And according to the Census Bureau, last year the median U.S. household income declined as income inequality rose to its highest level in decades. Indeed, the top 20% of households took in 51.1% of all income in 2011.
This rising income inequality is the result of the recession during which many middle-class families moved to lower-income quintiles, creating an income distribution that is less flat; however, there are also long-run contributing factors, such as a less-educated work force.
