Income Inequality

32 Stories

This 'ultra-wealthy' Seattle suburb inspired dystopian novel’s take on pleasure and privilege

Reading C Pam Zhang's "Land of Milk and Honey" is like walking up to the finest buffet while a strict personal trainer eyeballs every morsel you put on your plate. You want it, but you feel guilty for that wanting.
- Katie Campbell
Is a guaranteed income program right for Washington? Lawmakers are considering it

‘When you don't have to worry so much about taking care of your family's basic needs, you're in a much better position to focus at work and reimagine a different future for you and your family, whether that's going back to school, caring for young children during a difficult time like Covid, or looking for a new job.’
- Andy Hurst
Washington grocery workers 'begging' for more hours as wages don't keep up with bills

Many grocery workers are running out of food at home and aren’t earning enough to make rent, according to a new study.
- Katie Campbell
A coconut seller and a day laborer reflect on life in astoundingly unequal India

It's one of the world's most unequal countries, says a new report. And the gap between rich and poor is getting worse. Two workers who each make less than $5 a day describe what their lives are like.
- Kamala Thiagarajan
Mayor Woodards on how Tacoma's guaranteed income pilot gives new meaning to 'grit'

‘You’ve got to take the first step to get to the goal. I think this is our first step. Helping 100 families at $500 a month sounds small in a city that has 215,000-plus residents, but it's a step.’
- Paige Browning
Why Nobody Feels Rich: The Psychology Of Inequality

If you've ever flown in economy class on a plane, you probably had to walk through the first class cabin to get to your seat. Maybe you noticed the extra leg room. The freshly-poured champagne. Maybe you were annoyed, or envious. Social psychologist Keith Payne says we tend to compare ourselves with those who have more than us, but rarely with those who have less. This week, we revisit our 2019 episode on the psychology of income inequality, and how perceptions of our own wealth shape our lives.
- Shankar Vedantam
From Jobs To Homeownership, Protests Put Spotlight On Economic Divide

Police brutality has sparked days of civil unrest. But the sparks have landed in a tinderbox built over decades of economic inequality, now exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Scott Horsley
King County is giving free bus passes to thousands of low income residents

Kim Malcolm talks with King County councilmember Rod Dembowski about the county's plan to provide free bus passes to its lowest income residents.
- Andy Hurst
Is There Hope For The American Dream? What Americans Think About Income Inequality

A new survey of Americans across all income brackets captures some surprising views about their economic experience and expectations of success.
- Joe Neel
Minimum Wage Hikes Fuel Higher Pay Growth For Those At The Bottom

Wages rose faster for low-income workers than for any other group in 2019. The gains are partly explained by the tight labor market. But increases in minimum wages also contributed to the gains.
- Scott Horsley

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