" In the most recent
cohort, just 9% of students
from the lowest income group
finish college as compared to
54% from the highest income
group. Moreover, the increase
in college completion over time
has not been equally
distributed."
"Among households headed by high school dropouts, incomes grew roughly in lockstep - and were basically stagnant at all levels. Among households headed by high school graduates, and in those headed by college graduates, those in the middle actually saw their wages fall. The only group that saw significant gains was households headed by high-earning college grads.
Labor economists call this "the hollowing out of the middle." Globalization and technological change have made middle-skill, middle-income jobs harder to find. Low-skill, low-paying jobs have stuck around. And there are high-paying jobs for those at the top with the skills to put technology to profitable use.
One thing to note: That bump in 2000 for incomes among bachelor's degree holders does not reflect reality - it's the result of a temporary change in the way the census reported income for those at the top.
Does age make much of a difference in income inequality? Yes, especially for households headed by people between 45 and 65. In those groups, income for the middle class and the poor actually fell in the past 20 years."
"Among households headed by high school dropouts, incomes grew roughly in lockstep - and were basically stagnant at all levels. Among households headed by high school graduates, and in those headed by college graduates, those in the middle actually saw their wages fall. The only group that saw significant gains was households headed by high-earning college grads.
Labor economists call this "the hollowing out of the middle." Globalization and technological change have made middle-skill, middle-income jobs harder to find. Low-skill, low-paying jobs have stuck around. And there are high-paying jobs for those at the top with the skills to put technology to profitable use.
One thing to note: That bump in 2000 for incomes among bachelor's degree holders does not reflect reality - it's the result of a temporary change in the way the census reported income for those at the top.
Does age make much of a difference in income inequality? Yes, especially for households headed by people between 45 and 65. In those groups, income for the middle class and the poor actually fell in the past 20 years."