How the American middle class has changed in the past five decades
The share of adults who live in middle-class households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021, according to a new analysis.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The share of adults who live in middle-class households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021, according to a new analysis.
The 2020 census counted 126.8 million occupied households, representing 9% growth over the 116.7 million households counted in the 2010 census.
Nearly one-in-five middle-income families report receiving unemployment benefits in 2020.
Earnings overall have held steady through the pandemic in part because lower-wage workers experienced steeper job losses.
The abrupt closure of many offices and workplaces this past spring ushered in a new era of remote work for millions of employed Americans and may portend a significant shift in the way a large segment of the workforce operates in the future.
The 30-year low reflects in part tight labor markets and falling unemployment, but also higher shares of young women at work or in school.
The gap in the standard of living between Asians near the top and the bottom of the income ladder nearly doubled from 1970 to
2016. Amid rising inequality overall, Asians displaced blacks as the most economically divided major U.S. racial or ethnic group.
The number of U.S. households renting their home increased significantly between 2006 and 2016, as did the share.
There are deep divisions between blacks and whites in how they see racial discrimination, barriers to black progress and prospects for change.
Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock examines the changes – some profound, some subtle – that the U.S. experienced during Barack Obama’s presidency.
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