      "date": "2006-01-01",
      "value": 332
    },
    {
      "date": "2006-04-01",
      "value": 329
    },
    {
      "date": "2006-07-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2006-10-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2007-01-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2007-04-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2007-07-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2007-10-01",
      "value": 332
    },
    {
      "date": "2008-01-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2008-04-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2008-07-01",
      "value": 331
    },
    {
      "date": "2008-10-01",
      "value": 340
    },
    {
      "date": "2009-01-01",
      "value": 345
    },
    {
      "date": "2009-04-01",
      "value": 345
    },
    {
      "date": "2009-07-01",
      "value": 345
    },
    {
      "date": "2009-10-01",
      "value": 344
    },
    {
      "date": "2010-01-01",
      "value": 344
    },
    {
      "date": "2010-04-01",
      "value": 342
    },
    {
      "date": "2010-07-01",
      "value": 342
    },
    {
      "date": "2010-10-01",
      "value": 341
    },
    {
      "date": "2011-01-01",
      "value": 338
    },
    {
      "date": "2011-04-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2011-07-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2011-10-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2012-01-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2012-04-01",
      "value": 337
    },
    {
      "date": "2012-07-01",
      "value": 333
    },
    {
      "date": "2012-10-01",
      "value": 333
    },
    {
      "date": "2013-01-01",
      "value": 331
    },
    {
      "date": "2013-04-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2013-07-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2013-10-01",
      "value": 334
    },
    {
      "date": "2014-01-01",
      "value": 335
    },
    {
      "date": "2014-04-01",
      "value": 330
    },
    {
      "date": "2014-07-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2014-10-01",
      "value": 336
    },
    {
      "date": "2015-01-01",
      "value": 341
    },
    {
      "date": "2015-04-01",
      "value": 339
    },
    {
      "date": "2015-07-01",
      "value": 340
    },
    {
      "date": "2015-10-01",
      "value": 345
    },
    {
      "date": "2016-01-01",
      "value": 346
    },
    {
      "date": "2016-04-01",
      "value": 345
    },
    {
      "date": "2016-07-01",
      "value": 347
    },
    {
      "date": "2016-10-01",
      "value": 349
    },
    {
      "date": "2017-01-01",
      "value": 352
    },
    {
      "date": "2017-04-01",
      "value": 354
    },
    {
      "date": "2017-07-01",
      "value": 352
    },
    {
      "date": "2017-10-01",
      "value": 345
    },
    {
      "date": "2018-01-01",
      "value": 351
    },
    {
      "date": "2018-04-01",
      "value": 351
    },
    {
      "date": "2018-07-01",
      "value": 354
    },
    {
      "date": "2018-10-01",
      "value": 355
    },
    {
      "date": "2019-01-01",
      "value": 355
    },
    {
      "date": "2019-04-01",
      "value": 358
    },
    {
      "date": "2019-07-01",
      "value": 360
    },
    {
      "date": "2019-10-01",
      "value": 362
    },
    {
      "date": "2020-01-01",
      "value": 367
    },
    {
      "date": "2020-04-01",
      "value": 393
    },
    {
      "date": "2020-07-01",
      "value": 384
    },
    {
      "date": "2020-10-01",
      "value": 376
    },
    {
      "date": "2021-01-01",
      "value": 373
    },
    {
      "date": "2021-04-01",
      "value": 371
    },
    {
      "date": "2021-07-01",
      "value": 367
    },
    {
      "date": "2021-10-01",
      "value": 361
    },
    {
      "date": "2022-01-01",
      "value": 363
    },
    {
      "date": "2022-04-01",
      "value": 359
    },
    {
      "date": "2022-07-01",
      "value": 362
    },
    {
      "date": "2022-10-01",
      "value": 362
    },
    {
      "date": "2023-01-01",
      "value": 364
    },
    {
      "date": "2023-04-01",
      "value": 365
    },
    {
      "date": "2023-07-01",
      "value": 366
    },
    {
      "date": "2023-10-01",
      "value": 369
    },
    {
      "date": "2024-01-01",
      "value": 365
    },
    {
      "date": "2024-04-01",
      "value": 368
    },
    {
      "date": "2024-07-01",
      "value": 371
    },
    {
      "date": "2024-10-01",
      "value": 374
    },
    {
      "date": "2025-01-01",
      "value": 373
    },
    {
      "date": "2025-04-01",
      "value": 376
    },
    {
      "date": "2025-07-01",
      "value": 376
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-01-01",
      "value": 376
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-04-01",
      "value": 378
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-07-01",
      "value": 370
    }
  ]
}