Rent and Social Class, 1982-2000

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project will evaluate a class based approach to the explanation of the growth in earnings inequality over the last two decades. It adopts a class schema derived from the work of Erikson, Goldthorpe, and Portacarero (EGP) to describe the relationships between class and growing inequality. It will utilize data from the Survey of Consumer Finances to evaluate the role of capital income in explaining the variable relationship between class position and income. And it will analyze inter-industry wage differentials by class to examine a rent-based explanation to growing inequality: whether some of the growing inequality may be attributed to declines in rent payments to working-class wage earners in industries that have historically paid higher wages.