Where the Great Recession Made Inequality Worse

The most troubling reality of America’s ongoing economic recovery has been just how differently the recession and recovery have played out for the wealthiest households and for everyone else. The rich are getting richer, and income inequality is growing. In 2012, the top 10 percent took home more than half of the entire country’s income.

Income inequality is a big and growing problem across the United States, but it's much worse in some places than others. In metros like New York, Detroit, San Francisco, and L.A., income inequality levels rival those of developing world nations like Swaziland, the Philippines, Madagascar, and the Dominican Republic. In a previous post, I traced how income inequality has grown in each U.S. state over the past few decades.