income

Low-Level Crime Pays Pretty Well

Criminals make double the average made legally by high school dropouts

(Newser) - Crime not only pays, it pays relatively well—about $900 per week. So say researchers who compared past surveys of nonviolent, low-level criminals to come up with the best guess on their illegal earnings. Such a figure isn't easy to reach since criminals aren't keen to report illegal... More »

Recession Officially Over for Median Household Income

It just hit $59K

(Newser) - By at least one measure, the great recession that started in December 2007 was officially recovered from by the time President Obama left office, the New York Times reports. According to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday, the median household income in America in 2016 was $59,039—an increase of... More »

Top 8 Cities Where Pay Goes Furthest

Midsize cities are the way to go, with Detroit in No. 1 spot

(Newser) - If you want to stretch your paycheck further, you may be better off putting down roots in a midsize city rather than a large one, even if the jobs you could get in a major metropolis may pay more. That's the finding of Glassdoor , which compared median base salary... More »

Middle-Class Income Sees Fastest Growth Ever: Report

Poverty rate fell too, though some say it's not enough to warrant a celebration just yet

(Newser) - For seven long years, the US has been struggling to break out of a sluggish economy after the Great Recession, Bloomberg notes. Some "remarkable progress" on that front came Tuesday, per the White House blog : A US Census Bureau report says median household income (adjusted for inflation) for 2015... More »

Switzerland May Ensure All Adults Make at Least $31K

Tax-free basic income would create more 'humanized' economy: supporters

(Newser) - On June 5, Swiss voters will weigh in on a measure that's never been implemented in any country: make sure every citizen and legal resident gets $2,600, every month, tax-free ($650 for kids)—no matter what their employment situation or income level, USA Today reports. What Gawker says... More »

Your Size Predicts How Much You Earn

Short men, overweight women are at a disadvantage: study

(Newser) - Bad news for short men and overweight women: You have "reduced chances in life" when it comes to income, education, and job prospects, the Washington Post reports via a new study in the British Medical Journal . University of Exeter researchers analyzed how genetic variants related to height and BMI... More »

31-Year-Old's Experiment: Pay People $1,100 a Month

Basic income has no strings attached

(Newser) - "If you were handed $1,100 a month, would you amount to anything?" So asks the Los Angeles Times in a Sunday headline atop a piece about a unique experiment underway in Germany. Michael Bohmeyer, a 31-year-old Internet entrepreneur in Berlin, is behind Mein Grundeinkommen (My Basic Income), which,... More »

Americans Are Making Less Money Under Obama

And why that might not actually help any of the GOP presidential candidates

(Newser) - Politico has an interesting article on what it's calling "the Democrats' wage problem," a major takeaway of which is that the average American income has actually gone down during Obama's years as president. The median household income in 2014 was more than $1,600 lower... More »

Women's Salaries Peak a Decade Earlier Than Men's

Even when men and women work the same jobs, women earn less

(Newser) - Women's earnings continue to rise slightly every five years between the ages of 20 and 40, at which point the median salary peaks at $49,000. From there until retirement 25 years later women's earnings remain flat, while men's salaries continue to grow until into their 50s,... More »

What You Earn Is Tied to How You Drink

The wealthy and most educated are most likely to drink alcohol

(Newser) - Overall, roughly two in three Americans drink alcohol—which has been true historically since 1939. But dig a little deeper and drinking habits vary widely among some Americans, particularly between those who are wealthy (eight in 10 drink) and those who are not (only five in 10 do), reports Gallup... More »

Disobedient Kids Make More Money as Adults

Study finds it's a strong indicator on future income

(Newser) - Parents at their wits' end over an unruly kid might take heart: The brat will probably grow up to earn more than his well-behaving peers, a new study in Development Psychology suggests. Researchers with the University of Luxembourg, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Free University of Berlin... More »

Half of Couples Don't Know This About Their Partners

They say they communicate, but a new survey by Fidelity suggests otherwise

(Newser) - For richer, for poorer, for who knows? Nearly half (43%) of couples in serious relationships don't know what their partners earn. And of those, 10% are off by at least $25,000. So finds the latest biannual online survey by Fidelity , which polled 1,051 couples who are at... More »

Your Salary Is Just a Fraction of What You Make

That fraction being about 1/2: Tax Policy Center experts

(Newser) - Howard Gleckman has a news flash for you: You make far more money than you think you do. Writing for the Christian Science Monitor , the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center fellow isn't arguing that you're reading your paycheck stub wrong. Rather, the number on that stub is only the... More »

Consumer Spending Jumps 0.8%

It's the best report in 7 months, but outpaces income growth

(Newser) - Americans increased their spending in September at twice the rate their income rose, a sign of confidence in the economy. The Commerce Department says consumer spending increased 0.8% in September, the best showing since February. Personal income rose 0.4%, an improvement from a slight 0.1% gain in... More »

2012's Forgotten Issue: Stagnant Income

Candidates largely ignore causes of decade-long income slump

(Newser) - The economy has taken center stage in the race for the White House, but amid the chatter about government spending and taxes, the New York Times thinks one subject that hits close to home for many poor and middle-class Americans has been largely left out: the long-term stagnation of income.... More »

Poorer Give More to Charity

But rich donate big when living in diverse areas

(Newser) - When it comes to charitable donations, lower-income people are willing to part with a much bigger chunk of their discretionary income than big earners are, a study finds. Households that bring in $50,000 to $75,000 a year give 7.6% of their post-tax and post-living expenses income, on... More »

Actually, You Only Need $50K Per Year to Be Happy

New poll finds those who make less aren't as satisfied

(Newser) - Good news for those of you not quite making $75,000 per year : A new study finds that an annual income of just $50,000 is enough to inspire happiness. A previous study put the magic happiness number at $75,000, finding that even Americans making significantly more than that... More »

The Exact Income You Need To Be Happy Is...

$75K, assuming you've also got friends

(Newser) - How much money is enough money? Exactly $75,000, according to a new study. Economist Angus Deaton and Nobel prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman looked at data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, and found that people reported becoming happier as their household income increased—until it hit $75,000. After that,... More »

Paycheck Data Dismal in 2010

...Unless you were a millionaire

(Newser) - The Social Security Administration quietly released payroll data for 2010 yesterday, and they were “in a word, awful,” writes David Cay Johnston at Reuters —assuming you’re not a millionaire, that is. The number of people making at least $1 million rose by 20%, jumping from 78,... More »

DC Overtakes Silicon Valley in Household Income

Typical home pulls in about $84,000

(Newser) - Our nation's capital city boasts the highest average income in the country, reports Bloomberg . New census statistics show that a household in the DC metro area typically earns $84,523, compared to the national median of $50,045. The booming salaries are explained by a dense concentration of lobbyists,... More »