What is happening to the middle class

Changes in the size and characteristics of the middle class in the United States are examined. The analysis which is based on data from the March 1969 and March 1983 Current Population Surveys suggests that the middle class has declined in size but that it is unlikely to either increase or decrease substantially in the near future. The authors identify five factors that may have contributed to this decline: "the business cycle changes in family composition the growth of two-earner families the changing industrial structure of the economy and changes in the age composition of the population." (EXCERPT)