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High Achievers, Left Behind |
by Ryan Streeter, special to the Washington Post’s Think Tank Town, November 14, 2007Except for a few outliers, observers and analysts agree that income inequality in America has grown markedly in the past generation. Since 1979, household income in America has grown 29 percent in the 80th percentile and 37 percent in the 90th percentile, while families in the 20th and 50th percentiles have seen have seen growth of only 10.5 and 13 percent, respectively. Perhaps the least doubtful of the many theories about what drives this growing gap is the role of education. The difference in earnings between a college and a high school graduate is greater now than it has been in 90 years. And as our economy continues to create jobs that reward post-secondary education with higher pay, the odds are that faster upward mobility will continue to be linked with education. Read more...
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