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In reply to the discussion: They once inhabited a vast swath of North America but their numbers have been greatly reduced [View all]bhikkhu
(10,730 posts)70. The easiest graphic to find is from the Pew Research Center
They did a big piece not long ago about the shrinking middle class. Middle class is defined as those households having an income from 66% to 200% of a median income. As the median income is a measure that can go up or down with the overall health of the economy, "middle class" is a moving target, but still representative of position within an economic population.
I did read that bankrate article the other day, along with one by the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/25/wealthy-americans-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-income-paying-bills , summarized as "people in the US live paycheck to paycheck, even those making over 100k a year". I don't know what to make of that, but I'm all for any measure building a better safety net or increasing opportunity for the 92 million lower income people in the US.
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They once inhabited a vast swath of North America but their numbers have been greatly reduced [View all]
Fumesucker
Jun 2016
OP
It's not just the labels. The 50% who are "middle class" are more squeezed than before
Bucky
Jun 2016
#35
"the largest losses in the middle class since 1970 are due to people becoming wealthy"
Phlem
Jun 2016
#48
I started with the simple statement that the number of people in the middle class has been growing
bhikkhu
Jun 2016
#93
There is no doubt that the number of people in lower income households has been rising
bhikkhu
Jun 2016
#92
Too little too late. Look at my last post. And your links just prove my point.
passiveporcupine
Jun 2016
#89
So according to you, if 95% of 2,000 purple eyed people die at age 2 years old
angstlessk
Jun 2016
#13
I would say its good that we have added 30 million or so to the middle class since 1970
bhikkhu
Jun 2016
#16
demographic changes...vietnam is now a labor competitor? THAT demographic change?
angstlessk
Jun 2016
#15
Yet almost everyone misses that 75% more people moved into the upper class than fell into the lower
whatthehey
Jun 2016
#47
Again, of course all segments of society will grow as the population grows.
passiveporcupine
Jun 2016
#84
For sure. Already posted in Good Reads but for whatever reason not much traffic.
appalachiablue
Jun 2016
#39
Ah it makes perfect sense now. So if 50% of Americans, about 160 million, are middle class
A Simple Game
Jun 2016
#36
this says the middle class is shrinking but you've been stating the middle class is growing
passiveporcupine
Jun 2016
#83
Glad to see you understand the middle class shrunk due to the wealthy stealing from the working
Rex
Jun 2016
#56