Family income inequality in the 1980s (IS 913 A5)

The 1980s was a time of demographic and economic changes: the recession, high interest rates, an aging population, and continuing increases in the number of multiple-earner families. As a result, there has been considerable interest about what has happened to family income (1) during this period. How has income grown and how has it been distributed among families? (2) Did society become more polarized into "the haves" and "the have-nots" during the decade? Some labour market analysis of jobs has suggested the emergence of a "good jobs/bad jobs" society, resulting in fewer "middle class" jobs. (3) Does this characteristic extend to the distribution of family income? Have "middle class" families become less prevalent leading to more families at the "rich" and "poor" ends of the income spectrum?