From Keystone Research Center (http://www.keystoneresearch.org):
Keystone Research Center Labor Economist Mark Price co-authored a report released this week entitled, “Income inequality in the U.S. by state, metropolitan area, and county.”
The report shows that, while the incomes of the bottom 99 percent of families grew slightly (0.2 percent),the incomes of Pennsylvania’s top 1 percent grew by 8 percent from 2009 to 2013. The report shows this is a pervasive problem across the country.
Income inequality has risen in every state since the 1970s and in many states is up in the post–Great Recession era. In 24 states, the top 1 percent captured at least half of all income growth between 2009 and 2013, and in 15 of those states, the top 1 percent captured all income growth. In another 10 states, top 1 percent incomes grew in the double digits, while bottom 99 percent incomes fell.
The top 1 percent earned 20.2 times more than the bottom 99 percent in Pennsylvania, making the Keystone State the 20th most unequal state in the country. Specifically, the most unequal county in Pennsylvania in 2013 was Montgomery, where the top 1% earned 27.4 times more than the bottom 99 percent in the county. Relative to the nation, Montgomery is the 123rd most unequal county (out of 3,064 counties) in the United States.
Read the full EARN report and get more PA specific details including for all 67 counties and 35 metropolitan areas.
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