New college graduates earning less than a decade ago

The L.A. Times reports:

Newly minted college graduates lucky enough to find a job after leaving school are in for a shock: They’ll likely be earning less money than they would have a decade ago.

Since 2000, these young workers have seen inflation-adjusted wages deteriorate, according to research by the Economic Policy Institute.

Here’s the math: In 2011, fresh college grads earned an average of $16.81 an hour, or about $35,000 a year. That’s down 5.4% from 2000. Women fared worse than men. Their wages declined 8.5% to $15.74 an hour over the same period while those of men dipped 1.6% to $18.29 an hour.