Declining earnings inequality, rising income inequality: What explains discordant inequality trends in the United States?
中文摘要
2010年至2019年，美国个人劳动所得不平等数十年来首次下降，但家庭收入不平等却持续上升。这两种不平等趋势的背离程度达到近期历史最高水平。我们提出了一个分解不平等趋势差异的框架。研究发现，2010年后不平等趋势背离的46%源于家庭构成的变化，即与父母同住的年轻劳动者占比上升，他们将较低（但不断增加）的个人劳动所得与较高的家庭收入结合在一起。其余背离源于劳动所得较高家庭的私人收入增加，以及政府转移支付再分配效应的减弱。个人劳动所得不平等下降并不意味着家庭收入不平等下降。• 尽管劳动所得不平等有所下降，美国的家庭收入不平等却有所上升。• 劳动所得与收入不平等趋势的背离在2010—2019年达到峰值。• 家庭构成变化解释了2010年后不平等趋势背离的46%。• 一个关键因素是，与父母同住的低劳动所得年轻成年人占比上升。• 补充营养援助计划（SNAP）和劳动所得税抵免（EITC）的再分配作用减弱，在很大程度上解释了其余背离。
Abstract
From 2010 to 2019, personal earnings inequality declined in the United States (U.S.) for the first time in decades, yet household income inequality continued to increase. Discordance between the inequality trends reached its highest rate in recent history. We introduce a framework to decompose differences in inequality trends. We find that 46% of post-2010 discordance in inequality trends is due to changing household composition, namely a larger share of young workers living with their parents and combining low (but increasing) personal earnings with high household incomes. The remaining discordance stems from increases in private income among higher-earning households and declining redistributive effects of government transfers. Declines in personal earnings inequality do not imply declines in household income inequality. • Despite declining earnings inequality, US household income inequality has increased. • Discordance between earnings and income inequality trends peaked during 2010–2019. • Changing household composition explains 46% of discordant inequality trends post-2010. • One key contributor: the rising share of low-earning young adults living with parents. • Declining redistribution from SNAP & EITC largely explains the remaining discordance.