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Census: Income fell, poverty increased in 2022

Sep 12, 2023
The expiration of pandemic-era government benefits is partially responsible for the increases in poverty.
Above, a food pantry, in Queens, New York. With pandemic-era benefits ending, post-tax real incomes fell 14% for the lowest earners in the U.S. in 2022.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Social Security has funding problems. How do we fix it before benefits are cut?

Jun 12, 2023
The trust fund supplementing income taxes could run dry within 10 years. Dennis Jansen of Texas A&M suggests reforms.
About 67 million Americans receive Social Security income.
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How your parents' income throughout your childhood can change your life

Research finds that the money your parents are making when you're a teen, rather than child, is more predictive of your outcomes as an adult.
A lot of research on intergenerational mobility has focused on parents' income when children are young. But new research finds that parental income when children are older could have a bigger influence on how much they earn as adults.
Joe Raedle/Newsmakers

Household income stayed flat in 2021, census data shows

Sep 14, 2022
Wage increases have been eaten by high inflation.
Despite talk about pay increases and a hot labor market, wages have remained stagnant for years when you account for inflation.
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Consumers’ confidence, spending less buoyant than their job prospects

Oct 1, 2021
Inflation is eating away at incomes while the delta variant is discouraging consumers from going out and spending.
After accounting for inflation, the August consumer spending and income statistics were unimpressive.
Drew Angerer via Getty Images

The child tax credit is a first shot at stability for some families

Jul 13, 2021
The monthly payments can lead to small changes that have long-term effects, experts say.
The upcoming child tax credit payments could give some families a chance to invest in their kids' futures.
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Household debt up 4% in the first quarter

Jun 12, 2020
About 1 in 6 households reports having more debt now than before the COVID-19 crisis.
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People across most income groups are more anxious about the economy during COVID-19

May 5, 2020
But those earning under $25,000 are about as anxious now as they were before the pandemic.
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The amount of money people took home last year was the same as the year before

Sep 10, 2019
The median U.S. household income was $533 higher last year than in 2017, which economists say is statistically insignificant.
Bay Ismoyo/AFP/Getty Images)

Student loans make wealth gap worse for blacks

Sep 27, 2018
New study examines race and student debt.
Students walk through the campus of Yale University. 
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