Below is an abstract of a WorldatWork member-only article at The Journal of Total Rewards. You can learn more about the productivity-pay gap here. 

This paper focuses on the historical divergence between typical workers’ compensation and economy-wide productivity, and the implications of this divergence for workplace inequality. Commonly referred to as the “pay-productivity gap”, we show that while inflation-adjusted pay and productivity grew in lock step from the end of WWII until the 1970s, productivity has outpaced pay since 1979. We use publicly available data sources to document this gap and discuss key methodological considerations.

We argue that the equal growth in pay and productivity before 1979 and the subsequent fracturing were driven near-entirely by intentional policy decisions. Beginning in 1979, the efforts by employers and capital-owners to undercut the bargaining power of typical workers in labor markets through policies such as deregulation, corporate-led globalization, erosion of the minimum wage, deunionization, macroeconomic policies that tolerated excess unemployment, and tax cuts for high earners led to a divergence in pay and productivity that has yet to be remedied. Not only have these intentional policy decisions created a large pay-productivity gap since 1979, but they have also coincided with a productivity slow-down across the total economy during this time period, resulting in growth that was slower and less equal.

Productivity-Pay Gap

Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked increased awareness and adoption of AI tools in the workplace. While AI systems and tools have been used in the workplace for decades, this acceleration in capabilities and greater public attention have motivated more concerted and urgent policy efforts, including a focus on protecting and empowering workers. During the Biden-Harris administration, leadership and agencies across the federal government acted to better understand the potential implications of AI for workers and to protect workers from risks to their livelihoods and rights. 

The Database of Biden Administration Actions on AI can serve as a resource for state, local, and federal efforts to tackle these challenges and opportunities.

Biden-Harris administration actions to protect workers and the public

In October 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights to help guide the design, development, and deployment of AI and other automated systems. This document outlines protections that should be guaranteed and served as a guiding resource by affirming the values that must be front and center when undertaking policymaking on AI. 

A few months later, OpenAI released ChatGPT, which spurred an increased sense of urgency for this work. President Biden’s October 2023 executive order (EO) on “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI” was—at the time—the most significant government action globally on AI safety, security, and trust. The EO highlighted a commitment to supporting U.S. workers and directed a number of related agency actions, including the Department of Labor’s (DOL) principles and best practices for developers and employers, which provide a roadmap for responsible use of AI in the workplace. 

From the start of Biden’s administration, federal agency leaders were clear that existing laws and regulations ensure rights and protections related to AI, and that agencies would play an active role in regulation and enforcement. Agency actions included:

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission launched an initiative on AI and algorithmic fairness, and shared tips for workers focused on disability discrimination and the use of software. 
• DOL issued a guide for federal contractors on AI and equal employment opportunity—which included a set of promising practices for employers—and addressed AI in other regulations and guidance, including the Good Jobs Principles; rulemaking on independent contractors; and guidance on the use of AI and automated systems and federal labor standards. 
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released guidance to protect workers from surveillance and decision-making that violates Fair Credit Reporting Act rules. 
• The National Labor Relations Board issued guidance focused on unlawful surveillance which could interfere with employees’ ability to engage in collective bargaining and other protected activities. 
• The Federal Trade Commission addressed harmful commercial surveillance by major companies and brought to light the collection and monetization of personal data and the use of corporate surveillance pricing software. 

Trump administration and a new federal landscape

Immediately upon taking office, the Trump administration rescinded President Biden’s executive order on AI and issued a new executive order requiring an immediate review of all actions taken under the previous administration’s executive order. Relevant documents have already been removed from public websites, and many worker protective actions have already been rolled back, along with ongoing cuts decimating many of these agencies. 

In a speech at the February 2025 Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Vice President Vance decried excessive regulation of AI domestically and internationally. He also said the Trump administration would “maintain a pro-worker growth path for AI,” but did not provide any policy specifics. The White House and many in Congress also backed a measure in the Republican budget mega bill that would have imposed a 10-year moratorium on any meaningful regulation of AI at the state and local levels, to supposedly avoid hindering tech innovation. While this measure fortunately failed to pass in the final version of the legislation in July 2025, the enthusiasm for ramming it through is a worrying sign of the administration’s priorities, particularly for worker advocates seeking to make meaningful change at the state and local levels.

In July 2025, the White House released its AI Action Plan, which continues to emphasize stripping protections from the public. While the plan purports to focus on empowering workers, the actions it outlines do not address workplace rights, surveillance and privacy, or algorithmic discrimination. Further, the Action Plan’s focus on the importance of deregulation as a prerequisite for AI advancement suggests that worker protections will be put aside. Instead of putting forth a real vision for worker empowerment, the plan suggests that unfunded actions around the edges can make a meaningful difference in worker opportunities and outcomes. 

Looking forward

In this new landscape, the tech industry has been emboldened and is increasing lobbying at the state level in addition to its efforts at the White House and in Congress to undo and prevent meaningful protections related to AI. The combined power, collaboration, and messaging of labor, civil rights, consumer protection, and community groups will be critical. 

A broad and ambitious vision for responsible AI governance is essential at a time when protections are under attack and AI-related risks are more pressing than ever. The Biden-Harris administration began to tackle many questions about the implications and opportunities for workers of advances in AI and automated systems. But this was just a first step and much of the progress at the federal level is now being undone. The vast resources, guidance documents, and innovative enforcement actions can and should be a model to augment existing state, local, and federal efforts to protect and empower workers in an age of rapid AI development and adoption.