Abstract #301032

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JSM 2003 Abstract #301032
Activity Number: 200
Type: Topic Contributed
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 5, 2003 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
Abstract - #301032
Title: Distribution of Household Income: Two Decades of Change
Author(s): Roberton Williams*+
Companies: Congressional Budget Office
Address: 422 Ford House Office Bldg., Washington, DC, 20515,
Keywords: income ; distribution ; taxes ; inequality
Abstract:

Studies have documented the growing disparity in incomes of the rich and poor over time, generally relying on cash income data from the CPS. The CPS, however, understates incomes of the wealthy, and cash measures only part of income. This paper examines the changing distribution of income between 1979 and 2000, based on data from both the CPS and the SOI (which provides an accurate picture of the incomes of the richest households). Further, the income measure includes in-kind sources and is thus more comprehensive. The paper focuses on income growth within percentiles of the distribution as well as changes in the share of income received by each group. Percentiles are defined on the basis of the comprehensive income measure, adjusted to take account of differences in household size. The paper reports separate measures for households with children, elderly households, and others. It also examines the changing impact of federal taxes on household after-tax income and finds that while federal taxes became more progressive over the past two decades, that change has not been sufficient to offset the increase in inequality brought about by differential gains in pretax income.

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