Income inequality in the US

[Nessus]

A little nitpick out of the way first

real wages for the bottom 10% have actually grown at a pretty decent clip in the last 30 years.

By real you mean actual buying power, not just currency adjusted for inflation?

As for policy considerations, I have to re-iterate my tired old left-wing rants. Help young people get better education (an area that's not the US's strong suite) without huge disclaimers, dependencies and demands. Bring more people into the work-front of the educated, an area where all modern states must excel sooner or later as the third world gets its bearings. The lowest wages are reserved for those in the making, or those who are already lost. I'd contest it'd do the US better to lose less of them. How that should translate into real politik in a nation as diverse as yours, I have no idea. Placing the displaced isn't an easy thing, but it should be on top of the priority list, esp. in the US where it seems a lot of the displaced end up there due to a lacking safety net.

[Loki]

A little nitpick out of the way first



By real you mean actual buying power, not just currency adjusted for inflation?

As for policy considerations, I have to re-iterate my tired old left-wing rants. Help young people get better education (an area that's not the US's strong suite) without huge disclaimers, dependencies and demands. Bring more people into the work-front of the educated, an area where all modern states must excel sooner or later as the third world gets its bearings. The lowest wages are reserved for those in the making, or those who are already lost. I'd contest it'd do the US better to lose less of them. How that should translate into real politik in a nation as diverse as yours, I have no idea. Placing the displaced isn't an easy thing, but it should be on top of the priority list, esp. in the US where it seems a lot of the displaced end up there due to a lacking safety net.

The percentage of people with a college degree is at a record high right now. The problem is the rising disparity between the wages of college graduates and non-graduates.