issue Inequality & Mobility

Equitable Growth supports research and policy analysis on how trends in economic inequality and mobility and changes in the economy have affected the concentration of wealth, income, and earnings, and how these distributional shifts have affected the promise of economic security and opportunity.

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During the mid-20th century, strong economic growth was broadly shared, as incomes increased and children could expect a better quality of life than their parents, though significant disparities across demographic groups remained. In recent decades, wealth, income, and earnings inequality have been rising and mobility declining, and demographic disparities persist. Better understanding these trends and their implications for economic growth will inform evidence-backed policies that improve growth and mobility for people across incomes, regions, and demographic groups.

Featured Research

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Police in public schools harm students, leading to far-reaching socioeconomic inequalities alongside less safe schools

FamiliesInequality & Mobility
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Stratification economics: What it is and how it advances our understanding of inequality

Inequality & Mobility
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Six charts that explain how inequality in the United States changed over the past 20 years

Inequality & Mobility
TOPICS: 1
TOPICS: GDP 2.0
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New research documents the high cost of residential racial segregation in Northern cities of the United States

Inequality & Mobility
In Conversation

In Conversation with Erica Groshen

Inequality & MobilityLabor
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The economic benefits of equal opportunity in the United States by ending racial, ethnic, and gender disparities

FamiliesInequality & MobilityTax & Macroeconomics

Explore Content in Inequality & Mobility2361

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New IRS report examines free tax filing option to reduce the cost and complexity for U.S. taxpayers

Inequality & MobilityTax & Macroeconomics
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Food assistance can disrupt intergenerational poverty in the United States, promoting racial economic equity

FamiliesInequality & Mobility
working paper

The Effectiveness of the Food Stamp Program at Reducing Differences in the Intergenerational Persistence of Poverty

FamiliesInequality & Mobility
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Proposed update to federal cost-benefit analysis guidelines correctly focuses on accounting for inequality in regulations

Inequality & Mobility
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The rise of industrial policy means data synchronization is more critical than ever

Inequality & Mobility
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Equitable Growth grantee Gabriel Zucman awarded the 2023 John Bates Clark Medal

Tax & MacroeconomicsInequality & Mobility
In Conversation

In Conversation with Daron Acemoglu

LaborInequality & Mobility
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Equitable Growth’s Jobs Day Graphs: April 2023 Report Edition

LaborInequality & Mobility
Past Event

Equitable Growth Presents: Harnessing tech for worker power and inclusive prosperity

LaborInequality & Mobility
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How government reliance on fines and fees harms communities across the United States

Inequality & Mobility
Past Event

Getting on the GRID: Accessing and using statistics from the Global Repository of Income Dynamics

Inequality & Mobility
TOPICS: 1
TOPICS: GDP 2.0
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Maybe some Earth Day soon, we’ll know what nature is worth

Tax & MacroeconomicsInequality & Mobility
TOPICS: Climate, GDP 2.0

Experts on the issue

Grantee

Marta Lachowska

Upjohn Institute

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Grantee

Greg Duncan

University of California, Irvine

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Grantee

Matthew Johnson

Duke University

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Grantee

Krista Ruffini

Georgetown University

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Grantee

Linh Tô

Boston University

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