The Census Bureau is out with the annual report on incomes and poverty. And while you might think that after years of stagnant incomes and elevated poverty rates, we would be inured to the depressing facts contained therein, it still somehow has the power to shock.
For my money, the most depressing fact about the economy is not the fact that household incomes were basically flat in 2012 (the real median household income was down to $51,017 from $51,100 in 2011, a statistically insignificant change). It wasn’t even the fact that 15 percent of the U.S. population was living in poverty, according to the official, flawed definition of the term.
Nah, the most depressing result comes when you look at the longer view of household incomes in the United States.
Another indication that America’s economic system involves negative consequences for families. There are doubtless many causes of this, but one cause may be that the drive for absolute free trade has put American workers into competition with cheap labor abroad. Since the church cares about families, it should be pointing out that businesses and governments need to consider changing their policies.