Growing numbers of middle-class Americans say they aren't better off than they were five years ago

Apr 9, 1:17 PM EDT

Economy, debt weighing on middle class

By HOPE YEN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Growing numbers of middle-class Americans say they

aren't better off than they were five years ago, reflecting economic

pressures amid growing debt, a study released Wednesday shows. Their

short-term assessment of personal progress, according to the study, is

the worst it's been in nearly half a century.

The survey by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based research

organization, paints a mixed picture for the 53 percent of adults in

the country who define themselves as "middle class," with household

incomes ranging from below $40,000 to more than $100,000.

It found that a majority of Americans said they haven't progressed in

the last five years. One in four, or 25 percent, said their economic

situation had not improved, while 31 percent said they had fallen

backward. Those numbers together are the highest since the survey

question was first asked in 1964. Among the middle class, 54 percent

said they had made no progress (26 percent) or fallen back (28

percent).

Middle-class prosperity also lagged compared with richer Americans.

From 1983 to 2004, the median net worth of upper-income families -

defined as households with annual incomes above 150 percent of the

median - grew by 123 percent, while the median net worth of

middle-income families rose by just 29 percent.

At the same time, most middle-class people remained upbeat when asked

to measure their progress over a longer timeframe, although their level

of optimism lagged behind their richer counterparts. Two-thirds, or 67

percent, of middle-class Americans say their standard of living is

better than the one their parents had at the age they are now.

In contrast, 80 percent of richer people said they exceeded their

parents' standard of living. Among the lower class, only 49 percent

reported better conditions.

"It's been a lousy run for the American economy and people feel it,"

said Paul Taylor, director of Pew's Social & Demographic Trends project

> and lead author of the study. He noted that people's pessimism largely

tracks annual median household income, which has seen little gain in

recent years. Middle-class people also may be disproportionately

feeling the pinch because they tend to borrow more heavily against

their homes to support their lifestyles, Taylor said.

"Still, over a span of a generation, it's been a pretty good run, even

as there are some recent pressures that I think people are feeling," he

said.

The Pew poll involved telephone interviews with 2,413 adults, conducted

from Jan. 24 to Feb. 19. The margin of sampling error was 3 percentage

points.

Among the other findings:

-Nearly eight in 10 of all people, or 79 percent, said they believe it

has become more difficult compared with five years ago for the middle

class to maintain their standard of living, up from 65 percent in 1986.

-Among the middle class, no consensus existed on who was to blame for

their economic problems. Twenty-six percent blamed the government,

while 15 percent faulted the price of oil and 11 percent said the

people themselves were responsible. Others faulted foreign competition

and private corporations for economic woes.

-Some demographic groups have improved their income status between 1970

and 2006, while others saw declines.

http://pewsocialtrends.org

We're not suppose to be better off. We're suppose to work harder for

less so that the rich can be richer. Our labor is for them, after

all. Don't think about asking for money--how dare you take money from

the billionaires who own your company? Work your sixty hour week,

take your small paycheck, buy your ramen soup and be happy that you

have a job.

Are you tired yet of O'Reilly, Limbaugh, and the other rightwing

pundits telling you that you are the problem, that you don't work hard

enough and that you ask for too much pay? Are you tired of it? Join

a union then. Right a letter to Fox and tell them to stuff it. Write

your representatives and tell them how you feel.

Anger is just the beginning, my friends. These rightwing tools who've

tried to convince you that you should want less and work more are

running scared now. Don't let up on them. Let them know that you

know the truth.

"Get a life" <jim@cogeco.ca> wrote in message

news:59qLj.50869$612.20312@read1.cgocable.net...

>

> "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

> news:PXfLj.21052$%15.15163@bignews7.bellsouth.net...

>>

>> Apr 9, 1:17 PM EDT

>>

>> Economy, debt weighing on middle class

>> By HOPE YEN

>> Associated Press Writer

>>

>>

>> WASHINGTON (AP) -- Growing numbers of middle-class Americans say they

>> aren't better off than they were five years ago, reflecting economic

>> pressures amid growing debt, a study released Wednesday shows. Their

>> short-term assessment of personal progress, according to the study, is

>> the worst it's been in nearly half a century.

>>

>> The survey by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based research

>> organization, paints a mixed picture for the 53 percent of adults in

>> the country who define themselves as "middle class," with household

>> incomes ranging from below $40,000 to more than $100,000.

>>

>> It found that a majority of Americans said they haven't progressed in

>> the last five years. One in four, or 25 percent, said their economic

>> situation had not improved, while 31 percent said they had fallen

>> backward. Those numbers together are the highest since the survey

>> question was first asked in 1964. Among the middle class, 54 percent

>> said they had made no progress (26 percent) or fallen back (28

>> percent).

>>

>> Middle-class prosperity also lagged compared with richer Americans.

>> From 1983 to 2004, the median net worth of upper-income families -

>> defined as households with annual incomes above 150 percent of the

>> median - grew by 123 percent, while the median net worth of

>> middle-income families rose by just 29 percent.

>>

>> At the same time, most middle-class people remained upbeat when asked

>> to measure their progress over a longer timeframe, although their level

>> of optimism lagged behind their richer counterparts. Two-thirds, or 67

>> percent, of middle-class Americans say their standard of living is

>> better than the one their parents had at the age they are now.

>>

>> In contrast, 80 percent of richer people said they exceeded their

>> parents' standard of living. Among the lower class, only 49 percent

>> reported better conditions.

>>

>> "It's been a lousy run for the American economy and people feel it,"

>> said Paul Taylor, director of Pew's Social & Demographic Trends project

>>> and lead author of the study. He noted that people's pessimism largely

>> tracks annual median household income, which has seen little gain in

>> recent years. Middle-class people also may be disproportionately

>> feeling the pinch because they tend to borrow more heavily against

>> their homes to support their lifestyles, Taylor said.

>>

>> "Still, over a span of a generation, it's been a pretty good run, even

>> as there are some recent pressures that I think people are feeling," he

>> said.

>>

>> The Pew poll involved telephone interviews with 2,413 adults, conducted

>> from Jan. 24 to Feb. 19. The margin of sampling error was 3 percentage

>> points.

>>

>> Among the other findings:

>> -Nearly eight in 10 of all people, or 79 percent, said they believe it

>> has become more difficult compared with five years ago for the middle

>> class to maintain their standard of living, up from 65 percent in 1986.

>>

>> -Among the middle class, no consensus existed on who was to blame for

>> their economic problems. Twenty-six percent blamed the government,

>> while 15 percent faulted the price of oil and 11 percent said the

>> people themselves were responsible. Others faulted foreign competition

>> and private corporations for economic woes.

>>

>> -Some demographic groups have improved their income status between 1970

>> and 2006, while others saw declines.

>>

> So

>

You don

"Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

news:PXfLj.21052$%15.15163@bignews7.bellsouth.net...

>

> Apr 9, 1:17 PM EDT

>

> Economy, debt weighing on middle class

> By HOPE YEN

> Associated Press Writer

>

>

> WASHINGTON (AP) -- Growing numbers of middle-class Americans say they

> aren't better off than they were five years ago, reflecting economic

> pressures amid growing debt, a study released Wednesday shows. Their

> short-term assessment of personal progress, according to the study, is

> the worst it's been in nearly half a century.

>

> The survey by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based research

> organization, paints a mixed picture for the 53 percent of adults in

> the country who define themselves as "middle class," with household

> incomes ranging from below $40,000 to more than $100,000.

>

> It found that a majority of Americans said they haven't progressed in

> the last five years. One in four, or 25 percent, said their economic

> situation had not improved, while 31 percent said they had fallen

> backward. Those numbers together are the highest since the survey

> question was first asked in 1964. Among the middle class, 54 percent

> said they had made no progress (26 percent) or fallen back (28

> percent).

>

> Middle-class prosperity also lagged compared with richer Americans.

> From 1983 to 2004, the median net worth of upper-income families -

> defined as households with annual incomes above 150 percent of the

> median - grew by 123 percent, while the median net worth of

> middle-income families rose by just 29 percent.

>

> At the same time, most middle-class people remained upbeat when asked

> to measure their progress over a longer timeframe, although their level

> of optimism lagged behind their richer counterparts. Two-thirds, or 67

> percent, of middle-class Americans say their standard of living is

> better than the one their parents had at the age they are now.

>

> In contrast, 80 percent of richer people said they exceeded their

> parents' standard of living. Among the lower class, only 49 percent

> reported better conditions.

>

> "It's been a lousy run for the American economy and people feel it,"

> said Paul Taylor, director of Pew's Social & Demographic Trends project

>> and lead author of the study. He noted that people's pessimism largely

> tracks annual median household income, which has seen little gain in

> recent years. Middle-class people also may be disproportionately

> feeling the pinch because they tend to borrow more heavily against

> their homes to support their lifestyles, Taylor said.

>

> "Still, over a span of a generation, it's been a pretty good run, even

> as there are some recent pressures that I think people are feeling," he

> said.

>

> The Pew poll involved telephone interviews with 2,413 adults, conducted

> from Jan. 24 to Feb. 19. The margin of sampling error was 3 percentage

> points.

>

> Among the other findings:

> -Nearly eight in 10 of all people, or 79 percent, said they believe it

> has become more difficult compared with five years ago for the middle

> class to maintain their standard of living, up from 65 percent in 1986.

>

> -Among the middle class, no consensus existed on who was to blame for

> their economic problems. Twenty-six percent blamed the government,

> while 15 percent faulted the price of oil and 11 percent said the

> people themselves were responsible. Others faulted foreign competition

> and private corporations for economic woes.

>

> -Some demographic groups have improved their income status between 1970

> and 2006, while others saw declines.

>

So

"Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

news:s9qLj.30658$dT.9327@bignews1.bellsouth.net...

>

>

> "Get a life" <jim@cogeco.ca> wrote in message

> news:59qLj.50869$612.20312@read1.cgocable.net...

>>

>> "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

>> news:PXfLj.21052$%15.15163@bignews7.bellsouth.net...

>>>

>>> Apr 9, 1:17 PM EDT

>>>

>>> Economy, debt weighing on middle class

>>> By HOPE YEN

>>> Associated Press Writer

>>>

>>>

>>> WASHINGTON (AP) -- Growing numbers of middle-class Americans say they

>>> aren't better off than they were five years ago, reflecting economic

>>> pressures amid growing debt, a study released Wednesday shows. Their

>>> short-term assessment of personal progress, according to the study, is

>>> the worst it's been in nearly half a century.

>>>

>>> The survey by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based research

>>> organization, paints a mixed picture for the 53 percent of adults in

>>> the country who define themselves as "middle class," with household

>>> incomes ranging from below $40,000 to more than $100,000.

>>>

>>> It found that a majority of Americans said they haven't progressed in

>>> the last five years. One in four, or 25 percent, said their economic

>>> situation had not improved, while 31 percent said they had fallen

>>> backward. Those numbers together are the highest since the survey

>>> question was first asked in 1964. Among the middle class, 54 percent

>>> said they had made no progress (26 percent) or fallen back (28

>>> percent).

>>>

>>> Middle-class prosperity also lagged compared with richer Americans.

>>> From 1983 to 2004, the median net worth of upper-income families -

>>> defined as households with annual incomes above 150 percent of the

>>> median - grew by 123 percent, while the median net worth of

>>> middle-income families rose by just 29 percent.

>>>

>>> At the same time, most middle-class people remained upbeat when asked

>>> to measure their progress over a longer timeframe, although their level

>>> of optimism lagged behind their richer counterparts. Two-thirds, or 67

>>> percent, of middle-class Americans say their standard of living is

>>> better than the one their parents had at the age they are now.

>>>

>>> In contrast, 80 percent of richer people said they exceeded their

>>> parents' standard of living. Among the lower class, only 49 percent

>>> reported better conditions.

>>>

>>> "It's been a lousy run for the American economy and people feel it,"

>>> said Paul Taylor, director of Pew's Social & Demographic Trends project

>>>> and lead author of the study. He noted that people's pessimism largely

>>> tracks annual median household income, which has seen little gain in

>>> recent years. Middle-class people also may be disproportionately

>>> feeling the pinch because they tend to borrow more heavily against

>>> their homes to support their lifestyles, Taylor said.

>>>

>>> "Still, over a span of a generation, it's been a pretty good run, even

>>> as there are some recent pressures that I think people are feeling," he

>>> said.

>>>

>>> The Pew poll involved telephone interviews with 2,413 adults, conducted

>>> from Jan. 24 to Feb. 19. The margin of sampling error was 3 percentage

>>> points.

>>>

>>> Among the other findings:

>>> -Nearly eight in 10 of all people, or 79 percent, said they believe it

>>> has become more difficult compared with five years ago for the middle

>>> class to maintain their standard of living, up from 65 percent in 1986.

>>>

>>> -Among the middle class, no consensus existed on who was to blame for

>>> their economic problems. Twenty-six percent blamed the government,

>>> while 15 percent faulted the price of oil and 11 percent said the

>>> people themselves were responsible. Others faulted foreign competition

>>> and private corporations for economic woes.

>>>

>>> -Some demographic groups have improved their income status between 1970

>>> and 2006, while others saw declines.

>>>

>> So

>>

>

> You don

"Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

news:PXfLj.21052$%15.15163@bignews7.bellsouth.net...

>

We're better off now because the Bush administration has

less than a year to continue its violation of America.

you need to post more often, bitch slap those conservative bastards

"This is your brain on Fox News." <goofindoo@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:ba8797ee-0655-416f-be67-ba6651789da6@b5g2000pri.googlegroups.com...

> We're not suppose to be better off. We're suppose to work harder for

> less so that the rich can be richer. Our labor is for them, after

> all. Don't think about asking for money--how dare you take money from

> the billionaires who own your company? Work your sixty hour week,

> take your small paycheck, buy your ramen soup and be happy that you

> have a job.

>

> Are you tired yet of O'Reilly, Limbaugh, and the other rightwing

> pundits telling you that you are the problem, that you don't work hard

> enough and that you ask for too much pay? Are you tired of it? Join

> a union then. Right a letter to Fox and tell them to stuff it. Write

> your representatives and tell them how you feel.

>

> Anger is just the beginning, my friends. These rightwing tools who've

> tried to convince you that you should want less and work more are

> running scared now. Don't let up on them. Let them know that you

> know the truth.