Since about 1980 the American Middle-class has taken an enormous hit and have all but disappeared from a massive transfer of wealth to the top 1% of income. A report from the Pew Research Center found that, for the first time since the 1970s, families defined as “middle income” are actually in a minority in the US, being destroyed from both ends by an enlarged lower wage group below them, and an enriched group above them. Also according to Pew, the average income of the upper tier today is seven times that of the middle tier, and in 1983 it was merely double. According to an article titled The Strange Case of America’s Disappearing Middle Class by Paul Mason from The Guardian, “49% of US aggregate income went to upper-income households in 2014, up from 29% in 1970. The share accruing to middle-income households was 43% in 2014, down substantially from 62% in 1970 … the majority of Americans, … are either rich or poor”. There are many speculated reasons why the wage gap has transitioned to this enormous difference, however, the most reasonable answer has to why is the increased influence and power of upper-class, particularly the top 1% of earners, among politicians. The middle-class slowly started disappearing around 1970, however, after around 1980 the gap started to vastly increase and has been skyrocketing
Since about 1980 the American Middle-class has taken an enormous hit and have all but disappeared from a massive transfer of wealth to the top 1% of income. A report from the Pew Research Center found that, for the first time since the 1970s, families defined as “middle income” are actually in a minority in the US, being destroyed from both ends by an enlarged lower wage group below them, and an enriched group above them. Also according to Pew, the average income of the upper tier today is seven times that of the middle tier, and in 1983 it was merely double. According to an article titled The Strange Case of America’s Disappearing Middle Class by Paul Mason from The Guardian, “49% of US aggregate income went to upper-income households in 2014, up from 29% in 1970. The share accruing to middle-income households was 43% in 2014, down substantially from 62% in 1970 … the majority of Americans, … are either rich or poor”. There are many speculated reasons why the wage gap has transitioned to this enormous difference, however, the most reasonable answer has to why is the increased influence and power of upper-class, particularly the top 1% of earners, among politicians. The middle-class slowly started disappearing around 1970, however, after around 1980 the gap started to vastly increase and has been skyrocketing