After the economy slipped into recession in 1969, it took only three years for incomes in the middle to rebound and surpass their previous peak. After the downturn of 1973, it took five; after back-to-back recessions in 1981 and 1982, it took seven. PhotoOf course, the Census Bureau’s numbers on income and poverty don’t add up to a perfect representation of families’ means. Over the last few years the census has also published an alternative Supplemental Poverty Measure — which keeps a better tab on Americans’ income and expenditures. The 3.4 percent of income that households in the bottom fifth took home last year was less than the 5.8 percent they had in 1974.

Source: New York Times September 13, 2016 16:41 UTC