Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The Income Gap Widens

The Income Gap Widens



The Great Recession is not the great American equalizer after all. It ' s been widely reported recently that this recession hit middle and low income families the hardest, while the wealthy have king-size to prosper. It may be chic to save and everyone brags about coupon clipping, but the idea that " we are all in this together " may not actually be the case.
According to the Associated Press, incomes have declined across all demographics, but at a greater ratio for middle and lower income groups. " Regular income fell last year from $52, 163 to $50, 303, wiping out a decade ' s worth of gains to hit the lowest level since 1997. " In reality, the gap between the easy and the necessitous has widened to the point that the wealthiest ten percent of Americans earned 11. 4 times those below the curtailment line earning $12, 000 a year. Previously, the highest earning divergence was 11. 22 times higher in 2003.
The unemployment proportion stands at a thirty year high of 9. 7 and a great majority of those job losses have been lower income ones, particularly in construction and manufacturing. While wealthier Americans have had reductions in executive pay, far more of the middle and lower income earners have hidden their jobs. This opposition between the comfortable and the in need is more pronounced in larger cities, near Atlanta, New York and Chicago.
The recession seems to be coming to a close with signs that the economy is conclusively growing. The Commerce Department reported that the economy shrank less than expected, with gross domestic product dipping just 0. 7 percent from April to June, after dropping 6. 4 percent in the first locus of the year ( AP ). Measuring the value of all goods and services, the GPD is a good barometer of the health of the economy.
The better than innate numbers are attributed to businesses and consumers spending more than expected. The better news is principally credited to the government ' s $787 billion stimulus combination and programs not unlike Cash for Clunkers. What is not expected to improve anytime today is the unemployment proportion, which analysts fall for will spread 10 percent by the end of the year.
As hiring in most sectors remains stagnate and layoffs stand, the gap between the haves and have - nots is likely to widen. Congress is considering ways to regulate executive pay and this along with The Great Recession is not the great American equalizer after all. It ' s been widely reported recently that this recession hit middle and low income families the hardest, while the wealthy have enlarged to prosper. It may be chic to save and everyone brags about coupon clipping, but the idea that " we are all in this together " may not actually be the case.
According to the Associated Press, incomes have declined across all demographics, but at a greater proportion for middle and lower income groups. " Regular income fell lengthen year from $52, 163 to $50, 303, wiping out a decade ' s worth of gains to hit the lowest level thanks to 1997. " In reality, the gap between the opulent and the impecunious has widened to the point that the wealthiest ten percent of Americans earned 11. 4 times those beneath the reduction line earning $12, 000 a year.
The unemployment rate stands at a thirty year high of 9. 7 and a great majority of those job losses have been lower income ones, particularly in construction and manufacturing. While wealthier Americans have had reductions in executive pay, bottomless more of the middle and lower income earners have gone their jobs. This distinction between the fat and the destitute is more mammoth in fitter cities, selfsame Atlanta, New York and Chicago.
The recession seems to be coming to a close with signs that the economy is hereafter growing. The Commerce Department reported that the economy shrank less than expected, with gross domestic product dipping just 0. 7 percent from April to June, after dropping 6. 4 percent in the first habitat of the year ( AP ). Measuring the cost of all goods and services, the GPD is a good barometer of the health of the economy.
The better than involuntary numbers are attributed to businesses and consumers spending more than expected. The better news is mostly credited to the government ' s $787 billion stimulus parcel and programs resembling Cash for Clunkers. What is not expected to improve anytime nowadays is the unemployment scale, which analysts trust will extent 10 percent by the end of the year.
As hiring in most sectors remains stagnate and layoffs project, the gap between the haves and have - nots is likely to widen. Congress considering ways to regulate executive pay along with President Obama suggesting higher taxes on the wealthy as one the ways to pay for health care reform, the resentment between the two ends of the income spectrum may also increase. While the Great Recession is the worst state the economy has been in since the Great Depression, some Americans are faring better than others.

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