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A large part is demographics, and the drop was known for decades before it happened, as mentioned in papers from Census. FRED reports also explain this. Anothe

A large part is demographics, and the drop was known for decades before it happened, as mentioned in papers from Census. FRED reports also explain this. Another part is people staying in college longer (or going back to college) to get more education which is needed for a modern workforce, and the result of that is more lifetime earnings, not less. A third part is many people are opting for one income, since many couples can now live on one income. More people moving from the middle class did so by moving up rather than down.

elvirs 8y ago
>A third part is many people are opting for one income, since many couples can now live on one income." I beg to differ, its quite the opposite actually. More people are in debt compared to past. Not sure if that's what you mean by 'climbing up'
- ChrisLomont 8y ago
  Here's two sources showing more people are climbing up from middle class rather than down [1,2]. There are plenty more you can find with a Google search. [1] http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-shrinking-but-its-because-americans-are-moving-up-and-no-americans-are-not-struggling-to-afford-a-home/ http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-sh... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-moving-up/2016/06/24/214dc04a-3a28-11e6-8f7c-d4c723a2becb_story.html?utm_term=.19fe8be489f5 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-...
kingbirdy 8y ago
> More people moving from the middle class did so by moving up rather than down. [Citation Needed]
- ChrisLomont 8y ago
  Here's two [1,2]. There are plenty more you can find with a Google search. [1] http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-shrinking-but-its-because-americans-are-moving-up-and-no-americans-are-not-struggling-to-afford-a-home/ http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-sh... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-moving-up/2016/06/24/214dc04a-3a28-11e6-8f7c-d4c723a2becb_story.html?utm_term=.19fe8be489f5 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-...

elvirs 8y ago

>A third part is many people are opting for one income, since many couples can now live on one income." I beg to differ, its quite the opposite actually. More people are in debt compared to past. Not sure if that's what you mean by 'climbing up'

ChrisLomont 8y ago
Here's two sources showing more people are climbing up from middle class rather than down [1,2]. There are plenty more you can find with a Google search. [1] http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-shrinking-but-its-because-americans-are-moving-up-and-no-americans-are-not-struggling-to-afford-a-home/ http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-sh... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-moving-up/2016/06/24/214dc04a-3a28-11e6-8f7c-d4c723a2becb_story.html?utm_term=.19fe8be489f5 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-...

kingbirdy 8y ago

> More people moving from the middle class did so by moving up rather than down. [Citation Needed]

ChrisLomont 8y ago
Here's two [1,2]. There are plenty more you can find with a Google search. [1] http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-shrinking-but-its-because-americans-are-moving-up-and-no-americans-are-not-struggling-to-afford-a-home/ http://www.aei.org/publication/yes-the-us-middle-class-is-sh... [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-moving-up/2016/06/24/214dc04a-3a28-11e6-8f7c-d4c723a2becb_story.html?utm_term=.19fe8be489f5 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-middle-class-...