Economic inequality is the unequal distribution of income and wealth and it has been rising in the United States in recent decades. Questions about whether and how this rise in inequality affects economic growth and stability are fundamental to Equitable Growth’s work, which explores how economic inequality impacts individuals and families across a wide range of issues, and what policies might address these challenges.
Featured work
Analyzing recent U.S. economic policies using Equitable Growth’s Inequality Tracker
January 22, 2026
January 22, 2026
In conversation with Sabeel Rahman
November 18, 2025
November 18, 2025
Accounting for capital gains in income significantly increases U.S. inequality
July 15, 2025
July 15, 2025
Americans informed about the distributional effects of Republicans’ tax and budget bill overwhelmingly oppose it
July 3, 2025
July 3, 2025
U.S. income and wealth inequality are no longer increasing, but a return to the equitable levels of the mid-20th century isn’t likely anytime soon
January 17, 2023
January 17, 2023
Six charts that explain how inequality in the United States changed over the past 20 years
February 1, 2022
February 1, 2022
Explore Content in Economic Inequality828
Expert Focus: Bolstering labor movements and boosting worker power this May Day
April 28, 2022
April 28, 2022
Testimony by Michelle Holder before the Joint Economic Committee on robust government investments
April 27, 2022
April 27, 2022
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will bring new perspectives on mass incarceration to U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence
April 7, 2022
April 7, 2022
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management conference spotlights the value of diversity in U.S. policy analysis and research
March 31, 2022
March 31, 2022
The 2022 Midwest Economic Association annual meeting features key sessions on labor market monopsony
March 30, 2022
March 30, 2022
Expert Focus: Feminist economists studying women’s roles and contributions to the U.S. economy
March 23, 2022
March 23, 2022
Retirement tax incentives supercharge the fortunes of wealthy Americans
March 17, 2022
March 17, 2022
The American Rescue Plan helped U.S. families amid the coronavirus pandemic and provides a roadmap for policymakers today
March 11, 2022
March 11, 2022
Revisiting timely research that explores U.S. intersectional wage gaps amid Women’s History Month
March 8, 2022
March 8, 2022
The Economic State of the Union in 2022, presented in 11 charts, and what policymakers can do to make the recovery more equitable and resilient
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
Stratification economics: What it is and how it advances our understanding of inequality
February 28, 2022
February 28, 2022
More frequent disaggregated data on U.S. income inequality would improve economic research and inform policymaking
February 24, 2022
February 24, 2022
Explore the Equitable Growth network of experts around the country and get answers to today's most pressing questions!