Why not as good as 22 years ago, the average income of American families?

The data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American family median income of $ 50,054, in 2011 the value of the dollar, this number is lower than the 1989 level of $ 50,624. This is somewhat surprising, because we know the stage of the network economic boom in the 1990s, the United States is in the Clinton years, there was a wave of strong economic growth period, why income levels have actually not as good as 1989 it?

    U.S. media said, suggesting that the American middle class is more than experienced a lost decade, but two lost decade. The biggest reason, of course, after the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, the U.S. economy has not really out of the doldrums, the financial turmoil of 2008 has brought greater blow, the unemployment rate in this three or four years would be no less than 8%.

    From the latest data, the status of the U.S. economy has not significantly improved. 2011 household median income fell by 1.5% over the previous year. House four years receive $ 23,021 poverty line, in 2011, 4620 million people below the poverty line, the poverty rate is 15%, no change. 4860 million people without health insurance, a slight decrease.

    Economists analysis, resulting in the past 22 years the United States income decreased rather than increased, there are several factors. From foreign competition in the era of globalization, the cheaper imported products instead of labor-intensive industries of the United States, the impact of rapid technological progress with some of the original medium-wage jobs, such as the popularity of bank automated teller machines to some extent replaced bank counter cashier. While Americans generally benefit from the era of globalization, trade and investment development and technological progress, but the imbalance in the flow of the interests of the many low-skilled workers unemployed, could not get the right skills retraining to become this era losers.

    The tax policy of the United States in the past 10 years is basically tilted to the rich, the amplitude of the minimum wage increases to keep up the progress of inflation, expanding the gap between the rich and the poor. Reflect the income gap, the Gini index, 2011 is 0.477, expanding by 1.6% over the previous year, since 1993, the Gini index in the United States has been expanding. The famous economist Joseph Stiglitz said, the the rich sustainable access to large tax cuts, will lead to lack of investment in infrastructure, education and technology, constraining economic growth.

    Conservative economists will economic slowdown attributed to the size of government is too big, too many rules, too much debt, too good public welfare, thus moving to a European-style welfare state. Played much of a role in government in the economy, the emphasis on an industry, the expense of another industry.

    The Census Bureau also mentioned two other factors, an aging U.S. population, in general Americans retirement income will be reduced, and the other one is the U.S. economy is in the recovery process new jobs and more low-paid jobs. So pull down the average income of Americans in general.

    The economic observers also noted that, despite the government welfare system in the United States has been heavily criticized, but if there is no gold system of the United States Social Security, the United States live below the poverty line may be increased by 2140 people, especially the elderly over 65 years old, the poor may The increase of $ 14.5 million. The question is, How long can this living beyond the Social Security system?