From a story in the LATimes business section about income inequality:
California's low-wage workers are older and more educated than they were three decades ago — but they earn less, according to new research from UC Berkeley.
The study, released Thursday, documented the extensive growth of income inequality in California since the late 1970s. The researchers' data showed that California workers at the lowest end of the pay scale have seen significant declines in their earnings over the last three decades, after adjusting for inflation. Workers in the highest income brackets, meanwhile, have seen enormous gains.
For example, the bottom 20% of workers have seen inflation-adjusted wages decline 12% since 1979, while the top 10% of California workers have seen wages grow 35%.
"We are seeing the hollowing out of middle-wage jobs over time," said Annette Bernhardt, a visiting researcher at UC Berkeley's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, who worked on the report.
The Ojai Chautauqua will have a discussion of income inequality coming up in June, with some real thought leaders in the national conversastion. Will post details as they become available.
We haven't yet been able to confirm Bernie Sanders yet, though. Sadly.
Kit Stolz 