Mar 29 Is increasing income inequality a fact or a myth? By Paul Solman A new academic paper making the rounds of the economics profession contradicts conventional wisdom: that incomes of the top 10 percent, 1 percent and especially the tippy-top .1 percent, have been pulling away from the rest of Americans. Continue reading
Feb 01 How income inequality can make or break presidential elections By James K. Galbraith The relationship between political sentiment and measured economic inequalities is so important to understand, even though at first glance it's counter-intuitive. Continue reading
Oct 26 Achieving the American Dream may depend on where you live By Paul Solman Research shows that social mobility and income equality in the U.S. has a lot to do with where people live. Continue reading
Jun 29 The hottest chart in economics, and what it means By Paul Solman The "elephant chart" explains the rise of populism in the developed world and so much more. Continue reading
Nov 28 Column: We don’t need Washington to fix bloated CEO pay By Dean Baker There are clear channels that people can use to put downward pressure on the pay of those at the top in both the corporate and noncorporate sector that don’t require going through Washington. Continue reading
Oct 05 Column: The claim that if wages go up, jobs will go down is not a theory — it’s a scam By Nick Hanauer Opponents of the $15 minimum wage claim that if the minimum wage goes up, jobs will go down. But this is simply an intimidation tactic used by employers to keep wages down and keep profits high. Continue reading
Sep 30 Income is surpassing growth in 49 states. What does that mean for the economy? By Tim Henderson, Stateline The sharp gain in median household income last year may also signal a turning point in the decades-old disconnect between middle-class earnings and overall economic growth. Continue reading
Aug 18 Why income inequality matters in this election By Josh Boak, Associated Press The rich keep getting richer while more Americans are getting left behind financially. Continue reading
Aug 02 Column: Why a $15 minimum wage shouldn’t scare us By John Komlos Raising the minimum wage has not hurt anyone except the boogeyman in the imagination of the 1 percenters and their entourage. Continue reading
Jul 13 Average CEO pay was $15.5 million in 2015, down from 2014 By Kristen Doerer Average CEO pay for the top 350 biggest firms was $15.5 million in 2015, according to a new report released by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. What’s shocking is that’s down from last year. Continue reading