US Standard of Living

Here are some fact on US inequality.  I apologize for focusing on a core
state, when the more important issue is the core-periphery gap.  But, this
is a response to claims to the contrary regarding the US.

The facts for the US are, as of 1996:

% US pop/    %national wealth
top 20%        75%
second 20%     16.6
third 20%      7.1
fourth 20%     2%
fifth 20%      (-0.7%) !
(US Bureau of the Census, cited in
Pearlstein, 1995)
This is easily the worst distribution of wealth in the core, and is
comparable to that of many peripheral states.

As for growing inequality (the shrinking middle class ):
In the 1980s, more households fell below the middle class than the converse.
For seven households that moved up into the middle class, nine fell below it
(Bradsher, 1995).

The number of people who fell below the poverty line increased to 38 million
in 1994, higher than the number in 1964, higher than ever in fact.

More US workers became 'contingency workers,'-- those with part time jobs
that pay no basic benefits, such health care, retirement, vacation, etc.
Throughout the 1980-90s, the percentage of US workers has grown from about
1/4 to about 1/2 by next year.  Moreover, this kind of work spread from fast
food/retail sales, etc. to all industries.  It has naturally followed from
"downsizing" that when labor is needed, it's hired part time and temporary,
greatly reducing costs.

Also, it now takes more people working full time per household to achieve
the same standard of living achieved thirty years ago by a single full time
worker per household.  More work, less pay.

The cliche that "the rich get richer and poor get poorer" is a definite fact
in the US, as reported to us by the US government.  One will find similar
changes on a systemic scale.