Inequality

Social science research has focused extensively on rising income inequality and the consolidation of household wealth in the hands of the top 1% of U.S. households over the last 30 years. Recently, some policy makers have also been examining the causes and implications of this dynamic.

Most studies on income inequality have focused on wage earnings inequality, but the usefulness of this approach is limited, some scholars say. What’s missing is the role of non-wage compensation, such as health insurance on the level and distribution of income.

Problems facing Latinos and African-American men continue to represent a nationwide social challenge. Sustained disparities in socioeconomic well-being across race and ethnicity imply that efforts must be undertaken to bridge the inequality.

Studies by sociologists and psychologists have often shown little correlation between self-reported levels of happiness and income. A 2011 World Bank study highlights the “paradox of unhappy growth,” whereby life expectations rise with incomes, reducing the happiness that increased prosperity may have otherwise brought about.

A 2012 report by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Women in the Labor Force: A Databook,” presents comprehensive historical and contemporary statistics on women’s participation in the labor force between 1970 and 2010, including employment, salaries and more.