“The distance between the richest and poorest countries has widened to a gulf. The richest country today (Liechtenstein) is three times richer than the richest country in 1970. The poorest country today (Zimbabwe) is about 25 percent poorer than the poorest country in 1970 (also Zimbabwe). It is sobering to see, amid enormous material prosperity in developed countries, that the real average income of people in 13 countries in the bottom quarter of today’s world income distribution is lower than in 1970.”
Human Development Report 2010 – 20th Anniversary Edition, The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development, p. 42.
Even with the economy in a funk and many Americans pulling back on spending, the rich are again buying designer clothing, luxury cars and about anything that catches their fancy. … Many high-end businesses are even able to mark up, rather than discount, items to attract customers who equate quality with price.
Stephanie Clifford, Even Marked Up, Luxury Goods Fly Off Shelves, New York Times, August 3, 2011.
Chart source: Richard Wallick, Auto Industry Labor Costs in Perspective, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Originally Posted: April 22, 2011.
———————–Comments———————–
Increased global spending on yachts, private planes, high end sports cars, multi-million dollar homes, $200 per person meals, and other luxury items does produce a number of new jobs in the world economy – but not many.
Income growth for the world’s middle and lower income working people does the heavy lifting for global job creation. Increases in spending by middle and lower income families send huge numbers of the world’s global corporations, neighborhood businesses, and governments looking for new employees.
No real income growth for the world’s middle and lower income families translates into insufficient growth in demand for the increasing volumes of goods and services that can be produced by the world economy, and from there almost directly into no progress in the U.S. on reducing unemployment and underemployment.
The U.S. is deeply enmeshed in a demand starved world economy and U.S. economic policy does not directly address that aspect of our situation.
IWE WORK FUTURES 