Is there a graceful way to fall off a mountain?
The census bureau, as they do every September, last week released 2017 data on income and poverty. The main report – Income and Poverty in the United States: 2017[https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.html] was followed a day later by the American Community Survey update [ https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-kits/2018/acs-1year.html ]. Together they dump a tremendous amount of data on number wonks, like me.
The media picked-up on the extremely modest gain in the national Median Household Income – just 1.8% from 2016 to 2017. Basically, Americans clawed a step ahead of inflation.
At the same time, not all Americans got 1.8%. Per the report…
In 2017, the real median earnings of men and women working
full-time, year-round each decreased from their respective
2016 medians by 1.1 percent. [p. 1]
Also, the Second Quintile – those households basically from 21% to 40% on the overall chart – had a median household income of $35,401 in 2017: in 2016 it was $35,246 (adjusted to 2017 dollars). [p.35] Yes, as a group they lost a bit of ground.
Meanwhile, back in Missouri we’re perfecting our group slide down the mountain. Looking at the more generous American Community Survey Excel chart h08, in 2017 Missouri came in 37th among the states and District of Columbia. Yes, our median income soared above Arkansas and Mississippi but we trailed every state above 38° north, save Nevada.
Put simply, in 2016 Missouri’s median was $77 a week below the national, in 2017 the gap was $86.
Using the data from the Income and Poverty report, as reported in the 9/13/18 St. Louis Post Dispatch [ https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/poverty-rates-drop-in-st-louis-city-but-the-region/article_c965c307-4c49-542b-a90b-80bf807123ed.html ], the gap was $113 in 2016 but grew to $149 a week in 2017.
(Confused by different numbers for the same thing in different reports from the same federal government agency? You get used to that after a while. Year to year just be sure to compare the Granny Smith Apples to the Granny Smiths and not the Galas.)
So, here’s reality: Missouri is falling down the mountain, our households dropping faster below the national target each year.
Why? Well, as Pew Research recently reported, The American middle class is stable in size, but losing ground financially to upper-income families. [ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/06/the-american-middle-class-is-stable-in-size-but-losing-ground-financially-to-upper-income-families/ ] Pew has been looking at this issue every five years since the 1970’s. Things have been getting better, mostly for households in the top one-fifth (quintile) based on income. Their share of the money keeps getting bigger.
Remember, the rich are different: many of them don’t have to work for money. They grow money through investments, meaning that a bullish economy helps them. Dig into the reports and the conclusion is clear. Working people are working more hours to increase their household income since wages are, well, falling behind inflation.
It gets worse.
Among those hit the hardest by the Great Recession are “30 somethings…”
A recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank in
St. Louis found that while all birth cohorts lost wealth
during the Great Recession, Americans born in the
1980’s were at “the greatest risk for becoming a lost
generation for wealth accumulation.”
Or, as the sub-headline states, “And the middle-class dream is never coming back.”
[New York Times 9/16/2018, Nelson D Schwartz]
So, the “golden years” for my daughter’s generation already turned to tin.
Of course, things will be worse than average in Missouri. Remember, we’re probably going to continue to fall off the mountain for years to come.
Yes, we could change things. Pass a higher minimum wage. Invest more in education, including college and technical training. Expand Medicaid, helping families and the medical industry. Stop subsidizing big box store. Basically, use state government as an active force for good.
Alas, as long as the majority party in this state rides an elephant all we can count on is a lot more elephant crap.
2017 Median Income
Income Report ACS
National $61,372 $61,372
Missouri $53,578 $56,885
Illinois $62,992 $64,609
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member