On average, incomes for the top 1 percent of households rose by $465,700 each, or 42.6 percent after adjusting for inflation. The incomes of the poorest fifth rose by $200, or 1.3 percent, and the middle fifth increased by $2,400 or 4.3 percent.
I've long complained that the attention given the top one percent is uncalled for and distorting. In any analysis, you throw out the top and bottom numbers. The one percent on either end represents freaks. Look at the poorest fifth, minus the bottom one percent, and the richest fifth or tenth or whatever, minus the top one percent, if you want to learn something useful.
The middle fifth, above, is doing just what it's supposed to, seems to me. |
