Http://finance.sina.com.cn August 27, 2004 12:07 Southern Weekend
Yale University History - Xue Yong
There will always be some politics and economists in front of each general election. In January, some professors from Yale, Oxford and other famous universities and experts were announced after making a bunch of mathematical models: Bush will win - although they predict 4 years ago, they are not this result. They said, "The economic situation is good enough, enough to get the elective victory." However, they always ignore one thing: statistics are not necessarily the true feeling of the people. Statistics and life feelings, which one is more real?
The world knows the US rich. But how much is ordinary Americans earn? For this issue, there is no concept even in the United States for ten years. Americans pay attention to personal privacy, especially in terms of property, avoiding their own income, don't talk about others. In the media exposed, most of them are some social celebrities, although hundreds of thousands of or hundreds of millions are not new, but they are not representative.
The United States is a customary society, the most shortcoming is the various statistics, and this is also the same. The US per capita national product is $ 3,8620, in the national 1.43 billion taxpoint, medium income is close to $ 45,000. But such numbers are too abstract. The family is different, even if the average calculation of 2.6 people / family, the family will still have a lot difference. For example, some families have to spend tens of thousands of dollars for children every year, and some do not have this burden. So what is the day of the medium family, or it is difficult to understand.
In addition, rich and poor in the United States is still a very subjective problem, and it feels more and more. However, Americans feel that they have a major impact on politics. If most Americans feel that they are poor, life is difficult, and they are not guaranteed in the position of the president. If you feel that the days are booming, the chances of the president will be greatly enhanced. This year's problem seems to be a bit trouble. The mathematical model of economists said that the current economic recovery is strong, Bush does not seem to have a reason to fall. But a series of polls show that the self-feeling and economic data of the people are inconsistent. GDP is rising, the company's profits are improved, but the people feel that the days are not good. Americans are rich and poor, become a typical half cup empty or a half-cup full of problems. Whether to find a feeling, you can only see the right to politicians.
At the beginning of the year, a book named "low salary" has provided us to understand some clues for us to understand the general Americans. The book believes that more and more Americans now earn wages are difficult to support their families. In most of the time ago, the general US family only needs a man who can maintain a good life outside. As a result, there is a "family wage", which is enough to raise a family, which is an ideal wage standard for the US labor.
If you follow this standard, the current United States can say that there is a popular family finance crisis. In 2001, 100 million in Americans with full-time work, most people's income is less than 35,000 US dollars, only 32.8% of people can earn more than 45,000, can earn 65,000, but 15.7%. The US living expenses is very expensive, even if there is a family of 65,000 US dollars, it is not very worse. It can be seen that most of the Americans earn wages, and the support is very boring.
Of course, many American women have also walked out of their house, and a person's income has long been a family. However, even if women's wages are not optimistic. At present, 1/3 of the American family is still a person. However, in such a family, people who earn money often have high income, and the spouse does not need to work. In additional 2/3 families, there are often two or three people earn money outside. But their income is often very low. For example, in most foreign workers, there is less than half of the fixed workers. In general, even if the medium level is met, their income is only $ 18,000. In a typical "dual employee" family, the wife's income generally accounts for 36.1% of the total domestic income, according to this ratio, most such a family income will not exceed 50,000. If the parents earn money can't support their homes, then children have to go out. Honestly, minors work mainly not because of poor. Americans pay attention from small to cultivate children to self-sufficiency, many rich people often go out to work, this is a necessary education that society provides for children. Many of the heads of the American society work in a child. However, because the poor has to work, some people are there. Moreover, in order to earn money, these children often doze off their work because they can't finish their homework, even because they lack sleep. According to statistics, from 1980 to 2002, American adolescents have increased by 63.2%. Such a high growth rate is obviously not because of the sake of social education, but a pure economic child labor. The child worked with the salary of child labor and saved the boss. But the child's hours of hours, it is difficult to subsidize home.
It's not much to ask your parents. These are still the case of complete families. In recent decades, the US divorce rate is increased, the marriage rate is lowered, single "family" and the broken family, and these people are not easier. In 2001, among the 45 million US unmarried workers, the medium income level was about $ 17,000. The medium income level of single-parent mother is slightly higher, with slightly $ 18,000. 3/4 of the single mother is after losing the benefits before being worked out. It is impossible to know that it is difficult to take care of your child's education. The money earned is almost enough to pay a house, but the child often makes bad because no one is tubal. At present, 22.4% of American children are so big, one of the most likely "prospects", is to enter prisons.
Why is the US people earn so few? Another book called "shrinking US" provides some answers. The US technical level is different, and the company is getting more and more efficient, and the domestic layoff is getting more and more. From 1980 to 2002, the US population has increased by 23.9%, and the employed population has increased by 37.4%. On the surface, the position is more fast than the population. However, this optimistic number is hidden behind the facts. First, a few million women who don't work in the past are now working, and the ratio of adolescent work has also increased sharply. More importantly, some high salary, full-time positions are replaced by a lot of low salary, unfixed positions. For example, from 1981 to 2003, the Employees of General Motors have decreased from 746,000 people to 350,000 people, less than half; Xerox's employees fell from 120,500 people to 67,100; DuPont degraded to 79,000 from 135,000 people. The population growth rate of 23.9% of the same period is more abrupt.
What is the increase in work? Is the bottom low salary work. From 1981 to 2003, Wal-Mart's employee expanded from 27,000 to 1.3 million people. McDonald's created 296,000 jobs. But these positions are almost all the salesperson, many of which are temporary. Even full-time, the compensation of such a job is only equivalent to 1/3 of the aforementioned large enterprise fixed work salary.
So where is the money? Of course, it is a pocket that flows into the rich. In 1980, 5% of the most important US households were equivalent to 14.6% of national income. By 2001, the income of this class more accounted for 21% of national income. At the same time, the top 20% of the family's income, the proportion of national income fell by 20.8%. Can not be denied, the United States is still the largest rich country in the world. In particular, after economic growth in the 1990s, the country has increased. However, the benefits of the US people are very limited, and there are more countries that are more rich, and their own handsome feelings. Big companies in the United States, CEO's income is 530 times the company staff. This gap is only 10 times in Japan. So, the US economy has trouble, immediately is the street depression, and the law is corrupt. Although Japan has experienced more than ten years of "Pediant None", the street is still hot, and the song and dance are flat. Some Americans ran to Japan, they are confused: they are prosperous, where is the economic crisis? A rich and poor society and a generous distance, it is clear on the market.
However, many people do not agree. For example, "Economist" pointed out: Since 1980, the US secondary household income has increased by 1/5. The poverty rate continued to fall since the 1960s. The growth rate of middle and middle-income families in black is twice as high as the national level. Especially the immigrants received by the United States exceed the sum of immigrants in other countries. As a result, 5 million immigrant families live below the poverty line between 20 years in 1999. But this does not mean that these families have not improved compared to the original country. If these immigrants are thrown, the US secondary home income has been continuous improvement.
Greg Istebrook pointed out in the book of "The Paradox" of progress, 25 years ago, the US family averages 3 people, and now only 2.6 people. That is, the past medium-house household income is 3 people's income, and now only 2.6 people. As for the time of married women, the time has increased by 3 times. Many people say that they are forced to live, but recently, the main reason is that the gap between men and women is shrinking, making women more willing to work. Most American families have two cars, a room. On average Americans have two rooms, it is doubled than the current European and half centuries. The US family wealth is more than $ 44 million, which is the highest record of history. The days can't be said too bad.
However, hard data cannot replace people's actual feelings. This year, the presidential election, the Vice President of the Democratic Participation, Edwards, who had a candidate of the Democratic Party, wakes Bush created "two US": there is a US, everyone is rich in oil; but the other United States, everyone is not in the evening. This is called the most competitive slogan of the Democratic Party in some critics. It is also the reason why he finally became a campaign partner. It can be seen that GDP grows, and the poorest differentiation will inevitably cause political crises.
Nowadays, although the general Americans have risen, they have far caught up the price of housing prices, medical insurance and education costs. Family income of 50,000 US dollars makes many Americans getting harder and support children after buying homes. However, the importance of education is highlighted every year. In 1980, the income ratio of a person with a university diploma and university diploma was 1690:1000. By 2001, it rose to 2243: 1000 US dollars. Education is getting more and more important, and there are more and more old ages to go to college. The child wants to go to college, and there is no additional burden to the US family who gave fiscal. So known as the general Americans in the world, may feel that your income is getting less and less.
